More About Repetitive and Restrictive Behaviors
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The second major characteristic of autism is unusual or repetitive behaviors or interests. These difficulties can be presented in any number of ways. Self-Stimulation: Some children engage in sensory-related stereotypy (self-stimulatory behaviors). Here are some examples.
Vocal perseverations can be quite challenging to address, as children often seem only interested in their perseveration and it can be difficult to steer conversations in different directions. This can cause major social conflicts FAQ: My child perseverates. Does that mean my child has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)? This is a common question clinicians receive from parents whose children engage in perseverative behaviors. Of course every parent has a right to seek professional advice from their doctor or psychologist about this, and we encourage you to do so if you are concerned. However, the perseverations seen in someone with autism and the compulsive behaviors of someone with OCD tend to be functionally different. OCD is an anxiety disorder. The obsessions in OCD tend to be unwanted, and the compulsions are done specifically as a way to relieve the anxiety caused by these unwanted obsessions. People with OCD tend to be secretive about their compulsions and embarrassed by them. This does not tend to be the case for perseverations in people with autism. Want more information? Click here to see what the American Psychological Association has to say about OCD. (https://www.apa.org/pubs/books/supplemental/Cognitive-Behavior-Therapy-OCD-Youth/Web-Form-6-1.pdf) FAQ: What happened to Asperger Syndrome? Prior to 2013, the Diagnostic Statistical Manual psychologists had more than one classification of Autism Spectrum Disorders. People could be diagnosed with Autism, Asperger Syndrome, or “Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified” (PDD-NOS). They were all slightly different in terms of the criteria, but similar in that they were all considered to fall in the same category. Without going into specifics, here is a really broad and unscientific summary. If a person had many of the characteristics of autism, they were diagnosed with autism. If they clearly demonstrated characteristics but not as many, PDD-NOS was diagnosed. If they demonstrated social deficits but did not demonstrate language delays, they were often diagnosed with Asperger’s. Here was the problem. People were confused. They understood what autism was, but insurance companies and educators did not tend to have a clear understanding of the other diagnoses. As a result, people were not qualifying for services they should have. This was a disaster for many families. For clarity’s sake and for the good of those diagnosed with ASD, the American Psychological Association made a huge decision. In 2013, things changed dramatically. The diagnostic criteria for Autism changed, and the PDD-NOS and Asperger Syndrome diagnoses were essentially absorbed into the autism diagnosis. Many people were concerned about this change. However, because the diagnostic criteria changed to become looser, most people still qualified for the diagnosis anyway. If you want to find out more about the current diagnosis of autism, click here. (https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/hcp-dsm.html) |
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