Higher anesthetic dose requirement for sedation in children with autism spectrum disorder compared to neuro-atypical controls- a prospective observational study

•Children with ASD frequently require sedation for undergoing procedures like Magnetic Resonance Imaging.•The sedative requirements for children with ASD are different from those of other children.•The sedative requirements differ with the type of procedure being performed.•The study compared sedative requirements between ASD children and those without for MRI under dexmedetomidine anesthesia.•Children with ASD had higher anesthetic requirements for attaining immobility during imaging compared to those without ASD.