Intervention-Induced Plasticity of Flexibility and Learning Mechanisms in ASD

Inclusion Criteria:

1. 14-18 years of age inclusive

2. Full scale IQ > 80 on a standardized IQ test, either confirmed through educationaltesting within the last two years or confirmed by the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale ofIntelligence (WASI-2) administered by research personnel. If current IQ testing (FSIQ) is not interpretable based on discrepancies between verbal and perceptualskills, we will use the best available verbal IQ estimate.

3. Broad ASD diagnosis according to Diagnostic Statistical Manual, fifth edition (DSM-5) criteria established by parent report of prior clinical diagnosis andconfirmed by meeting cutoff criteria on the Social Communication Questionnaire (i.e., raw score > 11) or the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 (ADOS-2),Module 4 (total score ≥7).

4. Intact or corrected hearing and vision.

5. Parents/guardians speak and read English with sufficient fluency for completion ofconsent forms and informant questionnaires; youth participants will use/understandEnglish as a primary or secondary language with sufficient fluency to engageeffectively in executive function group therapy conducted in English, and for validadministration of neuropsychological and behavioral measures.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Presence of a known medical condition in the participant that would interfere withhis/her ability to participate in the study.

2. To preserve the integrity of the neuroimaging data, participants will be excluded ifthey have a history of neurological disorder, such as an established epilepsydiagnosis, significant brain trauma, hydrocephalus, central nervous systeminfection, or stroke.

3. Contraindications for MRI such as metal implants, dental braces, pregnancy (determined by parent or self-report).