Application of the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised--Italian version--in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder.
In Italian preschoolers with ASD, the RBS-R global score spots autism quickly, even though the finer subscales miss the mark.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Fulceri et al. (2016) gave the Italian Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised to parents of preschoolers with autism.
They wanted to see which repetitive behaviors show up most and whether one quick score could flag ASD.
What they found
Stereotyped and ritual/sameness behaviors dominated the profiles.
The single Global Rating Score predicted ASD well; the six detailed subscales did not.
How this fits with other research
He et al. (2019) later repeated the same idea in Chinese preschoolers and found the five-factor model held up.
Matson et al. (2013) had already shown, in a huge sample, that RBS-R items split into two big buckets: sensory-motor and insistence on sameness.
Francesca’s team used those same buckets, but their small case series warns that only the global score is diagnostic.
Lory et al. (2023) go one step further: they add heart-rate data to show why a child repeats, not just what the repeats look like.
Why it matters
When you screen an Italian-speaking preschooler, the RBS-R global score gives a fast red flag.
Skip the long subscale math unless you need detail for treatment planning.
Use the two-factor language (sensory-motor vs sameness) to talk with parents in plain words.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities (RRB) are mandatory features for a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders-fifth edition (DSM-5). Despite the strong diagnostic role of RRB, their expressiveness and their relationship with other clinical/demographic features in ASD is not fully elucidated. The Italian version of the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R) was applied to a relatively large sample of preschool-aged children with ASD who underwent a comprehensive clinical assessment. The relationship between RRB and sex, age, non-verbal IQ, autism severity, as well as the diagnostic accuracy of the RBS-R were explored. Stereotyped and Ritualistic/Sameness behaviors were the most common RRB in preschoolers with ASD, without widespread differences between males and females. No significant correlations between RRB and chronological age, or non-verbal IQ were detected. The expressiveness of ritualistic/sameness behaviors positively correlated with autism severity, assessed through the Calibrated Severity Score (CSS) derived from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) analysis showed high diagnostic accuracy using the Global Rating Score, which represents the judgment of the parents of as the RRB affect the child's life. However, while the Global Rating Score performed well, the remaining subscales did not. This investigation extends the limited research on early pattern and associated features of RRB in young children with ASD. The use of the RBS-R may increase the knowledge of the RRB complexity and variability and in turn improve the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures within the autistic spectrum.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2016 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2015.10.015