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Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors in Individuals with a History of ASDs Who Have Achieved Optimal Outcomes

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Abstract

Studies of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) suggest that restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are particularly difficult to remediate. We examined present and past RRBs in 34 individuals who achieved optimal outcomes (OOs; lost their ASD diagnosis), 45 high-functioning individuals with ASD (HFA) and 34 typically developing (TD) peers. The OO group exhibited minimal residual RRBs at the time of the study. All OO participants were reported to have at least one RRB in early childhood and almost 90 % met the RRB cutoff for ASD in early childhood, but RRBs were not more present in the OO than the TD group at the time of the study. History of RRBs in the HFA and OO groups differed only in oversensitivity to noise and insistence on sameness. Reports of current behavior indicated that RRB’s had almost totally disappeared in the OO group. Thus, although RRB’s were present in the OO group in childhood, they resolved along with social and communication deficits.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Drs. Marianne Barton, Michael Stevens and Robert Schultz for their assistance with this project, Molly Helt and Michael Rosenthal for their assistance in collecting the data for this study, our undergraduate research assistants who were immensely helpful with data entry, the parents and children who participated in this study and the funding agency, the National Institutes of Mental Health (R01MH076189).

Conflict of interest

The authors have no financial conflict of interest to declare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA

    Eva Troyb, Alyssa Orinstein, Katherine Tyson, Inge-Marie Eigsti, Letitia Naigles & Deborah Fein

  2. Department of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA

    Deborah Fein

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  1. Eva Troyb
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  2. Alyssa Orinstein
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  3. Katherine Tyson
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Correspondence to Eva Troyb.

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Troyb, E., Orinstein, A., Tyson, K. et al. Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors in Individuals with a History of ASDs Who Have Achieved Optimal Outcomes. J Autism Dev Disord 44, 3168–3184 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2182-y

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