Carnett, AmarieLin, Hung-Chun (Michael)2026-08-132026-08-132026https://hdl.handle.net/10289/18540Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterised by two core features: communication deficits & social interaction difficulties and restricted and repetitive behaviours, interests, or activities (RRBIs). Although numerous studies have been conducted in the social engagement and communication domain, research on RRBIs and remains relatively limited. This thesis aims to conduct a systematic review on stereotypy, a lower-order RRBI, to evaluate the current state of knowledge in this domain with a focus on assessment and measurement. Following this review, a pilot study using a novel coding system examines stereotypy and response to parent play bids among children at high risk of ASD, using video samples from a larger grant-funded project. Results of our pilot study suggest this assessment tool may be useful for evaluating learning impacts and to help determine if specialised intervention is needed for lower-order RRBIs. Additionally, the limited findings from our sample participants who were assessed with our tool suggest that stereotypy did not hinder children’s responses to parent play bids, thus not needing specialised interventions. Given the limited sample size, findings should be interpreted cautiously. Implications and future research directions are discussed.enAll items in Research Commons are provided for private study and research purposes and are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.ASDautismRRBIsstereotypyengagementThesis