A parent-implemented intervention to improve spontaneous imitation by young children with autism

Imitation is a pivotal social-communicative skill, which is crucial for children???s social and language development. Research has shown that young children with autism often have deficits in imitation skills. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a parent-implemented modified Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) on object and gestural imitation skills for children with autism. Two parents were trained and coached to use the modified RIT with their young children with autism in the home. The modified RIT was composed of reciprocity, object imitation, and gestural imitation strategies. A multiple baseline design across strategies was used to examine the parents??? competence in learning and implementing the modified RIT. Results indicated that parents learned to use the intervention strategies, and children showed improvements in spontaneous imitation. Generalization effects for parents and children were examined in typical routines. Maintenance data were collected two weeks following the end of intervention