Research at TRI
IMITATION STUDIES
Field, T., Field, T., Sanders, C.
& Nadel, J. (2001). Children with
autism display more social behaviors after repeated imitation sessions. Autism, 5, 317-323.
• 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.
Field, T., Nadel, J., Diego, M.,
Hernandez-Reif, M., Russo, K., Vchulek,
D. & Lendi, K. (2008). Children with
Autism Are More Imitative With An Imitative Adult Than With Their Parents. Early Child Development and Care, 178,
1-6.
• Children with autism (mean age= 6 years)
were videotaped first interacting with a parent and then with an unfamiliar
researcher who imitated the child’s behaviours. The
researcher showed more imitative and playful behaviours than the parents. In turn, the children showed more imitative behavior when
playing with the imitative researcher than with their parents.
Nadel, J.,
Martini, M., Field, T., Escalona, A., & Lundy, B.
(2008). Children with Autism Approach More Imitative and Playful
Adults. Early Child Development and Care, 178, 461-465.
• Children with autism were selected to be in high-approach and
low-approach groups based on a median split of their proximity-seeking behavior
with adults (looking at, approaching and touching adults) during videotaped
interactions. The same videotapes of those two sets of interactions were then
coded and analyzed for the adult partners' behaviors. The
adult interaction partner of high-approach children showed more looking at
child, smiling at child, moving toward child, inviting child to play, imitating
child in play and being playful.