Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders; however, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying disordered behavior in ASD remain poorly understood. Notably, individuals with ASD have demonstrated difficulties generating implicitly derived behavioral predictions and adaptations. Although many brain regions are involved in these processes, the cerebellum contributes an outsized role to these behavioral functions. Consistent with this prominent role, cerebellar dysfunction has been increasingly implicated in ASD. In this review, we will utilize the foundational, theoretical contributions of the late neuroscientist Masao Ito to establish an internal model framework for the cerebellar contribution to ASD-relevant behavioral predictions and adaptations. Additionally, we will also explore and then apply his key experimental contributions towards an improved, mechanistic understanding of the contribution of cerebellar dysfunction to ASD.

自闭症谱系障碍 (ASD) 是一种非常普遍的神经发育障碍；然而，自闭症谱系障碍行为紊乱背后的神经生物学机制仍然知之甚少。值得注意的是，患有自闭症谱系障碍的人已经表现出难以产生隐式衍生的行为预测和适应。尽管许多大脑区域都参与这些过程，但小脑在这些行为功能中发挥着巨大的作用。与这一重要作用相一致的是，小脑功能障碍越来越多地与自闭症谱系障碍有关。在这篇综述中，我们将利用已故神经科学家 Masao Ito 的基础理论贡献来建立一个内部模型框架，用于小脑对 ASD 相关行为预测和适应的贡献。此外，我们还将探索并应用他的关键实验贡献，以改进对小脑功能障碍对自闭症谱系障碍的影响的机制理解。