The neurobiology of autism: Theoretical applications

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are complex neurological disorders characterized by heterogeneity in skills and impairments. A variety of models have been developed to describe the disorders and a wide range of brain processes have been implicated. This review attempts to integrate some of the consistent neurological findings in the research with three of the dominant models of core deficits of ASDs: the weak central coherence model, the theory of mind model, and the mirror neuron system model. A review of the literature suggests that the cerebellum and the frontal lobes may be implicated in all three of the models, while the temporal lobe is associated with the theory of mind model and the mirror neuron model. In particular, the theory of mind model and the mirror neuron system model both implicate the inferior frontal gyrus and the superior temporal sulcus. This review indicates that each model appears to be heavily substantiated by neurological research, suggesting that each may capture important aspects of ASDs.