Stereotypies: What Are They, What Types Are There And What Relationship Do They Have With Autism?
Have you seen that your child makes repetitive movements with their body? Enter and discover what stereotypies are, their relationship with normal development and ASD.
Stereotypies are a type of movement that normally appears in the first three years of life and, although they cause concern, they do not have to be synonymous with the presence of a disorder. In fact, during breastfeeding it is common for them to appear and disappear without the need for intervention.
Through this article you will discover what exactly they are, what types there are and their relationship with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
The stereotypes are involuntary movements, that is, the person does not want to do them and they do not have a purpose at the motor level. Furthermore, they are characterized by being movements that are repetitive and rhythmic being exactly the same in each repetition. This last characteristic is essential to be able to differentiate them from tics, other types of movements but in this case, their form of presentation varies from one moment to the next, that is, they are not coordinated movements When you observe someone who has a stereotypy It resembles a movement that follows a ritual and may resemble movements performed by people with obsessive behavior disorders or other related disorders. Regarding stereotypes, some examples of movements flapping with the hands, rocking, etc.
On the other hand, another of the main characteristics of the stereotyped movements is that when the person is concentrated or distracted with a specific activity, they do not appear and do not influence the performance of a motor activity that is voluntary, nor do they appear during sleep. Although they have no purpose and are involuntary, they increase when the person is in a stressful environment or with many stimuli and, in some cases, they are a way of managing emotions.
What types of stereotypes exist?
When we talk about stereotypes we can differentiate between a wide variety, however, three main classifications can be distinguished:
Primary and secondary stereotypes:
This classification is the most important since it differentiates whether the stereotypes Are they related to some alteration or not:
Primary stereotypes: The primary stereotypes (or also called physiological) are those that can appear in boys and girls with neurological development considered normal and can be transient or chronic depending on each case. These usually appear in the first three years of life and, in fact, as we have mentioned previously, infants usually present primary stereotypies that decrease without intervention after 6 months. Some examples of this type of stereotypy They are the swaying of the trunk, the sudden movement of the head, sucking the thumb, etc.
Secondary stereotypes: Unlike primary stereotypies, secondary stereotypies occur as a consequence of the presence of a neurological disorder such as, for example, autism spectrum disorder, in mental retardation, neurogenetic diseases, etc. Its prognosis, unlike the primaries that decrease with age, usually increases both its frequency and its intensity and negatively influences daily activities. Sometimes, the stereotyped movement It usually involves self-harm, that is, behaviors such as continually scratching the skin, hitting oneself, etc. that end up causing injuries.
Although we have previously talked about motor stereotypies, we can also differentiate between motor and verbal (or also called phonic) stereotypies:
Motor stereotypes: Within motor stereotypies they can be distinguished according to the part of the body with which it is performed, and can occur with the entire body (swinging, turning on oneself, etc.), with the head (swing the head, tilt it, etc.), with the extremities (flutter crossing the arms, etc.), with ambulation (runs or walks on tiptoe, runs continuously through the same space, etc.) and with the hands (or also called “mannerisms “) that can be differentiated between whether they are produced with one hand, with both or with objects.
Verbal stereotypes: Verbal stereotypies, like motor stereotypes, are not voluntary, they are repetitive and have no purpose. In this case, what is repeated are sounds, syllables or groups of words. Of this type of stereotypies, we can differentiate between guttural sounds (made with the throat), repetition of words, phrases, imitation of sounds (such as, for example, of animals) and echolalia The latter basically consist of the repetition of words or phrases that have been heard previously and this repetition can be immediate or delayed.
Simple or complex stereotypes:
Stereotypies can also be classified between simple and complex depending on whether they are movements or noises that are simple or whether they are the repetition of more complex activities or the repetition of phrases.
Stereotypies and autism spectrum disorder:
Autism spectrum disorder (or TORCH ) is a neurodevelopmental disorder whose associated symptom is the presence of repetitive patterns of behavior, activities or interests that can be manifested through the stereotypes (both motor or verbal). These normally appear due to the presence of too many stimuli (noise, lights, etc.) that exceed the person’s tolerance, causing emotions such as anxiety, frustration, etc. and, in this case, stereotypies would serve to manage these emotions since they would produce a feeling of control.
Although they provide a feeling of control, as we have previously mentioned, stereotypies can also be self-harming and can interfere with the person’s functioning, whether at an academic or social level, etc. Therefore, they require the attention and support of a professional.
The stereotypes They can be confused with other problems such as tics and, sometimes, although they cause concern, they can occur without the presence of any other difficulty. It is for this reason that the attention of a professional is necessary so that they can issue a diagnosis and prognosis taking each case into account, as well as offer intervention guidelines if necessary.
