Imitation in the spontaneous language of children with and without Down syndrome

Abstract

This study examined the potential roles of immediate imitation in the spontaneous language of eight children with Down syndrome and eight peers matched for mean length of utterance (MLU). The typically developing group, but not the group with Down syndrome, used significantly longer imitated than spontaneous utterances. They also used expanded and modified imitations significantly more often than the children with Down syndrome, who used a relatively larger proportion of reduced and exact imitations. Thus, imitation seemed to play a different syntactic role for the groups. Several children with Down syndrome and one typically developing child imitated words selectively (i.e. they either imitated words that they did not use spontaneously or vice-versa), suggesting that imitation played a role in lexical development for these children. The most robust findings related to the pragmatic function of imitation. Imitations of both groups frequently included the final word of the previous maternal utterance. One interpretation of this finding is that imitation acted as a conversational place-holder when the children could not otherwise participate appropriately. Mothers also shortened their utterances immediately following an imitation. This finding suggests that mothers may have interpreted imitation as a result of children's incomplete comprehension.

• Down Syndrome;Language Acquisition;Imitation