Heterogeneity in cognitive and academic abilities is a prominent feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet little is known about its underlying causes. Here we combine functional brain imaging during numerical problem-solving with hierarchical drift-diffusion models of behavior and standardized measures of numerical abilities to investigate neural mechanisms underlying cognitive variability in children with ASD, and their IQ-matched Typically Developing (TD) peers. Although the two groups showed similar levels of brain activation, the relation to individual abilities differed markedly in ventral temporal-occipital, parietal and prefrontal regions important for numerical cognition: children with ASD showed a positive correlation between functional brain activation and numerical abilities, whereas TD children showed the opposite pattern. Despite similar accuracy and response times, decision thresholds were significantly higher in the ASD group, suggesting greater evidence required for problem-solving. Critically, the relationship between individual abilities and engagement of prefrontal control systems anchored in the anterior insula was differentially moderated by decision threshold in subgroups of children with ASD. Our findings uncover novel cognitive and neural sources of variability in academically-relevant cognitive skills in ASD and suggest that multilevel measures and latent decision-making dynamics can aid in characterization of cognitive variability and heterogeneity in neurodevelopmental disorders.

认知和学术能力的异质性是自闭症谱系障碍 (ASD) 的一个突出特征，但对其根本原因知之甚少。在这里，我们将解决数值问题期间的功能性脑成像与行为的分层漂移扩散模型和数值能力的标准化测量相结合，以研究 ASD 儿童及其智商匹配的典型发育 (TD) 同龄人认知变异性的神经机制。尽管两组的大脑激活水平相似，但在对数字认知很重要的腹侧颞枕叶、顶叶和前额叶区域与个体能力的关系存在显着差异：ASD 儿童的大脑功能激活与数字能力呈正相关，而 TD儿童表现出相反的模式。尽管准确性和响应时间相似，但 ASD 组的决策阈值明显更高，这表明解决问题需要更多证据。至关重要的是，个体能力与锚定在前岛叶的前额叶控制系统的参与之间的关系受到 ASD 儿童亚组的决策阈值的不同调节。我们的研究结果揭示了 ASD 学术相关认知技能变异的新认知和神经来源，并表明多层次测量和潜在决策动态有助于表征神经发育障碍中的认知变异性和异质性。在患有 ASD 的儿童亚组中，个体能力与前额叶控制系统的参与度之间的关系受到决策阈值的不同调节。我们的研究结果揭示了 ASD 学术相关认知技能变异的新认知和神经来源，并表明多层次测量和潜在决策动态有助于表征神经发育障碍中的认知变异性和异质性。在患有 ASD 的儿童亚组中，个体能力与前额叶控制系统的参与度之间的关系受到决策阈值的不同调节。我们的研究结果揭示了 ASD 学术相关认知技能变异的新认知和神经来源，并表明多层次测量和潜在决策动态有助于表征神经发育障碍中的认知变异性和异质性。