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Related Experiment Videos

Do autistic children have obsessions and compulsions?

S Baron-Cohen1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of London, UK.

The British Journal of Clinical Psychology
|September 1, 1989
PubMed
Summary
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Obsessive-compulsive disorder terminology is often inaccurately applied to autistic children. New research suggests using "repetitive activities" instead, advocating for functional analyses to understand these behaviors in autism.

Area of Science:

  • Neurodevelopmental disorders
  • Child psychology
  • Cognitive science

Background:

  • Autistic children often exhibit behaviors labeled as obsessions and compulsions.
  • Current terminology implies similarity to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
  • Autistic behaviors lack subjective criteria (unwantedness, distress, resistance) essential for OCD diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically evaluate the application of "obsessions" and "compulsions" to autistic behaviors.
  • To propose a more accurate and descriptive term for these behaviors.
  • To advocate for research into the underlying mechanisms of repetitive activities in autism.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature and diagnostic criteria for obsessions and compulsions.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of cognitive evidence regarding autistic children's ability to report internal states.
  • Discussion of functional analysis as a research methodology.

    • Main Results:

    • Autistic behaviors do not meet the subjective criteria for obsessions or compulsions.
    • Cognitive deficits in autistic children may explain the lack of subjective data.
    • The term "repetitive activities" is proposed as a more appropriate descriptor.

    Conclusions:

    • The terms "obsession" and "compulsion" should be used cautiously in the context of autism.
    • Functional analyses are crucial for understanding the nature of repetitive activities in autistic individuals.
    • Further research is needed to explore social-cognitive deficits and their role in these behaviors.