2. Repetitive behaviours

• Repetitive behaviours

  1. Repetitive behaviour patterns
  2. Routines, rituals + resistance to change
  3. Restricted + fixated interests
  4. Unusual reactions to sensory input
• Repetitive behaviour patterns

  • Unique ways of using language
  • Repeat words or sentences they have heard (echolalia)
  • Language can be overly formal + pendatic ('Little Professor' syndrome)
  • Engage in repetitive movements like flicking their hands or rocking their bodies (stimming)
  • When playing they tend to use same objects repeatedly
• Routines, rituals + resistance to change

  • Follow routines very strictly with NO changes
  • Verbal rituals like insisting that others use words in a specific way
  • Change can be upsetting
  • Prefer 'literal' speech - struggle to understand flexible language like sarcasm or irony
• Restricted + Fixated interests

  • Being intensely focused on a specific interest
  • May be fixated on a particular toy or object such as colours, numbers or symbols
• Unusual reactions to sensory input

  • Strong reactions to touch, finding it unpleasant
  • Develop an obsession with the movements of objects
  • First reaction to something new may be to lick it or smell it
  • Closely examine objects for long periods without an obvious reason
  • May get upset by unfamiliar stimuli, such as certain sounds, may seem unaffected by pain, whether it's their own or someone else's