Preliminary Evaluation of an Intervention to Rapidly Strengthen Generalized Imitation in Young Autistic Children

Abstract Imitation deficits in young autistic children are well-documented. Strengthening generalized imitation in this population is a primary goal of early intervention. In this study, an intervention designed to rapidly strengthen generalized imitation was evaluated with two young autistic children. The intervention entailed simultaneously teaching three different model types (object, gross motor, and vocal imitation) using evidence-based instructional procedures with frequent tests for generalized imitation via novel probes. Outcomes from this preliminary evaluation suggest the intervention may be capable of rapidly strengthening this repertoire in some autistic children.