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Repetitive and Stereotyped Behaviors in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Second Year of Life

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Abstract

This study examined repetitive and stereotyped behaviors (RSB) in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD, n = 50), developmental delays without ASD (DD; n = 25) and typical development (TD, n = 50) between 18 and 24 months of age. Children with ASD demonstrated significantly higher frequency and longer duration of RSB with objects, body, and sensory behaviors during a systematic behavior sample than both the DD and TD groups. RSB with objects were related to concurrent measures of symbolic capacity and social competence in the second year and predicted developmental outcomes as well as severity of autism symptoms at 3 years in children with communication delays. RSB in the second year appear to be important for early identification and prediction of developmental outcomes.

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Acknowledgment

This research was supported in part by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (R01DC007462) and a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (H324C030112). The contents of this manuscript are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or USDOE. The authors would like to thank the families who gave their time to participate in this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Discipline of Speech Pathology and Audiology, School of Human and Community Development, University of the Witwatersrand, 1 Jan Smuts Avenue, Private Bag 3, WITS, Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2050, South Africa

    Nola Watt

  2. Department of Communication Disorders, Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA

    Amy M. Wetherby, Angie Barber & Lindee Morgan

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  1. Nola Watt
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  2. Amy M. Wetherby
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Correspondence to Nola Watt.

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Watt, N., Wetherby, A.M., Barber, A. et al. Repetitive and Stereotyped Behaviors in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Second Year of Life. J Autism Dev Disord 38, 1518–1533 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-007-0532-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-007-0532-8

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