Relations among restricted and repetitive behaviors, anxiety and sensory features in children with autism spectrum disorders

Lidstone, Jane, Uljarevic, Mirko, Sullivan, J., Rodgers, J., McConachie, H., Freeston, M., Le Couteur, A., Prior, M. and Leekam, Susan R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1122-0135 2014. Relations among restricted and repetitive behaviors, anxiety and sensory features in children with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders 8 (2) , pp. 82-92. 10.1016/j.rasd.2013.10.001

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore how atypical reactions to sensory stimuli contribute to the relation between restricted and repetitive behaviors and anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In Study 1, factor analysis of restricted and repetitive behaviors was carried out using the Repetitive Behavior Questionnaire-2 (RBQ-2), completed by 120 parents of 2- to 17-year-olds with ASD. Two subtypes resulted: repetitive sensory and motor behaviors, and insistence on sameness, accounting for 40% of the variance. This two-factor solution was retained even when the sensory items of the RBQ-2 were removed. In Study 2, 49 of the same parents also completed the Spence Anxiety Scales and the Sensory Profile. The insistence on sameness factor was significantly associated with anxiety while the repetitive motor behaviors factor was not. The relation between anxiety and insistence on sameness was mediated by sensory avoiding and to a lesser extent by sensory sensitivity. Implications for arousal explanations of ASD and for clinical practice are discussed.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Psychology
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology R Medicine > RJ Pediatrics
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Arousal; Repetitive behaviors; Anxiety; Sensory features; Insistence on sameness; Autism spectrum disorders
Additional Information:	PDF uploaded in accordance with publisher's policy at http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/issn/1750-9467/ (accessed 12.09.14).
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	1750-9467
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Last Modified:	06 Nov 2023 16:48
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/58224

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