Table 1.
Study 1: frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations of neurotypical participants’ responses to all twenty Adult Repetitive Behaviour Questionnaire-2 items (N = 161)
| Section 1 | Never or rarely | One or more times daily | 15 or more times daily | Mean (SD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Do you | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Like to arrange items in rows or patterns? | 90 (55.9 %) | 69 (42.9 %) | 2 (1.2 %) | 1.45 (.52) |
| Repetitively fiddle with items? (e.g. spin, twiddle, bang, tap, twist, or flick anything repeatedly?* | 31 (19.4 %) | 70 (43.8 %) | 59 (36.9 %) | 2.18 (.73) |
| Spin yourself around and around?** | 121 (76.1 %) | 33 (20.8 %) | 5 (3.1 %) | 1.27 (.51) |
| Rock backwards and forwards, or side to side, either when sitting or when standing?*** | 83 (52.5 %) | 53 (33.5 %) | 22 (13.9 %) | 1.61 (.72) |
| Pace or move around repetitively (e.g. walk to and fro across a room, or around the same path in the garden?)* | 99 (61.9 %) | 49 (30.6 %) | 12 (7.5 %) | 1.46 (.63) |
| Section 2 | Never or rarely | Mild or occasional | Marked or notable | Mean (SD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Do you | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Make repetitive hand and/or finger movements? (e.g. flap, wave, or flick your hands or fingers repetitively?) | 65 (40.4 %) | 59 (36.6 %) | 37 (23 %) | 1.83 (.78) |
| Have a fascination with specific objects (e.g. trains, road signs, or other things?) | 120 (74.5 %) | 39 (24.2 %) | 2 (1.2 %) | 1.27 (.47) |
| Like to look at objects from particular or unusual angles?* | 120 (75.0 %) | 34 (21.3 %) | 6 (3.8 %) | 1.29 (.53) |
| Have a special interest in the smell of people or objects? | 125 (77.6 %) | 27 (16.8 %) | 9 (5.6 %) | 1.28 (.56) |
| Have a special interest in the feel of different surfaces?* | 97 (60.6 %) | 54 (33.8 %) | 9 (5.6 %) | 1.45 (.60) |
| Have any special objects you like to carry around?* | 124 (77.5 %) | 30 (18.8 %) | 6 (3.8 %) | 1.26 (.52) |
| Collect or hoard items of any sort? | 106 (65.8 %) | 48 (29.8 %) | 7 (4.3 %) | 1.39 (.57) |
| Section 3 | Never or rarely | Mild or occasional (does not affect others) | Marked or notable (occasionally affects others) | Mean (SD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Do you | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Insist on things at home remaining the same? (e.g. furniture staying in the same place, things being kept in certain places, or arranged in certain ways?)** | 74 (46.5 %) | 68 (42.8 %) | 17 (10.7 %) | 1.64 (.67) |
| Get upset about minor changes to objects (e.g. flecks of dirt on your clothes, minor scratches on objects?) | 86 (53.4 %) | 60 (37.3 %) | 15 (9.3 %) | 1.56 (.66) |
| Insist that aspects of daily routine must remain the same? | 96 (59.6 %) | 54 (33.5 %) | 11 (6.8 %) | 1.47 (.62) |
| Insist on doing things in a certain way or re-doing things until they “just right”? | 72 (44.7 %) | 70 (43.5 %) | 19 (11.8 %) | 1.67 (.68) |
| Section 4 | Never or rarely | Mild or occasional (not entirely resistant to change or new things) | Marked or notable (will tolerate changes when necessary) | Mean (SD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Do you | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Play the same music, game or video, or read the same book repeatedly?* | 57 (35.6 %) | 74 (46.3 %) | 29 (18.1 %) | 1.83 (.71) |
| Insist on wearing the same clothes or refuse to wear new clothes?* | 131 (81.9 %) | 24 (15.0 %) | 5 (3.1 %) | 1.21 (.48) |
| Insist on eating the same foods, or a very small range of foods, at every meal?* | 118 (73.8 %) | 35 (21.9 %) | 7 (4.4 %) | 1.31 (.55) |
| Section 5 | A range of different and flexible self-chosen activities | Some varied and flexible interests but commonly choose the same activities | Almost always choose from a restricted range of repetitive activities | Mean (SD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| What sort of activity will you choose if you are left to occupy yourself? | 53 (32.9 %) | 91 (56.5 %) | 17 (10.6 %) | 1.78 (.62) |
* N = 160; ** N = 159; *** N = 158; Percentages given as valid percentages