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Abstract
Children with autism struggle to imitate, and this lack of imitative ability is related to the severity of autism symptoms. Teaching children with autism to imitate is a necessary component of intervention as poor imitation ability affects development in a variety of areas including play skills, social skills and language skills. The purpose of this research was to determine whether there is a functional relation between video modeling imitation training (VMIT) and increased gestural imitation in young children with autism. Secondary analyses of collateral gains, specifically language development, gesture, and play skill acquisition, after exposure to VMIT was also conducted. Results indicated that two out of three participants demonstrated an immediate, increased frequency in imitation of gestures viewed on an iPad. All three participants showed gains in receptive language and gestures before treatment. Expressive language and play skills increased for two out of three participants.