Repetitive Behaviors of Children Diagnosed with Autism

One of the features often shown in a child with autism is repetitive behavior. This could be a repetitive movement such as rocking and twirling, hand flapping, and spinning. These movements are self-stimulatory movements and are often referred to as "stimming." Stimming is a necessary way in which a child calms himself, especially when his senses are overstimulated by factors such as bright lights, noises, and smells. More potentially harmful behaviors, such as biting themselves or banging their heads, can also sometimes be displayed.

Repetitive speech patterns are another feature of children on the autism spectrum. Speech can be delayed and can develop in its own way. Words may be repeated over and over (this is called echolalia) or words or phrases that were previously heard are repeated after a time delay of a few minutes, hours, days, weeks, or even months  (this is called delayed echolalia).

Other forms of repetitive behaviors are intense interests or preoccupations, for example, fixating on a part of an object such as spinning the wheels repetitively on a toy car or lining up objects.

The reasons often attributed to the causes of repetitive behaviors are stress, fear, and anxiety. There could be many triggers for this, and parents often need to play "detective" to try and figure out the cause of such behaviors. Often the cause can be due, perhaps, to a routine being disrupted. Routines are very important to a child with autism because they can make the child feel safe and secure in a world that they experience as being unpredictable and chaotic. Or perhaps the child is feeling unwell and has difficulties communicating and expressing this. Finding the cause of any stressor can greatly help reduce anxiety and reduce repetitive behaviors.

Some families are also offered medication. When this article was first written in 2011, a National Institute of Mental Health study had reported that certain medications used for obsessive-compulsive disorder reduced repetitive behaviors in some children with autism. Whether any medication is right for your child, and which one, is a conversation for your child’s doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.

 Reference:

 NIMH nimh.nih.gov. Autism Spectrum Disorders (Pervasive Developmental Disorders), Retrieved March 22, 2011, from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/autism/complete-index.shtml#pub6

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