Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours, Sensory Processing and Cognitive Style in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Many individuals with autism tend to focus on details. It has been suggested that this cognitive style may underlie the presence of stereotyped routines, repetitive interests and behaviours, and both relate in some way to sensory abnormalities. Twenty-nine children with diagnosis of high functioning autism or Asperger syndrome completed the Embedded Figures Test (EFT), and their parents the Short Sensory Profile and Childhood Routines Inventory. Significant correlations were found between degree of sensory abnormalities and amount of restricted and repetitive behaviours reported. Repetitive behaviours, age and IQ significantly predicted completion time on the EFT. The results suggest a cognitive link between an individual’s detail-focused cognitive style and their repetitiveness. No such relationship was found with sensory processing abnormalities, which may arise at a more peripheral level of functioning.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baker, A. E. Z., Lane, A., Angley, M. T., & Young, R. L. (2008). The relationship between sensory processing patterns and behavioural responsiveness in autistic disorder: A pilot study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38, 867–875. doi:10.1007/s10803-007-0459-0.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baron-Cohen, S., & Belmonte, M. (2005). Autism: A window onto the development of the social and the analytic brain. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 28, 109–126. doi:10.1146/annurev.neuro.27.070203.144137.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Berument, S. K., Rutter, M., Lord, C., Pickles, A., & Bailey, A. (1999). Autism screening questionnaire: Diagnostic validity. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 175, 444–451. doi:10.1192/bjp.175.5.444.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Booth, R., Charlton, R., Hughes, C., & Happe, F. (2003). Disentangling weak central coherence and executive dysfunction: Planning drawing in autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences, 358, 387–392. doi:10.1098/rstb.2002.1204.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brian, J. A., & Bryson, S. E. (1996). Disembedding performance and recognition memory in autism/PDD. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 37, 865–872. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1996.tb01482.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Corsello, C., Hus, V., Pickles, A., Risi, S., Cook, E. H., Jr., Leventhal, B. L., et al. (2007). Between a ROC and a hard place: Decision making and making decisions about using the SCQ. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 48, 932–940. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01762.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cuccaro, M. L., Shao, Y., Grubber, J., Slifer, M., Wolpert, C. M., Donnelly, S. L., et al. (2003). Factor analysis of restricted and repetitive behaviours in autism using the autism diagnostic interview-R. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 34(1), 3–17. doi:10.1023/A:1025321707947.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • de Jonge, M. V., Kemner, C., & van Engeland, H. (2006). Superior disembedding performance of high-functioning individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their parents: The need for subtle measures. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36, 677–683. doi:10.1007/s10803-006-0113-2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dunn, W. (1999). Development and validation of the short sensory profile. In W. Dunn (Ed.), The sensory profile examiner’s manual. San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eaves, L. C., Wingert, H. D., Ho, H. H., & Mickleson, E. C. R. (2006). Screening for autism spectrum disorders with the social communication questionnaire. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 27(2), 95–103. doi:10.1097/00004703-200604002-00007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans, D. W., Elliott, J. M., & Packard, M. G. (2001). Visual organization and perceptual closure are related to compulsive-like behavior in typically developing children. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 47(3), 323–335. doi:10.1353/mpq.2001.0014.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans, D. W., Leckman, J. F., Carter, A., Reznick, S., Henshaw, D., King, R. A., et al. (1997). Ritual, habit, and perfectionism: The prevalence and development of compulsive-like behavior in normal young children. Child Development, 68(1), 58–68. doi:10.2307/1131925.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frith, U. (1989). Autism: Explaining the enigma. Oxford: Blackwell Science.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glenn, S., & Cunningham, C. (2007). Typical or pathological? Routinized and compulsive-like behaviours in children and young people with Down syndrome. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 45(4), 246–256. doi:10.1352/1934-9556(2007)45[246:TOPRAC]2.0.CO;2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Happé, F. G. (1999). Autism: Cognitive deficit or cognitive style? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 3, 216–222. doi:10.1016/S1364-6613(99)01318-2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jolliffe, T., & Baron-Cohen, S. (1997). Are people with autism and Asperger syndrome faster than normal on the embedded figures test? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 38(5), 527–534. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1997.tb01539.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman, A. S., Kaufman, J. C., Balgopal, R., & McLean, J. E. (1996). Comparsion of three WISC-III short forms: Weighing psychometric, clinical and practical factors. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 25(1), 97–205. doi:10.1207/s15374424jccp2501_11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keehn, B., Brenner, L. A., Ramos, A. I., Lincoln, A. J., Marshall, S. P., & Muller, R.-A. (2008). Brief report: Eye movement patterns during an embedded figures test in children with ASD. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (online).

