title: Brief report: effect of a focused imitation intervention on social functioning in children with autism.
abstract: Imitation is an early skill thought to play a role in social development, leading some to suggest that teaching imitation to children with autism should lead to improvements in social functioning. This study used a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of a focused imitation intervention on initiation of joint attention and social-emotional functioning in 27 young children with autism. Results indicated the treatment group made significantly more gains in joint attention initiations at post-treatment and follow-up and social-emotional functioning at follow-up than the control group. Although gains in social functioning were associated with treatment, a mediation analysis did not support imitation as the mechanism of action. These findings suggest the intervention improves social functioning in children with ASD.
authors.affiliation: Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. ingers19@msu.edu
authors.forename: Brooke
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ingersoll
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007100:Imitative Behavior; D008297:Male; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012919:Social Behavior; D016896:Treatment Outcome