Social Modulation of Imitation in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Evidence from EEG and Reciprocal Imitation Training

Imitation is crucial for social learning, yet children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often show atypical imitation abilities. To probe the neural dynamics that precede overt imitation, electroencephalography (EEG)—with a focus on α (8–12 Hz) and β (13–30 Hz) activity commonly linked to action observation and sensorimotor processing—was used to index pre-imitation processing in preschool-aged children with ASD. Grounded in the social motivation framework, this study combined an EEG experiment and a naturalistic behavioral intervention. In Study 1, 11 preschool children with ASD completed an action-observation (pre-imitation) task under low- versus high-sociality video conditions. Time–frequency and spectral analyses were conducted to compare α- and β-band responses across conditions. In Study 2, four children received a six-week Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) program, and imitation and social-communication outcomes were assessed pre-, mid-, and post-intervention. The results showed that low-sociality stimuli elicited stronger frontal and prefrontal power increases in both α and β bands, whereas high-sociality stimuli elicited more temporally dynamic β-band responses but with lower overall power engagement. Although inferential support was limited by sample size, behavioral trends suggested improvements following RIT in imitation and related social functioning, with larger gains in children with mild-to-moderate ASD. Together, these findings suggest that social context modulates pre-imitation neural activity in ASD and that socially grounded imitation training may support broader social development.