What Are Some Of The Other Atypical Behaviors That Might Be Present In Someone Diagnosed With Autism?

Dr. Stone answers the question: 'Other Atypical Behaviors With Autism?'

ByWendy Stone, Ph.D., Director, Marino Autism Research Institute; Prof. of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University
October 15, 2008, 11:19 AM

Oct. 23, 2008 -- Question: What are some of the other atypical behaviors that might be present in someone diagnosed with autism?

Answer: In addition to social and communication difficulties, children with autism often have -- well, actually for the diagnosis, they need to have difficulties in a third area which is generally called restricted and repetitive interests and activities.

And this can include a wide range of behaviors from unusual sensory responses which might be oversensitive to certain sounds or very interested in visual stimuli. It can include needing things to occur in a certain way each time, creating routines and being very inflexible when the routines are changed. It can include very repetitive play activities. It can include a focus on very circumscribed and unusual interests that can vary from child to child and can include a knowledge of all information about different Chevrolets and details about the specifications for each model. It can include train timetables in Western Europe. The variety is amazing.

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