Skip to main content

Brief Report: Imitation of Object-Directed Acts in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders volume 46, pages 691–697 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) imitate less than typically developing (TD) children; however, the specific features and causes of this deficit are still unclear. The current study investigates the role of joint engagement, specifically children’s visual attention to demonstrations, in an object-directed imitation task. This sample was recruited from an early ASD screening study, which allows for an examination of these behaviors prior to formal diagnosis and ASD-specific intervention. Children with ASD imitated less than TD children; children with other developmental delays showed no significant difference from the two other screen-positive groups. Additionally, only the ASD group showed decreased visual attention, suggesting that early visual attention plays a role in the social learning of children with ASD.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1

Notes

  1. Nonparametric analyses revealed the same findings. A Kruskal–Wallis test showed a significant difference among groups in total imitation scores, χ2(3) = 16.36, p = .001. Subsequent Mann–Whitney U pairwise comparisons revealed that the TD group imitated significantly more overall than the DD group (p = .002) and ASD group (p = .002), but not the TD-SP group (p = .135). The TD-SP group imitated significantly more than the ASD group (p = .022), but not the DD group (p = .082). There was no significant difference in overall imitation between the DD and ASD groups (p = .127).

    A Friedman test revealed significant differences in the frequency of completion of Acts 1-4, χ2(3) = 51.21, p < .001. Subsequent Wilcoxon-signed ranks tests revealed that, across groups, Act 4 was completed more frequently than the three other acts (p’s < .001). Additionally, Act 2 was completed more frequently than Act 3 (p = .020)

References

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text revision). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association.

  • Bekkering, H., Wohlschlager, A., & Gattis, M. (2000). Imitation of gestures in children is goal-directed. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 53(1), 153–164.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Charman, T., & Baron-Cohen, S. (1994). Another look at imitation in autism. Development and Psychopathology, 6(3), 403–413.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Charman, T., Swettenham, J., Baron-Cohen, S., Cox, A., Baird, G., & Drew, A. (1997). Infants with autism: An investigation of empathy, pretend play, joint attention, and imitation. Developmental Psychology, 33(5), 781–789.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, G., Toth, K., Abbott, R., Osterling, J., Munson, J., Estes, A., & Liaw, J. (2004). Early social attention impairments in autism: Social orienting, joint attention, and attention to distress. Developmental Psychology, 40(2), 271–283.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DeMyer, M. K., Alpern, G. D., Barton, S., DeMyer, W. E., Churchill, D. W., Hingtgen, J. N., et al. (1972). Imitation in autistic, early schizophrenic, and non-psychotic subnormal children. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 2(3), 264–287.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dennis, M., Francis, D. J., Cirino, P. T., Schachar, R., Barnes, M. A., & Fletcher, J. M. (2009). Why IQ is not a covariate in cognitive studies of neurodevelopmental disorders. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 15(3), 331–343.

    PubMed Central  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dziuk, M. A., Larson, J. C. G., Apostu, A., Mahone, E. M., Denckla, M. B., & Mostofsky, S. H. (2007). Dyspraxia in autism: Association with motor, social, and communicative deficits. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 49(10), 734–739.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, L. A. (2014). A meta-analysis of imitation abilities in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Autism Research, 7(3), 363–380.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Elsner, B. (2007). Infants’ imitation of goal-directed actions: The role of movements and action effects. Acta Psychologica, 124(1), 44–59.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hobson, J. A., & Hobson, R. P. (2007). Identification: The missing link between joint attention and imitation? Development and Psychopathology, 19(2), 411–431.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ingersoll, B. (2008). The effect of context on imitation skills in children with autism. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 2(2), 332–340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ingersoll, B., & Schreibman, L. (2006). Teaching reciprocal imitation skills to young children with autism using a naturalistic behavioral approach: Effects on language, pretend play, and joint attention. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(4), 487–505.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, V., & Prior, M. (1985). Motor imitation abilities and neurological signs in autistic children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 15(1), 37–46.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Klin, A., Jones, W., Schultz, R., Volkmar, F., & Cohen, D. (2002). Visual fixation patterns during viewing of naturalistic social situations as predictors of social competence in individuals with autism. Archives of General Psychiatry, 59(9), 809–816.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marsh, L., Pearson, A., Ropar, D., & Hamilton, A. (2013). Children with autism do not overimitate. Current Biology, 23(7), R266–R268.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McDuffie, A., Turner, L., Stone, W., Yoder, P., Wolery, M., & Ulman, T. (2007). Developmental correlates of different types of motor imitation in young children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37(3), 401–412.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, G. A., & Chapman, J. P. (2001). Misunderstanding analysis of covariance. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 110(1), 40–48.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mostofsky, S. H., Dubey, P., Jerath, V. K., Jansiewicz, E. M., Goldberg, M. C., & Denckla, M. B. (2006). Developmental dyspraxia is not limited to imitation in children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 12(3), 314–326.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen, M., & Hudry, K. (2010). Over-imitation in children with autism and Down Syndrome. Australian Journal of Psychology, 62(2), 67–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen, M., Slaughter, V., & Dissanayake, C. (2013). Object-directed imitation in children with high-functioning autism: Testing the social motivation hypothesis. Autism Research, 6(1), 23–32.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Poon, K. K., Watson, L. R., Baranek, G. T., & Poe, M. D. (2012). To what extent do joint attention, imitation, and object play behaviors predict later communication and intellectual functioning in ASD? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42(6), 1064–1074.

