Repetitive behaviors and social difficulties

Repetitive behaviors are behaviors that are repeated excessively, usually in the same manner, and often out of context. They may be repetitive motor, verbal, or sensory behaviors. Some are associated with limited, fixed, and intense interests. Changes and new situations can generate fear, anxiety, and anger and can lead to emotional or behavioral outbursts. A simple change to the time, place, or order of activities can cause a crisis for some children. Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have these tendencies, and they may be seen repeating the same routines, rituals, and behaviors. 

Motor repetitions can be repeated waving of hands, jumping, turning of objects, etc. Verbal behaviors can be repeating the same sentences heard from someone or on TV, sometimes many times (delayed echolalia), answering questions always with the same answer, repeating what the other person just said or just the end of the sentence (immediate echolalia), providing exhaustive or unnecessarily detailed lists of things, etc.

Interests can also be repetitive and restricted. Students with ASD who are verbal may talk about the same subjects over and over, and have one or just a few topics of interest. Interactions with peers usually require us to listen to what others want to talk about and respond, in addition to communicating what we want to talk about. These students may want to read, talk, and hear about only the specific topic, which hinders social interactions. Students with ASD may also display nonfunctional repetitive movements, manipulation of objects, and self-harm behaviors, as well as attachment to specific objects.