The effects of gender and age on repetitive and/or restricted behaviors and interests in adults with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disability.
Among adults with ASD and severe ID, males show more repetitive behaviors than females—plan assessments and supports accordingly.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team looked at adults who had both autism and severe intellectual disability.
They asked whether men and women differed in repetitive behaviors.
Age range did not matter in the results.
What they found
Men with autism plus severe ID showed more repetitive behaviors than women.
The gap stayed the same across adult ages.
How this fits with other research
Honey et al. (2008) saw toddler RRB scores rise over 13 months, yet parents felt less daily stress.
That looks opposite to Hattier et al. (2011), but the 2008 study tracked young children without ID and used parent stress, not sex counts.
Chou et al. (2010) linked repetitive behaviors to hyperactivity in people with ID only.
A et al. add autism to the mix and show sex, not hyperactivity, splits the scores.
Why it matters
When you assess an adult with both autism and severe ID, expect more RRBs in males.
Write plans that give males extra activity or sensory breaks.
Do not assume age will even things out; the gap stays.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Flag male clients in your caseload with ASD plus severe ID and add two extra sensory or motor breaks to their daily schedule.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Frequency of repetitive and/or restricted behaviors and interests (RRBIs) was assessed in 140 adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and severe or profound intellectual disability (ID). The associations of gender and age range were analyzed with RRBI frequency which was obtained using the Stereotypies subscale of the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II). A significant main effect of gender was found. Male participants had higher frequency of RRBIs than females regardless of age range. There was not a significant main effect of age range or a significant interaction between gender and age range. Results and implications are discussed.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2011 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2011.07.028