School refusal: what if it's an autism spectrum disorder? A scoping review

School refusal (SR) is currently regarded as a symptom that should be investigated for an underlying etiology. Difficulties in interacting with peers, bullying and anxious comorbidities can hamper the schooling of children with autism. The aim of the review was to make an inventory of the state of research on SR and the link established with the autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A scoping review (keyword 'School refusal' on four databases) allowed us to include twenty-seven articles. They addressed the issue of ASD or specifically studied the etiologies underlying SR. Articles studying the population with autism demonstrate that SR is the leading cause of absence, usually due to bullying. One article evokes the importance of identification and school-based intervention in the context of SR, even before a diagnosis has been made. Articles on the etiologies associated with SR focus on anxiety and depressive disorders. Only 4 articles assert a link between SR and ASD witch emphasize the importance of early identification of the disorders and of adapting schooling to combat SR. Identify and diagnose ASD in children with SR should be the subject of future studies to determine the prevalence of ASD in children with SR.