{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T22:16:01Z","timestamp":1790374561480,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":61,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,28]],"date-time":"2025-09-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1759017600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.mdpi.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Brain Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display distinct neurodevelopmental trajectories marked by atypical neural activation and white matter maturation compared to neurotypical peers. Introduction: While improvements in face recognition and cognitive skills occur during childhood and adolescence, individuals with ASD often experience a plateau in these areas as they transition to adulthood, impacting daily living, executive function, social cognition, and emotional awareness. Results: Neuroimaging studies reveal altered white matter growth and connectivity in brain regions associated with social processing, which may underlie these functional challenges. Intellectual disability further compounds developmental difficulties by limiting foundational abilities and slowing progress. Discussion: The multifaceted and persistent service needs spanning legal, educational, vocational, health, and psychosocial domains highlight the necessity for coordinated, individualized, and family-centered approaches, particularly during the transition to adulthood. Advances in research integrating genetic, neurobiological, and behavioral data hold potential for refining diagnostic subgroups and personalizing interventions. Conclusion: Continued advocacy and innovation in service delivery are essential to address gaps in adult support systems and enhance long-term outcomes for individuals with ASD.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/brainsci15101057","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,29]],"date-time":"2025-09-29T08:00:32Z","timestamp":1759132832000},"page":"1057","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Neurobiological and Behavioral Heterogeneity in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9975-7331","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gerry","family":"Leisman","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Movement and Cognition Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel"},{"name":"Resonance Therapeutics Laboratory, University of the Medical Sciences of Havana, Havana 10400, Cuba"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-2297-6682","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rahela","family":"Alfasi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Movement and Cognition Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel"},{"name":"Center for Developing Minds, Rockville Centre, New York, NY 11570, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Robert","family":"Melillo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Movement and Cognition Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel"},{"name":"Center for Developing Minds, Rockville Centre, New York, NY 11570, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Volkmar, F.R., Reichow, B., and McPartland, J.C. 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