Occupational Therapy Interventions for Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Restricted and Repetitive Behavior (RRB) often impedes functional behavior in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Occupational therapists (OTs) may need to address RRBs with this population in order to facilitate the client’s functional goals. Semi-structured interviews with seven experienced Canadian OTs explored a range of RRB interventions together with the associated clinical reasoning underlying their use. Twenty-four reported interventions and four core themes related to occupational therapy practice, RRBs, and ASD were revealed. Reported interventions were compared to evidenced based interventions as well as mapped using the PEO model of occupational performance and an applied behavior analysis framework.