Effects of context and facial expression on imitation tasks in preschool children with autism

Abstract

The present study explored the effect of the context in which an imitation act occurs (elicited/spontaneous) and the experimenter's facial expression (neutral or smiling) during the imitation task with young children with autism and typically developing children. The participants were 10 typically developing children and 10 children with autism (mean chronological age: 72 months). They were tested in imitation of tasks and facial expressions posed by the researcher. The results showed that, compared with typically developing children, children with autism: (a) engaged less in imitation of action with objects, (b) had more difficulties with the imitation of facial expressions in the elicited condition, and (c) performed less accurately both at imitating the experimenter's facial expression and on tasks involving the simultaneous imitation of action with objects and facial expression, and (d) the type of the experimenter's facial expression did not influence the imitative performance of either group in either the elicited or the spontaneous condition. The present study attempts to advance investigation of imitative ability and impairment in autism.

Keywords:

• autism
• imitation
• imitative performance
• elicited imitation
• spontaneous imitation
• action with objects
• facial expression
• preschool children

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the invaluable contribution of children and parents in the study and the generosity of the nursery schools teachers.