Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsStereotyped BehaviorsWhat They Look LikeAre They a Problem?Causes/Treatments
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Stereotyped Behaviors
What They Look Like
Are They a Problem?
Causes/Treatments
Repetitive and restricted behaviors (RRBs) arecommon traitsof autism.Repetitive behaviors might include repetitively rocking the body or opening and closing drawers over and over. Restricted behaviors, now typically referred to as fixed interests, might include having an intense focus in a specific activity, object, or subject.
Most often, repetitive behaviors and fixed interests are tools for self-calming.Managing them can become a challenge when they get in the way of ordinary activities or make it tough to get through school or work.
This article explains the so-called stereotypical behaviors associated with autism as well as what these behaviors look like. It also looks at whether repetitive behaviors and fixed interests are a problem and discusses various approaches and treatments.
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Behaviors and Autism
Repetitive behaviors and fixed interests are described as autism traits in the DSM-5 (the official diagnostic manual for mental health disorders). These behaviors are often described as purposeless and obsessive, highly selective, and unwavering.
Autism experts sometimes call these behaviors “stereotypy” or “perseveration.” Different types of stereotypy and perseveration are present in other neurological conditions as well. As their prefixes might hint at, “stereotypy” refers to the persistent repetition of an act; “perseveration” refers to the persistent repetition of words, phrases, or details that have been vocalized before.
According to the diagnostic criteria, showing a preference for routine (preferring to follow a set schedule, for example) isn’t enough to suggestautism. Rather, the behavior must be “abnormal in intensity or focus,” and changes to these behaviors must cause “extreme distress,” according to the DSM.
Autism Diagnosis in Children: Traits and Testing
What Stereotypy Behaviors Look Like
For others, it involves physical actions such as repetitive rocking, flicking, or pacing. With more intense autism traits, the stereotyped behaviors can be violent, likehead-banging. Some autistic people engage in repetitive behaviors constantly while others only occasionally perseverate when they’re stressed, anxious, or upset.
Even people who are not autistic may become annoyed when they’re asked to stop or change a certain behavior. But autistic people may respond to such a request in the extreme.
Exaggerated Responses PossibleWhen an autistic person is asked to change a routine, the response can be overwhelming anxiety or anger, even if the person otherwise has low support needs.
Exaggerated Responses Possible
When an autistic person is asked to change a routine, the response can be overwhelming anxiety or anger, even if the person otherwise has low support needs.
Sometimes, perseverative or stereotypy behaviors are obvious because they’re so unusual. Rocking back and forth for long periods, repetitively opening and closing doors, or rapidly shaking the head back and forth are clearly atypical behaviors when compared withneurotypicalpeers.
Autistic perseveration may not be obvious to the casual observer. For example, an autistic person may ask, “Do you like Marvel movies?” If you say “yes,” they may run through the same speech about “Iron Man” that they’ve recited 10 times before—in exactly the same words and with exactly the same tone and gestures. As a parent or close friend, you might know the speech backward and forward.
Are Repetitive Behaviors and Fixed Interests a Problem?
Repetitive behaviors aren’t unique to autistic people. Most people engage in some such behaviors. Common forms of perseveration include:
For some autistic people, perseveration poses really no problem at all since it arises at the same times as it would for other people—usually under stress—and the behaviors are fairly unobtrusive.
For many autistic people, though, repetitive behaviors and fixed interests are not only disturbing to others but also a major roadblock to communication and engagement in the world.
For example, a person who compulsively flicks their hands to the exclusion of anything else is clearly unable to attend to the world around them or take part in real-world activities. And while there is nothing intrinsically wrong with talking about the same subject in the same way over and over again, such behavior can cause a variety of social and practical problems.
Two Groups of Behaviors
Causes and Treatments
No one really knows what causes repetitive behaviors and fixed interests in autistic people, though there are a variety of theories. The theory you espouse may cause you to select a particular treatment (or no treatment at all).
Of course, if a behavior is dangerous or risky, it needs to be changed. Some treatments have been more fully researched than others, but all have had some success with some people and less success with others. Consider the following:
How Autism Is Treated
Summary
Experts sometimes call these behaviors “stereotypy” or “perseveration.” The former refers to the persistent repetition of an act while the latter refers to the persistent repetition of words, phrases, or details that have been vocalized before.
Repetitive behaviors and fixed interests manifest in different ways, depending on the person. Some people may rock, flick, or pace repeatedly; others may talk about the same things over and over again. With intense autism traits, the stereotypy behaviors can be violent, like head-banging. Some autistic people engage in repetitive behaviors constantly while others do only when they’re stressed.
At times, these behaviors can present a problem. At other times, they don’t—demonstrating that autism defies hard and fast rules.
7 Sources
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Boyd BA, Baranek GT, Sideris J, et al.Sensory features and repetitive behaviors in children with autism and developmental delays.Autism Res.2010;3(2):78-87. doi:10.1002/aur.124.Ibrahim K, Kalvin C, Marsh CL, et al.Anger rumination is associated with restricted and repetitive behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder.J Autism Dev Disord. 2019;49(9):3656-3668. doi:10.1007/s10803-019-04085-y.Sanchack KE, Thomas CA.Autism spectrum disorder: Primary care principles.Am Fam Physician. 2016;94(12):972-979.Condy EE, Scarpa A, Friedman BH.Restricted repetitive behaviors in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review from the neurovisceral integration perspective.Biol Psychol.2019;148:107739. doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.107739.Park HR, Lee JM, Moon HE, et al.A short review on the current understanding of autism spectrum disorders.Exp Neurobiol.2016;25(1):1-13. doi:10.5607/en.2016.25.1.1.Spectrum.Repetitive behaviors and ‘stimming’ in autism, explained.Eissa N, Al-houqani M, Sadeq A, Ojha SK, Sasse A, Sadek B.Current enlightenment about etiology and pharmacological treatment of autism spectrum disorder.Front Neurosci. 2018;12:304. doi:10.3389/fnins.2018.00304.
Boyd BA, Baranek GT, Sideris J, et al.Sensory features and repetitive behaviors in children with autism and developmental delays.Autism Res.2010;3(2):78-87. doi:10.1002/aur.124.
Ibrahim K, Kalvin C, Marsh CL, et al.Anger rumination is associated with restricted and repetitive behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder.J Autism Dev Disord. 2019;49(9):3656-3668. doi:10.1007/s10803-019-04085-y.
Sanchack KE, Thomas CA.Autism spectrum disorder: Primary care principles.Am Fam Physician. 2016;94(12):972-979.
Condy EE, Scarpa A, Friedman BH.Restricted repetitive behaviors in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review from the neurovisceral integration perspective.Biol Psychol.2019;148:107739. doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.107739.
Park HR, Lee JM, Moon HE, et al.A short review on the current understanding of autism spectrum disorders.Exp Neurobiol.2016;25(1):1-13. doi:10.5607/en.2016.25.1.1.
Spectrum.Repetitive behaviors and ‘stimming’ in autism, explained.
Eissa N, Al-houqani M, Sadeq A, Ojha SK, Sasse A, Sadek B.Current enlightenment about etiology and pharmacological treatment of autism spectrum disorder.Front Neurosci. 2018;12:304. doi:10.3389/fnins.2018.00304.
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