A Brief Introduction to the Measurement and Classification of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRB) is one of the core features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) which consists of a group of heterogeneous behaviors. Tools of the measurement of RRBs mainly include direct clinical observation of children (such as Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale, ADOS), parental development history interview (Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised, ADI-R) and parental questionnaire (Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised. RBS-R, etc.). Using these scales, a number of studies have classified RRBs into repetitive sensory motor (RSM) and insistence on sameness (IS), corresponding to lower level and higher level RRBs respectively. A third factor circumstanced interest (CI) may also exist. Factors influencing the severity of RRBs includes age and IQ. Further researches should focus on integrating phenotypic and pathological studies of RRBs.