Clinical Research Directory

Inclusion Criteria: * Clinical Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, higher functioning/low support needs * Intelligence Quotient (IQ): Participants with a Full Scale IQ \> 80 on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI-II) * Right-handed * No metal in their body/unremovable metal on their body (i.e., braces) * First language is English * Must live in the San Francisco Bay Area * Able and willing to receive intervention weekly for 9 weeks * Adolescent is interested in improving their social skills * MRI Compatibility: No major contraindication for MRI. * Diagnosis of ASD using ADOS-2 and ADI-R. * No evidence of a genetic, metabolic, or infectious etiology for their autism. * Primary diagnosis of ASD * No evidence of significant difficulty during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or immediate neonatal period. * Stable treatment (e.g., ABA), speech therapy, school placement, psychotropic medication(s) or biomedical intervention(s) for at least 1 month prior to baseline measurements with no anticipated changes during study participation. * Score of at least 50% or below on at least 4 out of the 9 social target areas in the SLO (administered during pre-measures) * No evidence of significant difficulty during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or immediate neonatal period. Exclusion Criteria: * History of claustrophobia, previous head injury, serious neurological or medical illness, birth weight less than 4 lb. and/or gestational age \< 34 weeks * Left-handed * Braces or any metal in their body