Читать книгу Functional Behavior Assessment for People with Autism - Beth Glasberg - Страница 13

Finally, a restricted behavioral repertoire is associated with autism spectrum disorders. This means that children with ASDs have fewer areas of interest and may focus on parts of an object or activity, rather than the whole thing. This phenomenon has been described as viewing the world with a laser beam rather than a flashlight. Darra’s interest in One-D, described in the Introduction, provides a good example of this keen focus. While other preteens may have a number of pop icons who consume their interest, Darra has only One-D. Additionally, other preteens often have other interests beyond pop icons, such as sports, dance, puzzles, books, etc. Darra’s range of interests is not as broad.

When a child with ASD has a narrow range of interests, it is bound to lead to a variety of problems stemming from repetition. Rather than engaging in a variety of behaviors, the individual is doing the same thing over and over again. As for Darra, this hyperfocus may lead to social problems. She is like a record with the needle stuck in a groove and keeps playing the same section of music. In other individuals, this constricted focus may play out as repetitive actions, such as hand flapping or rocking, which may be stigmatizing or even dangerous. The individual, stuck in a groove, is repeating the same behavior over and over.

Finally, some individuals may pursue their interests so single-mindedly that it leads to risky behaviors or an infringement on the rights of others. Darius McCollum, a man on the spectrum who is fascinated with transportation, provides a famous example of this possibility. Darius grew up in New York City and always loved trains. He focused so intently on subways and commuter trains that he became knowledgeable enough to “steal” subway cars and busses by posing as the driver and making all of the correct stops. At the time of this writing, he has spent over eighteen years in jail from twenty-eight arrests due to these thefts. Furthermore, he reports that he has committed his crime far more often than he has been caught.