The problem of autism and autistic disorders (ASD) is of great medical and social importance, since the features of this disorder aggravate the course of the disease and reduce the quality of life of the patient and his microsocial environment. The main difference between ASD is cognitive ditogenesis, which is manifested by clinical heterogeneity: early motor disorders, sensory-perceptual disorders, disturbances of zonal speech function, stereotypic behavior, and lack of constant interaction. The mechanisms of development of ASD include genetically determined pre- and postnatal cerebral dysontogenesis, including secondary pathogenic factors (neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, immune dysfunction, mitochondrial disorders, diagnostic disorders of the blood-brain barrier, intestinal dysbiosis). This creates a closed pathogenetic circuit, which makes adequate hardware correction of ASD difficult. From these positions, the search for new ways to overcome the pathogenetic path is an urgent scientific task. The results of clinical studies and experimental studies of the use of polyphenols and nutrients in the treatment of ASD, taking into account the main links in the pathogenesis of this disease, allow us to expand the possibilities of treating this disorder. Hericium erinaceus contains erinaines and hericenones, natural NGF activators that accelerate the regeneration of nervous system elements and influence neuroplasticity. Hericium erinaceus contains sterols, amphipathic compounds necessary for the construction of neurocyte cell membranes and myelin formation. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of Hericium erinaceus on the cognitive functions of children with ASD. Materials and Methods: Twenty children aged 4-6 years with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), diagnosed according to DSM-5 criteria, were examined. The study protocol was approved by the ethics committee. Parental consent was obtained. The study methods included clinical, psychometric, and neuropsychological assessment. The following indicators were assessed: dynamic praxis, constructive praxis, spatial perception, speech, attention, and behavior. Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and a set of neuropsychological tests were used. Results: Baseline. The "Choice Reaction" test assessed self-control and impulsivity. Prior to therapy, subjects exhibited impaired responsiveness, decreased productivity, impaired attention switching, and impaired understanding and execution of complex instructions. Before treatment, dynamic praxis was impaired: correct sequential movements were difficult, there were errors when switching from one series of movements to another, the child got stuck on one movement, and could not correct a motor error. Constructive praxis is impaired, purposeful actions are absent, work with small details is difficult, and drawing from a sample is impaired. Visual-motor coordination and coordination of hand movements with visual information were impaired. Spatial perception was impaired. Actions were not performed consistently. Mutual coordination and coordination of movements with both hands were impaired. Problems and self-correction were observed: the child constantly hit, paused, and repeated the task. A pronounced dependence of movements on visual control was observed. Visual-spatial gnosis was impaired—impaired recognition of realistic images, recognition of superimposed images, and identification of incomplete images. Low attention span and ability to work for long periods of time. Phonemic awareness and pronunciation were impaired, as were word agreement within sentences and sound discrimination. Speech stereotypies were present, and the pronunciation of complex words was impaired. The average CARS score was 43.2+4.1 points. All children had moderate autism. Taking HERICIUM ERINACEUS (gelatin-coated capsules with finely dispersed dried HERICIUM powder) 0.3 g daily in the morning. Duration of treatment was 4 months. The study was conducted in 2025. After the course of therapy, significant improvements were observed in choice reactions, mutual coordination, graphomotor tests, motor coordination tests, and constructive praxis (p

Alena Sidenkova is a psychiatrist, Doctor of Medical Sciences, professor, and head of the Department of Psychiatry at the Ural State Medical University (Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation). She is co-chair of the Russian Society of Psychiatrists and a member of the AAIC. She studies the pathogenesis of neurocognitive and neurodevelopmental disorders, including ASD, in childhood and adulthood. In 2010, she defended her doctoral dissertation, "A Psychosocial Model of Late-Onset Dementia." Her research interests include social psychiatry, psychopharmacology, the mechanisms of neurodegenerative disorders, developmental disorders, and dysontogenetic disorders. She is developing a dynamic model of mental function formation during ontogenesis. She has authored over 250 articles and 7 monographs.