We provide evidence to support the contention that many aspects of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are related to interregional brain functional disconnectivity associated with maturational delays in the development of brain networks. We think a delay in brain maturation in some networks may result in an increase in cortical maturation and development in other networks, leading to a developmental asynchrony and an unevenness of functional skills and symptoms. The paper supports the close relationship between retained primitive reflexes and cognitive and motor function in general and in ASD in particular provided to indicate that the inhibition of RPRs can effect positive change in ASD.

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Confirmation from structural, functional, and behavioral studies agree and suggest a configuration of atypical lateralization in individuals with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). It is suggested that patterns of cortical and behavioral atypicality are evident in individuals with ASDs with atypical lateralization being common in individuals with ASDs. The paper endeavors to better understand the relationship between alterations in typical cortical asymmetries and functional lateralization in ASD in evolutionary terms. We have proposed that both early genetic and/or environmental influences can alter the developmental process of cortical lateralization. There invariably is a “chicken or egg” issue that arises whether atypical cortical anatomy associated with abnormal function, or alternatively whether functional atypicality generates abnormal structure.

Objective: The study assessed autistic spectrum disordered (ASD) children and adults all possessing retained primitive reflexes compared with a control group that did not. Methods: qEEG spectral and qEEG functional connectivity analysis was performed. An examination was performed for the presence or absence of RPRs, before and after an intervention based on TENS unilateral stimulation. Results: The results support long-range under-connectivity and short-range over-connectivity in ASD, with abnormal lateralization in ASD, specifically an elevated left-over-right qEEG functional connectivity ratio. Conclusion: We hypothesize, based on these findings, that ASD is characterized by a general tendency toward an underexpression of low-band, wide-spread integrative processes that are compensated by more localized, high-frequency, regionally dispersed activity. Clinical improvement and the absence of RPRs may be linked to variations in qEEG frequency bands and a more optimized brain networks, resulting in more developmentally appropriate long-range connectivity links, primarily in the right hemisphere. Significance: Clinical improvement and the disappearance of RPRs may be associated with a new balance in qEEG frequency bands and a more optimized organization of the brain networks, improving long-range connectivities, mainly in the right hemisphere.