Poster #48 - The Influence of Social and Motor Context on the Frequency of RRBs in Autism

• In Event: 1-115 - Poster Session 03
  In Poster Session: PS 03 Section - Developmental Disabilities

Integrative Statement

Background
The two main diagnostic features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are the co-occurrence of difficulties in social communication and interaction and the presence of restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs; APA, 2013). However, the social and motor context in which RRBs occur and their relationship to social traits are not well-understood. Research has identified a number of different functions of RRBs and concluded that treatment decisions are complex and must take function and developmental and social context into account (Factor, Condy, Farley, & Scarpa, 2016; Joosten, Bundy, & Einfeld, 2009; Tordjman et al., 2015; Joosten, Bundy, & Einfeld, 2012). Likewise, studies have found that those with ASD have difficulties in both spoken and motoric communication/interaction (eg. Hoogenhout & Malcom-Smith, 2014; Dawson et al., 2004; Fitzpatrick et al. 2013). However, few if any studies to date have examined the production of RRBs in an on-going social and motor context and the relationships between RRBs and ASD social traits.
Method
97 (ASD group=50; control = 47) participants ranged in age from six to 10 years old. Participants were part of a larger study (Fitzpatrick et al., 2017) and here we selected four video clips ranging from two to 15 minutes, of children performing tasks with high and low social and motor engagement. A frequency count of RRBs was coded using video analysis software (Interact, Mangold Inc.) Due to the difference in video lengths, each participant’s ratio of RRBs/second, as well as frequency of RRBs in the first 60 seconds were compared across tasks. Measures of ASD traits (RBSR, CBCL-ADHD, ADOS, social synchrony, and SRS) from the larger study were used in correlation analyses.
Results
Depicted in the graph in Figure 1, for the dependent measure of RRBs/second, motor and verbal RRBs were most common, RRBs varied based on motor and social context for participants with autism, and social engagement was associated with lower motor and verbal RRBs. Likewise, we also found statistically significant correlations between RRBs and ASD traits. As seen in Table 1, there was a statistically significantly positive correlation between social problems and both RRBs/second and RRBs in the first 60 seconds and the statistically significantly negative correlations between RRBs per second and age, nonverbal and verbal mental age, and theory of mind.
Conclusions
These findings highlight the important role that attention, task complexity and length, and rhythmicity and motor control have on RRB production. Importantly, these factors can influence different children in different ways as well as influence the same child in different ways at different times. This research confirms the importance of understanding how context influences RRB prevalence for an individual child during on-going tasks and raises questions about whether the factors that elicit and maintain RRBs are unique for vocal and motor RRBs and individual children.

Authors

• Andrew Joseph Lampi, University of Virginia
  Presenting Author

• Paula Fitzpatrick, Assumption College
  Non-Presenting Author

• Veronica Romero, College of the Holy Cross
  Non-Presenting Author

• Joseph Amaral, Boston Children’s Hospital Harvard Medical School
  Non-Presenting Author

• R.C. Schmidt, College of the Holy Cross
  Non-Presenting Author