Children with Autism Display more Social Behaviors after Repeated Imitation Sessions

Abstract

Based on earlier studies, an adult's imitations of the behaviors of children with autism lead to increased social behavior in the children. The present study explored the effects of repeated sessions of imitation. Twenty children were recruited from a school for children with autism to attend three sessions during which an adult either imitated all of the children's behaviors or simply played with the child. During the second session the children in the imitation group spent a greater proportion of time showing distal social behaviors toward the adult including: (1) looking; (2) vocalizing; (3) smiling; and (4) engaging in reciprocal play. During the third session, the children in the imitation group spent a greater proportion of time showing proximal social behaviors toward the adult including: (1) being close to the adult; (2) sitting next to the adult; and (3) touching the adult. These data suggest the potential usefulness of adult imitative behavior as an early intervention.

A Computational Agent Model for Hebbian Learning of Social Interaction

“…Notice that due to the relatively low initial values of the connections chosen, for some of them first extinction dominates, but later on this downward trend is changing into an upward trend. Accordingly the empathic responses become much stronger, which is in line with the literature; e.g., [7], [13]. How long the learned patterns will last will depend on the social context.…”

“…However, as other simulations show, in such a case (simulated) imitation training sessions (starting with the therapist imitating the person) still have a positive effect, which is also lasting when an appropriate social context is available. This is confirmed by reports that imitation training sessions are successful; e.g., [7], [13]. In addition to variations in social environment, circumstances may differ in other respects as well.…”

“…For persons (in particular children) with low or no social responses, it is worth while to offer them training sessions in imitation so that the mirror neuron system and the displayed social responses may improve. This indeed turns out to work, at least for the short term, as has been reported in, for example [7,13]. Thus evidence is obtained that the mirror neuron system has a certain extent of plasticity due to some learning mechanism.…”

“…It is shown how under normal conditions by learning the empathic responses become better over time, provided that a certain amount of social encounters occur. The model also shows how imitation training (e.g., [7], [13]) can strengthen the empathic responses. Moreover, it shows that when enhanced sensory processing sensitivity [1] occurs (e.g., as an innate factor), the natural learning process is obstructed by avoidance behaviour to downregulate the dysproportional arousal [9].…”

Imitating the Child with Autism: A Strategy for Early Intervention?

“…Experiments have indicated that children with ASD show more social behaviours while being imitated by an adult than when the adult is interacting in other ways [12], and that children with ASD show more social interest immediately after being imitated than immediately after other contingent responding [13][14][15][16]. Zeedyk [17] suggests that imitation functions as a particularly effective way of creating intimacy, by providing "the closest correspondence between self and other" p. 331.…”