Repetitive Behavior Scale for Early Childhood (RBS-EC): Psychometrics and Developmental Effects with a Community...

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Developmental Neuroscience
• Behavioral Assessment

Background:

• Restricted, repetitive behaviors and interests (RRBIs) are common in early development but can indicate neurodevelopmental disorders if persistent.
• Current assessment tools for RRBIs in young children are limited, hindering research and intervention.
• The Repetitive Behavior Scale for Early Childhood (RBS-EC) is an existing measure needing validation for broader use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the Repetitive Behavior Scale for Early Childhood (RBS-EC) in a community sample of neurotypical children.
• To examine the psychometric properties of the RBS-EC in children aged 2-7 years.
• To understand age and gender differences in RRBIs.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 300 caregivers of children aged 2-7 years via Amazon Mechanical Turk.
• Confirmatory factor analyses were used to evaluate the factor structure of the RBS-EC.
• Statistical analyses examined the relationship between RBS-EC scores, age, and gender.

Main Results:

• Confirmatory factor analysis supported a 4-factor model of the RBS-EC: repetitive motor, rituals/routines, restricted interests, and self-directed behaviors.
• RBS-EC scores showed significant variations with age and gender.
• RRBIs were less frequent but more problematic in older children and more frequent and problematic in boys compared to girls.

Conclusions:

• The validated RBS-EC is a psychometrically sound and feasible tool for assessing RRBIs in neurotypical children aged 2-7 years.
• Findings provide valuable data on developmental trajectories and sex differences in RRBIs.
• The RBS-EC can aid in the early identification and treatment of RRBIs in childhood.