  • Le Couteur, A. S. (2003). The national autism plan for children. London: National Autistic Society, Royal College of Psychiatrists, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leekam, S. R., Nieto, C., Libby, S. J., Wing, L., & Gould, J. (2007). Describing the sensory abnormalities of children and adults with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37, 894–910. doi:10.1007/s10803-006-0218-7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lord, C., Risi, S., Lambrecht, L., Cook, E. H., Leventhal, B. L., DiLavore, P., et al. (2000). The autism diagnostic observation schedule-generic: A standard measure of social and communication deficits associated with the spectrum of autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 30, 205–223. doi:10.1023/A:1005592401947.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lovaas, I., Newsom, C., & Hickman, C. (1987). Self-stimulatory behavior and perceptual reinforcement. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 20(1), 45–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Minshew, N. J., & Goldstein, G. (1998). Autism as a disorder of complex information processing. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 4(2), 129–136. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2779(1998)4:2<129::AID-MRDD10>3.0.CO;2-X.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Minshew, N. J., & Hobson, J. A. (2008). Sensory sensitivities and performance on sensory perceptual tasks in high-functioning individuals with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38, 1485–1498.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mottron, L., Burack, J. A., Iarocci, G., Belleville, S., & Enns, J. T. (2003). Locally oriented perception with intact global processing among adolescents with high functioning autism: Evidence from multiple paradigms. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 44, 904–913. doi:10.1111/1469-7610.00174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norbury, C. F. (2005). Barking up the wrong tree? Lexical ambiguity resolution in children with language impairments and autistic spectrum disorders. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 90, 142–171. doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2004.11.003.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, S. J., Hepburn, S., & Wehner, E. (2003). Parent reports of sensory symptoms in toddlers with autism and those with other developmental disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 33(6), 631–642. doi:10.1023/B:JADD.0000006000.38991.a7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, S. J., & Ozonoff, S. (2005). Annotation: What do we know about sensory dysfunction in autism? A critical review of the empirical evidence. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 46(12), 1255–1268. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2005.01431.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ropar, D., & Mitchell, P. (2001). Susceptibility to illusions and performance on visuospatial tasks in individuals with autism. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 42(4), 539–549. doi:10.1017/S002196300100717X.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shah, A., & Frith, U. (1983). An islet of ability in autistic children: A research note. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 24(4), 613–620. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1983.tb00137.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • South, M., Ozonoff, S., & McMahon, W. M. (2007). The relationship between executive functioning, central coherence, and repetitive behaviors in the high-functioning autism spectrum. Autism, 11, 437–451. doi:10.1177/1362361307079606.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tomchek, S. D., & Dunn, W. (2007). Sensory processing in children with and without autism: A comparative study using the short sensory profile. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 61(2), 190–200.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Turner, M. (1999). Annotation: Repetitive behaviour in autism: A review of psychological research. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 40(6), 839–849. doi:10.1017/S0021963099004278.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weschler, D. (1991). Manual for the Weschler intelligence scale for children (WISC-III) (3rd ed.). San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Witkin, H. A., Oltman, P. K., Raskin, E., & Karp, S. (1971). A manual for the embedded figures test. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organisation. (1992). The ICD-10 classification of mental and behavioural disorders. Clinical descriptions and diagnostic guidelines. Geneva: World Health Organisation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zohar, A. H., & Felz, L. (2001). Ritualistic behaviour in young children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 29, 121–128. doi:10.1023/A:1005231912747.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to all the young people and parents who gave time to the study. The results were presented at the British Psychological Society conference, Manchester, April 2005, and formed part of the MPhil thesis of Yu-Han Chen.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK

    Yu-Han Chen, Jacqui Rodgers & Helen McConachie

  2. Sir James Spence Institute, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK

    Helen McConachie

Authors
  1. Yu-Han Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jacqui Rodgers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Helen McConachie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Helen McConachie.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chen, YH., Rodgers, J. & McConachie, H. Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours, Sensory Processing and Cognitive Style in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 39, 635–642 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0663-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0663-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation