Executive and sensory functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder and epilepsy: a comparative analysis of clinical profiles

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently co-occurs with epilepsy, contributing to variability in functional outcomes during childhood. This study examined executive functioning and sensory processing in children aged 6–8 years with ASD, epilepsy, or co-occurring ASD and epilepsy within a comparative cross-sectional design. A total of 150 children were assessed using a multimethod approach combining parent-report measures and performance-based tasks. Significant group differences were observed across executive and sensory domains. Higher levels of difficulty in everyday executive functioning were observed in the ASD+epilepsy group, while performance-based measures revealed differentiated patterns across groups: children with epilepsy showed relatively higher verbal fluency, whereas children with ASD+epilepsy showed greater difficulty in Trail Construction and Interference Resistance, together with higher scores in Ring Construction. Exploratory analyses did not support consistent associations between executive functioning and sensory processing after accounting for group differences. These findings highlight variability in functional profiles across clinical groups and underscore the importance of multimodal assessment in children with neurodevelopmental conditions.