The Brains behind Autism Spectrum Disorder: Exploring Emerging Elements of Potential Neurological Phenotypes

Abstract

The identification and diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has become an international educational and medical priority over the last two to three decades, resulting in a surge of research from a variety of perspectives. This brief, selective review of extant literature attempts to identify some major themes in the neurological study of ASD in order to help organize further research endeavors as well as inform educational and interventional decision making. The main areas addressed in this paper are sensory processing, social-emotional processing, and connectivity.