Relationship between imitation skills and maternal responsiveness for children with autism spectrum disorder: a longitudinal study

Abstract

Background Imitation is an important developmental skill in terms of social communication with which children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulty. Furthermore, responsiveness is suggested to play an essential role in the development of social communication skills in this population. This necessitates understanding the impact of responsiveness on the development of imitation skills. This observational study examines the longitudinal effect of maternal responsiveness on the development of imitation skills among minimally verbal preschool children with ASD. Methods This observational study used a longitudinal correlational design, which is in the correlational dimension of the quantitative research method. The study involved 31 children aged between 28 and 79 months and their mothers. The children with ASD were assessed for elicited and spontaneous imitation skills using observation-based structured tasks. Additionally, the frequency of maternal responsiveness was measured during an unstructured play session with the mother and child. Results The study found a correlation between verbal and nonverbal maternal responses following the child’s focus of attention and elicited and spontaneous imitation skills. Additionally, after controlling for the severity of autism symptoms, object engagement, or initial imitation performances, it was determined that follow-in directives for behavior and nonverbal responses predicted only spontaneous imitation at Time II, together with the severity of autism symptoms. Conclusions The findings show that maternal responsiveness, particularly in response to the child’s focus of attention, including follow-in directives for behavior and nonverbal responses, is a significant predictor of spontaneous imitation outcomes. Therefore, interventions should target maternal responsiveness, emphasizing the development of spontaneous imitation skills.