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Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors in Autism Spectrum Disorders and Typical Development: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Comparisons

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Abstract

Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are characteristic of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, compared to social and communicative impairments, less is known about their development, trajectory and etiology. This study explored RRBs in young children with ASD matched to typically developing (TD) children on non-verbal development. RRBs were coded from direct observation at three time points within 13 months of development. Children with ASD displayed higher frequency and greater diversity of RRBs at all time points, however RRBs were not unique to ASD and evident in the TD control group albeit at a reduced frequency. RRBs did not correlate with social and communicative impairments in the ASD group, suggesting dissociation between these domains.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the families who participated in the research. Thank you to Faye Plummer for her work on the project and the Institute of Brain, Behavior and Mental Health Research Group at the University of Manchester for discussion of these findings. C.H. was supported by a University of Manchester Strategic Studentship as part of the Preschool Autism Communication Trial. H.Mc., R.E., K.L. and J.G. were also supported by the Medical Research Council

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA

    Clare Harrop

  2. Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK

    Helen McConachie

  3. Centre for Biostatistics, Institute of Population Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

    Richard Emsley

  4. Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

    Kathy Leadbitter & Jonathan Green

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  1. Clare Harrop
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  2. Helen McConachie
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The PACT Consortium

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Correspondence to Clare Harrop.

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PACT Consortium members: Catherine Aldred, Barbara Barrett, Sam Barron, Karen Beggs, Laura Blazey, Katy Bourne, Sarah Byford, Tony Charman, Julia Collino, Ruth Colmer, Anna Cutress, Tori Houghton, Pat Howlin, Kristelle Hudry, Dharmi Kapadia, Ann Le Couteur, Sue Leach, Wendy Macdonald, Andrew Pickles, Sarah Randles, Vicky Slonims, Carol Taylor, Kathryn Temple and Lydia White.

Appendix

Appendix

Toys used in free play session:

  • Garage

  • Cars

  • Tea-set

  • Doll

  • Toy food boxes

  • Plastic food and utensils

  • Shopping basket and cash register

  • 2 × Telephones with pull along cord

  • Marble maze and marbles

  • Pop-up toy

  • Stacking cups

  • Bubbles

  • Crayons and Paper

  • Jigsaw

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Harrop, C., McConachie, H., Emsley, R. et al. Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors in Autism Spectrum Disorders and Typical Development: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Comparisons. J Autism Dev Disord 44, 1207–1219 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-013-1986-5

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