Which of the following is a typical characteristic of students having autism?

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is identified using two core symptom domains from standard developmental and clinical frameworks: (1) persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction, and (2) restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities.

Among the given options, 'Frequent repetitive and recurring behaviour' directly matches the second core domain (restricted, repetitive behaviour patterns), which is consistently listed as a typical characteristic of students on the autism spectrum.

• Superior ability of differentiating fiction from fact: this ability does not fall under either diagnostic domain of ASD; it is unrelated to the recognised characteristics.

• Advanced socio-emotional reciprocity: socio-emotional reciprocity falls under the social-communication domain, where ASD is associated with difficulty rather than an advanced or heightened ability.

• Higher level of communication skills: communication also falls under the social-communication domain; ASD is characterised by challenges in this domain rather than a higher skill level.

So the typical characteristic among the options is 'Frequent repetitive and recurring behaviour.'