Executive control processes and flexible behaviors rely on the integrity of, and dynamic interactions between, several core brain networks. The right insular cortex is a critical component of a salience network that is thought to mediate interactions between other brain networks involved in externally oriented attention and internally oriented cognition. How these systems reconfigure with development is a critical question for cognitive neuroscience, with implications for neurodevelopmental pathologies affecting brain connectivity. I will describe studies examining how brain network dynamics support flexible behaviors in typical and atypical development, presenting evidence suggesting a unique role for the dorsal anterior insular from studies of meta-analytic connectivity modeling, dynamic functional connectivity, and structural connectivity.
