| A key feature of autistic disorder is restricted repetitive behavior (RRB), which can be manifested in a variety of ways. Despite the clinical significance of RRBs, relatively little is known about their phenomenology, assessment, and treatment. The Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R) is a recently-developed rating tool that appears to capture the breadth of repetitive behavior in autism. In order to validate the RBS-R in an independent sample, a survey was conducted within the parent mailing list of the South Carolina Autism Society (SCAS). A total of 320 care providers (32%) responded to the survey. Factor analyses produced a five-factor solution that was both clinically meaningful and statistically sound. These factors were labeled "Ritualistic/Sameness Behavior," "Stereotypic Behavior," "Self-Injurious Behavior," "Compulsive Behavior," and "Restricted Interests." Measures of internal consistency were good for this five-subscale solution, and interrater reliability data suggested that the RBS-R may be well suited for outpatient settings.{09}The effects of a variety of subject variables (age, sex, race, level of mental retardation, severity of autism, type of autism spectrum disorder, school placement, co-morbid behavior problems, family history of mood disturbance, and medication use) were examined using analyses of variance. Many significant relationships were revealed, and these may provide directions for future study. The RBS-R appears to be a valid instrument for the assessment of restricted repetitive behavior in individuals with autism in outpatient settings, and it may prove to be useful in the study of genetic or neurobiological correlates of autism, as well as in the assessment of treatment effects. |
