Repetitive behaviors are not an uncommon part of human experience, but not all repetitive actions serve the same purpose or carry the same meaning. Two types of behaviors that are often confused are ...

Our behavior is controlled through neural circuits in the brain. Molecular disturbances can lead to stereotypical behavior, as seen in neuropsychiatric disorders like obsessive-compulsive and autism ...

Nicole McDermott has worked in the creative content space for the last decade as a writer, editor and director. Her work has been featured on TIME Healthland, Prevention, Shape, USA Today, HuffPost, ...

At some point in time nearly everyone engages in behaviors such as biting their nails, chewing on their cheeks or lips, twirling their hair, and even picking their nose. Such behaviors, however, may ...

People with autism are typically diagnosed by clinical observation and assessment. To deconstruct the clinical decision process, which is often subjective and difficult to describe, researchers used a ...

Stimming helps people with autism regulate their emotions and behavior. Stimming includes auditory, tactile, visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive actions. Stimming also occurs in people with ADHD ...

Many people hear the word stims and picture obvious movements, yet a wide range of everyday actions fall into the same category. These behaviors help the nervous system regulate attention, soften ...

Example of repetitive behavior seen in mice. Some mice trace the same route through their cage over and over and over again. Abnormal repetitive behaviors in mice are strongly linked to multiple ...

Stereotypic pacing in zoo-housed carnivores has been intensively researched for decades, revealing that it is a subtly complex behavior with a highly variable etiology. While pacing can be an ...