Aut-CARE Intervention to Improve Cognitive and Emotional Functioning in Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum

Currently, many autistic youths struggle to adapt to academic programs or the workforce, often turning to third-sector organizations such as specialized associations and foundations. This may be due to factors such as emotional dysregulation and executive dysfunction, which interfere with their psychosocial adaptation abilities, leading to anxiety and depression. These challenges have a neurobiological basis tied to the unique complexities of the autistic brain, which experiences emotional and cognitive overload and lacks attentional filters. To address this issue, the emotional and executive functioning of autistic youths at the Friends Foundation will be assessed through objective and subjective assessments. This data collection will serve as a foundation for conceptualizing and co-creating a more realistic affective-cognitive remediation program, integrating user perspectives (concep