Over-Imitation in Four-to-Six-Year-Old Children with Autism and Typically Developing Children

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study adds to the existing pool of knowledge regarding the imitative behavior of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: The over-imitation behaviors of preschool children with ASD were compared to age-matched typically developing (TD) children. Results: The hypothesis was that the TD children would over-imitate to a much greater degree than the children with ASD. Contrary to expectation, the children with ASD were found to over-imitate at the same rate as the TD group. Conclusion: Subtle differences were noted in the performance of the two groups and implications for autism treatment protocols is presented.