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Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Novel Object Exploration as a Potential Assay for Higher Order Repetitive Behaviors in Mice
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Repetitive Motor Behaviors in Non-Autistic Toddlers.

Monique Moore Hill1, Devon Gangi1, Shy Maqbool1

  • 1Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, MIND Institute, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, CA.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|January 19, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Repetitive motor behaviors (RMBs) are common in non-autistic toddlers, appearing in 36% of children. These behaviors are more frequent in those with other developmental concerns but do not automatically indicate autism.

Keywords:
autismdevelopmentrepetitive motor behaviorstoddlers

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental psychology
  • Pediatric neurology
  • Child psychiatry

Background:

  • Repetitive motor behaviors (RMBs) are a diagnostic criterion for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
  • Understanding RMBs in non-autistic toddlers is crucial for accurate diagnosis and intervention.
  • Previous research has primarily focused on RMBs in diagnosed autistic populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of RMBs in a community sample of non-autistic toddlers.
  • To compare RMBs in non-autistic toddlers with and without other developmental concerns.
  • To explore clinical correlates of RMBs in toddlers without autism.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort study involving 679 toddlers (24 and 36 months old) from a community sample.
  • Direct observational methods were used to assess repetitive motor behaviors (RMBs).
  • Participants were categorized into autistic (n=65), non-autistic with other developmental concerns (ODC, n=104), and non-autistic with no developmental concerns (NDC, n=510) groups.

Main Results:

  • 36% of non-autistic children exhibited RMBs at 24 and/or 36 months.
  • RMBs were significantly more prevalent in the ODC group (55%) compared to the NDC group (33%).
  • Non-autistic toddlers with RMBs showed lower communication scores and higher autism-related symptomatology scores, though effect sizes were small.

Conclusions:

  • Repetitive motor behaviors are not uncommon in toddlers without autism.
  • While more frequent in those with other developmental challenges, RMBs can also occur in typically developing children.
  • RMBs alone, without core social communication deficits, should not be considered definitive evidence of autism.