Review Article

Recent Advances in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Etiological Mechanisms and Integrated Treatment Approaches

Abstract

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a multifaceted neurodevelopmental disorder defined by long-term difficulties in social communication with restricted, repetitive behaviors. The field has recently expanded its understanding of the multifactorial nature of the disorder and broadened therapeutic approaches toward targeted, neurodiversity-affirming interventions. Etiology: The architecture of ASD itself is based on a dynamic interaction between heritable genetic risk (including polygenic risk scores, CNVs and de novo mutations) and also environmental effects involving maternal immune activation, advanced parental age, prenatal exposure to chemicals, etc. Pathophysiologically, these contributors converge on synaptic dysregulation, abnormal cortical microcircuitry connectivity, systemic neuroinflammation and gut microbiome dysbiosis. Therapeutic Paradigms: Contemporary interventions have transitioned from generic symptom management toward biological, behavioral, and precision-driven modalities:
• Neuromodulation Therapies: Non-invasive rTMS and tDCS targeting prefrontal regions to alter neural plasticity and executive function.
• Microbiota-Gut-Brain (MGB) Axis Interventions: Dietary modification, targeted pre/probiotics, and Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) aimed at reducing neuroinflammation.
• Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs): Frameworks like ESDM and JASPER that integrate behavioral learning into child-led, naturalistic contexts.
• Biomarker-Targeted Pharmacotherapy: Precision agents addressing pathwayspecific mechanisms, such as oxytocinergic regulators and GABAergic modulators.
• Digital Therapeutics (DTx) & VR: Virtual reality social training and AI-driven platforms delivering adaptive, tailored skill training in low-anxiety environments.
Conclusion: Bridging etiological insights with multimodal therapeutic paradigms is critical for subgrouping ASD phenotypes, optimizing individual treatment responses, and guiding future clinical research.

Authors affiliation:

Dhamya Kadhim Sarhan (ORCID): Faculty of Science, University of Kufa, Iraq.
Maysam Ali Eidans (ORCID): Faculty of Dentist, University of Kufa, Iraq.
Attyaf Jameel Thamir (ORCID): Faculty of Science, University of Kufa, Iraq.

How To Cite: D.K. Sarhan, M.A. Eidans, and A.J. Thamir. Recent Advances in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Etiological Mechanisms and Integrated Treatment Approaches. Healthcare Issues, 5(2):26–33, 2026. https://doi.org/10.58614/hi525