Superior Disembedding Performance in Childhood Predicts Adolescent Severity of Repetitive Behaviors: A Seven Years Follow-Up of Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The team tracked the same kids with autism for seven years.

At 6–12 years old each child took the Children’s Embedded Figures Test.

The test asks you to find a hidden shape inside a bigger picture.

Seven years later the teens completed the Repetitive Behavior Scale.

Researchers then asked: do early puzzle scores predict later repetitive habits?

Kids who spotted hidden shapes fastest became the teens with the most intense repetitive behaviors.

The early skill explained 15 percent of the later difference.

Strong visual disembedding forecast more lining up, spinning, and strict routines.

Iversen et al. (2021) pooled almost 3,000 kids and also linked weaker executive skills to more repetitive behaviors.

Their meta-analysis supports the same pathway, but in reverse: poor flexibility goes with high RRB, while M et al. show high visual skill goes with high RRB.

Perry et al. (2022) looked odd at first glance—they found no EF-RRB link inside their autism group.

The difference is likely the measure: they used wide EF batteries, while M et al. used one visual task.

Hoyle et al. (2022) later showed repetitive behaviors jump only when kids face two executive demands at once, backing the idea that EF load matters.

If a child aces visual puzzles, don’t celebrate and move on.

Flag the score as a possible early sign that rigid routines may grow.

Add extra flexibility drills and choice practice now to soften the pathway.

Share the heads-up with parents so they can spot and shape repetitive habits before they lock in.