Autism behavior can cause confusion for parents and teachers.
As students react to specific significant events, they may repeat that same behavior or response every time the memory of that event is repeated. This can be particularly obvious when they react strongly to something that they perceive as frightening or highly undesirable. Even though the surrounding factors may change, they may still react strongly every time that event is triggered.
Example: Several years ago I saw a dog that frightened me enough that I cried. Now I cry every time I see a dog.