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Brief Report: Repetitive Behaviors in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmentally Similar Peers: A Follow Up to Watt et al. (2008)

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Abstract

The present study extended the findings of Watt et al. (J Autism Dev Disord 38:1518–1533, 2008) by investigating repetitive and stereotyped behaviors (RSB) demonstrated by children (n = 50) and typical development (TD; n = 50) matched on developmental age, gender, and parents’ education level. RSB were coded from videotaped Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Behavior Samples (Wetherby and Prizant 2002) using the Noldus Pro Observer© video software. Children with ASD demonstrated significantly higher frequencies of RSB with body objects excluding categories involving banging or tapping objects or surfaces. Behaviors demonstrated by both groups indicated overlapping RSB profiles at this age. These findings highlight the significance of RSB in the early identification and support the need for future research to further determine ASD-specific RSB.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (R01 DC007462), a grant from the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (H324C030112), and a Cooperative Agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1U10DD000064). The authors would like to thank the families and children who participated in this research project. We also would like to thank the FIRST WORDS® Project clinicians and coders who contributed to the collection and analysis of the data reported in this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Communicative Disorders, University of Alabama, 700 University Blvd. E, P.O. Box 870242, Tuscaloosa, 35487, AL, USA

    Angela B. Barber

  2. University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Amy M. Wetherby

  3. FIRST WORDS® Project, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA

    Nola W. Chambers

Authors
  1. Angela B. Barber
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  2. Amy M. Wetherby
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  3. Nola W. Chambers
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Angela B. Barber.

Additional information

The research presented in this manuscript was conducted at the FIRST WORDS® Project at Florida State University. The contents of this manuscript are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH, USDOE, or CDC.

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Barber, A.B., Wetherby, A.M. & Chambers, N.W. Brief Report: Repetitive Behaviors in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmentally Similar Peers: A Follow Up to Watt et al. (2008). J Autism Dev Disord 42, 2006–2012 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1434-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1434-3

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