Neurodevelopment of Cognitive Control in Autism: Adolescence to Young Adulthood

This study compares the developmental trajectory of behavioral measures of cognitive control from adolescence into young adulthood in typical individuals (TYP) and individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We predict that approximately 2/3 of those with ASD will show a persistent lag in performance on cognitive control tasks through young adulthood, and that in those with ASD, cognitive control abilities will predict performance in complex information processing. We will also examine the development of the neural mechanisms of cognitive control from adolescence to young adulthood. We hypothesize that those with ASD will employ more reactive cognitive control than their TYP counterparts. Lastly, we will investigate relationships between the two modes of cognitive control, and functional and mental health outcomes between adolescence and young adulthood in the ASD group.

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