Restricted repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are the most characteristic behaviors of autism spectrum disorder. The clinical diagnosis and treatment of RRBs are extremely difficult resulting from its complex and variable etiology, highly heterogeneous clinical manifestations influenced by multiple factors (sleep quality, gastrointestinal health, age and gender), lack of precise diagnostic criteria and low effectiveness of current clinical interventions. This article mainly reviews the recent related studies on RRBs and discusses the challenges and progress in clinical diagnosis and treatment of RRBs so as to provide new ideas for future clinical diagnosis and treatment.