    PubMed Central  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Robins, D. L., Casagrande, K., Barton, M. L., Chen, C., Dumont-Mathieu, T., & Fein, D. (2014). Validation of the modified checklist for autism in toddlers-revised with follow-up (M-CHAT-R/F). Pediatrics, 133(1), 37–45.

    PubMed Central  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Robins, D. L., Fein, D., and Barton, M. (2009). The modified checklist for autism in toddlers—Revised, with follow-up (M-CHAT-R/F). Self-published.

  • Roeyers, H., van Oost, P., & Bothuyne, S. (1998). Immediate imitation and joint attention in young children with autism. Development and Psychopathology, 10(3), 441–450.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, S. J., Hepburn, S. L., Stackhouse, T., & Wehner, E. (2003). Imitation performance in toddlers with autism and those with other developmental disorders. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 44(5), 763–781.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, S. J., & Pennington, B. F. (1991). A theoretical approach to the deficits in infantile autism. Development and Psychopathology, 3(2), 137–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, S. J., Young, G. S., Cook, I., Giolzetti, A., & Ozonoff, S. (2008). Deferred and immediate imitation in regressive and early onset autism. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49(4), 449–457.

    PubMed Central  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rowberry, J., Macari, S., Chen, G., Campbell, D., Leventhal, J. M., Weitzman, C., & Chawarska, K. (2015). Screening for autism spectrum disorder in 12-month-old high-risk siblings by parental report. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(1), 221–229.

    PubMed Central  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sevlever, M., & Gillis, J. M. (2010). An examination of the state of imitation research in children with autism: Issues of definition and methodology. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 31(5), 976–984.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sigman, M., Dijamco, A., Gratier, M., & Rozga, A. (2004). Early detection of core deficits in autism. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 10(4), 221–223.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sigman, M., & Ungerer, J. A. (1984). Cognitive and language skills in autistic, mentally retarded, and normal children. Developmental Psychology, 20(2), 293–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stone, W. L., Ousley, O. Y., & Littleford, C. D. (1997). Motor imitation in young children with autism: What’s the object? Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 25(6), 475–485.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Toth, K., Munson, J. N., Meltzoff, A., & Dawson, G. (2006). Early predictors of communication development in young children with autism spectrum disorder: Joint attention, imitation, and toy play. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(8), 993–1005.

    PubMed Central  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Uzgiris, I. C. (1981). Two functions of imitation during infancy. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 4(1), 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vanvuchelen, M., Roeyers, H., & De Weerdt, W. (2007). Nature of motor imitation problems in school-aged boys with autism. Autism, 11(3), 225–240.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vivanti, G., & Hamilton, A. (2014). Imitation in autism spectrum disorders. In F. R. Volkmar, R. Paul, S. J. Rogers, & K. A. Pelphrey (Eds.), Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders (Vol. 1, pp. 278–301). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vivanti, G., Nadig, A., Ozonoff, S., & Rogers, S. J. (2008). What do children attend to during imitation tasks? Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 101(3), 186–205.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vivanti, G., Trembath, D., & Dissanayake, C. (2014). Mechanisms of imitation impairment in autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 42(8), 1395–1405.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, J. H. G., Whiten, A., & Singh, T. (2004). A systematic review of action imitation in autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 34(3), 285–299.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, C., Chiang, C., & Hou, Y. (2011). A two time point study of imitative abilities in children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 24(1), 39–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Young, G. S., Rogers, S. J., Hutman, T., Rozga, A., Sigman, M., & Ozonoff, S. (2011). Imitation from 12 to 24 months in autism and typical development: A longitudinal rasch analysis. Developmental Psychology, 47(6), 1565–1578.

    PubMed Central  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zwaigenbaum, L., Bryson, S., Rogers, T., Roberts, W., Brian, J., & Szatmari, P. (2005). Behavioral manifestations of autism in the first year of life. Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 23(2–3), 143–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grant # HD039961 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, grant # 8368 from Autism Speaks, and the Georgia State University Second Century Initiative in Primate Social Cognition, Evolution, and Behavior (2CI-PSCEB). We would like to thank the members of the early detection project team at Georgia State University, especially Karís Casagrande and Kiauhna Haynes for assistance with data management. We also thank the families and children who participated in our study sessions.

Author Contributions

AG participated in the conception and coordination of the study, analyzed and interpreted data, and helped draft the manuscript; RAW conceived the study and its design, participated in data analyses and interpretation, and helped draft the manuscript; DLR participated in conception and coordination of the study, acquired clinical data, and helped draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Diana L. Robins

    Present address: A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, 3020 Market Street, Suite 560, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, P. O. Box 5010, Atlanta, GA, 30302, USA

    Anna Gonsiorowski, Rebecca A. Williamson & Diana L. Robins

Authors
  1. Anna Gonsiorowski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rebecca A. Williamson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Diana L. Robins
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anna Gonsiorowski.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

Anna Gonsiorowski and Rebecca A. Williamson declare that they have no conflicts of interest. Diana L. Robins is a co-owner of M-CHAT LLC which receives royalties for commercial products that incorporate the M-CHAT-R/F.

Ethical Standards

This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Georgia State University and was therefore performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. All parents and guardians provided informed consent prior to children’s inclusion in the study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Gonsiorowski, A., Williamson, R.A. & Robins, D.L. Brief Report: Imitation of Object-Directed Acts in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 46, 691–697 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2596-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2596-1

Keywords

  • Autism spectrum disorders
  • Imitation
  • Visual attention
  • Social learning
  • Developmental disabilities
  • Cognitive development