Journal
JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
Volume 37, Issue 8, Pages 1446-1456Publisher
SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS
DOI: 10.1007/s10803-006-0221-z
Keywords
autism; imitation; gesture; intervention; social communication
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Children with autism exhibit deficits in the imitation and spontaneous use of descriptive gestures. Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT), a naturalistic imitation intervention, has ben shown to increase object imitation skills in young children with autism. A single-subject, multiple-baseline design acroess five young children with autism was used to determine whether RIT could be adapted to target the imitation of descriptive gestures. All participants increased their imitation of gestures in the treatment setting and on a structured imitation assessment. Gains generalized to a novel therapist, setting, and materials and maintained at a 1-month follow-up. Three participants also increased their spontaneous use of descriptive gestures. These results provide support for the effectiveness of a naturalistic intervention for teaching gesture imitation.
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