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Repetitive Behavior in Children and Adolescents: Psychometric Properties of the German Version of the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised

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Abstract

Restricted repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are a core feature of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and further occur in intellectual disability (ID), mental disorders (MD), and in typically developed people (TD). There is a need of a valid and reliable measure to record RRBs as transdiagnostic symptom, which captures RRBs heterogeneity and evaluates severity. The Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R) is an established screening instrument for RRBs, but was predominantly limited to ASD samples. We examined the psychometric properties of the German version of the RBS-R in 948 participants with ASD, ID, MD and TD aged 4 to 17 years. The suitability was proofed delivering a four-factor solution, good internal consistency, external validity as well as group, age, and sex effects.

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Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to all the participating families of this study, without whom this research would not have been possible. Furthermore, we want to thank Christine Ecker (E-D) and Anne Martinelli (D-E) for the translation of the RBS-R and Heiko Zerlaut for the support in the data processing. Alina Bambach, Claire Köpp and Marvin Luh are entitled to our thankfulness for their support in the data collection and entry. CMF currently receives research funding by the German Ministry of Science and Education (BMBF), the German Research Association (DFG) and the European Commission. She receives royalties for books on ASD, ADHD, and MDD. She has served as consultant for Desitin and Roche in 2017. NB receives royalties for lecturing at institutes for training in psychotherapy. HC receives royalties for lecturing at institutes for training in psychotherapy.

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  1. Christine M. Freitag and Nico Bast are shared last authorship.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-University, Goethe-Universität, Deutschordenstr. 50, 60528, Frankfurt, Germany

    Isabella S. Kästel, Leonora Vllasaliu, Sophia Wellnitz, Hannah Cholemkery, Christine M. Freitag & Nico Bast

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  1. Isabella S. Kästel
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  2. Leonora Vllasaliu
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Author contribution

HC and CMF devised the project. ISK, LV and SW were responsible for the collection and entry of the data. NB and ISK performed the analytic calculations with the data interpretation. ISK wrote the manuscript under the supervision of NB and CMF.

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Correspondence to Isabella S. Kästel.

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The content and procedures applied in this study were in accepted by the ethical committee of the Medical Faculty at the Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main and conform with the Helsinki declaration of 1964 and with its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Kästel, I.S., Vllasaliu, L., Wellnitz, S. et al. Repetitive Behavior in Children and Adolescents: Psychometric Properties of the German Version of the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised. J Autism Dev Disord 51, 1224–1237 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04588-z

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