Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) show altered synchronization with external events, which may underlie the rigidity and reduced adaptability that characterize the condition. We previous...

Rhythmic patterns in the environment enhance neural activity, perception, and action. However, natural rhythms are often imprecise, requiring flexible adaptation. In autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), characterized by cognitive rigidity and atypical use of prior information - favoring immediate sensory input over predictive cues - entrainment to temporally variable input may be reduced at both neural and behavioral levels, though the neural mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we recorded high-density EEG and behavior in adults with ASD (n=20) and neurotypical (NT) controls (n=21) during a visual detection task with four rhythmic structures, parametrically varied from an isochronous fully regular rhythm, to a highly irregular one. Spectral analysis and temporal response function (TRF) models revealed significantly reduced modulation by temporal regularity in ASD, particularly in mildly jittered stimulation streams. Additionally, the coupling between phases of neural oscillations and behavior was diminished in ASD under the jittered conditions, suggesting reduced functional relevance of neural synchronization. Residual spectral power post-stimulation showed lower oscillatory entrainment in ASD, ruling out simple evoked-response explanations. Notably, the degree of neural modulation by temporal regularity was correlated with IQ within the ASD group, suggesting a link between temporal flexibility and individual cognitive profiles. These findings highlight impaired neural entrainment and reduced behavioral modulation by temporal structure in ASD, offering insight into inflexible responses to uncertain, volatile sensory environments. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. IDDRC, HD103536

In light of the current uncertainty facing many of our Israeli colleagues pursuing postdoctoral fellowships, particularly those currently based at Harvard—we are working to develop a shared and access...

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