Imitation Skills Research Articles

Impact of various training programs on lower limb biomechanics in adolescent Latin dancers

Latin dance attracts many young dancers globally. While these adolescents exhibit flexibility and imitation skills, their muscular strength and neuromuscular control often fall short, making complex movements challenging. Thus, incorporating functional training methods is essential for enhancing performance and reducing injury risk. This study, a total of 30 adolescent female Latin dancers aged 12–14 years with at least one year of training and competition experience were recruited for this study and randomly divided into two groups: One group of 15 students (average height 154.37 ± 3.82 cm, average weight 45.31 ± 5.29 kg) received traditional Latin dance training, and the other group of 15 students (15 students average height 154.73 ± 4.28 cm, average weight 44.63 ± 4.37 kg) received traditional Latin dance training and based on traditional Latin dance training, functional exercise was carried out for 12 weeks. A Vicon motion capture system, force platform, and electromyography were used to collect biomechanical data. Paired samples t-tests assessed significant differences between groups pre- and post-intervention. The experimental group showed significant improvements post-intervention: in the sagittal plane, ankle joint angles improved by 14.01% to 52.21% (p < 0.001); in the coronal plane, knee joint angles increased by 0% to 31.21% (p < 0.001) and 66.67% to 100% (p < 0.001); in the horizontal plane, hip joint angles improved by 4.99% to 76.00% (p < 0.001). Muscle activation showed significant increases in gastrocnemius lateral (p = 0.016), gluteus maximus (p = 0.001), tibialis anterior (p = 0.014), and rectus femoris (p < 0.001). Functional training enhances joint flexibility, muscle activation, balance, and overall performance in adolescent Latin dancers. Integrating functional training into regular routines can improve athletic performance and lower injury risk, informing the development of targeted training programs.

Effectiveness of The Early Start Denver Model for Children with Autism: A Narrative Review and Experiences for Viet Nam

Early intervention for children with autism is crucial for their development and quality of life. Different early intervention models exist, including the Early Start Denver Model, which has scientific evidence and is included in Vietnam's Guidance Document on Diagnosis and Intervention for Children with autism spectrum disorders. Therefore, quantitative research design and descriptive statistics methodologies are used in the study to review the Denver early intervention model's effectiveness in treating children with autism worldwide and bring lessons learned for application in Vietnam. This narrative review analyses 16 scientific articles conducted in an international database. Research results show that the Early Start Denver Model is efficacious in improving core defects in children with autism, such as social skills, communication skills, and repetitive behaviors,…; using the Early Start Denver Model will improve parent-child interactions, reducing stress for parents during the parenting process. The findings also indicate lessons for applying the Early Start Denver Model for children with autism in Vietnam, considering factors like regional culture, educational facilities, and learning materials; motor skills and imitation skills should be combined with other therapies for better effectiveness.

Bayesian evidence for the neural dissociation between finger and hand imitation skills

Abstract For limb apraxia ‒ a heterogeneous disorder of higher motor cognition following stroke ‒ an enduring debate has arisen regarding the existence of dissociating neural correlates for finger and hand gestures in the left hemisphere. We re-assessed this question asking whether previous attempts analysing pooled samples of patients with deficits in only one and patients with deficits in both imitation types might have led to systematically biased results. We conducted frequentist and Bayesian, voxelwise, and regionwise lesion symptom mappings on (i) the full sample (N=96) in which all patients with hand and/or finger imitation apraxia as well as without apraxia were included and (ii) three sub-samples, which excluded those patients from the full sample showing isolated hand imitation deficits, isolated finger imitation deficits or shared (finger and hand) imitation deficits. Anatomical analyses revealed a cortical dissociation of finger imitation deficits (located more anteriorly) and of hand imitation deficits (located more posteriorly). The presence of patients with shared deficits did indeed dilute associations that appeared stronger in the respective isolated samples. Also, brain regions truly associated with hand imitation deficits showed a positive bias for finger imitation deficits, when the sample contained patients with shared deficits. In addition, our frequentist parameters uncovered that some of our Bayesian evidence supported reverse associations (damage protecting from rather than increasing the deficit). Anatomo-behavioral analyses that analyse patients with shared (hand and finger) and isolated (hand or finger) imitation deficits together in one sample do indeed lead to undesirable biases. This explains why some earlier studies failed to detect the apparent neural dissociation between hand and finger imitation deficits.

A Case Study on Teaching Imitation Skills to a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder Through Orff-Based Music Activities

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the Orff-based music activities on teaching imitation skills of a child with Autism (ASD). In this study, which is a case study, a procedure similar to the multiple probe design was used. According to this, sessions were conducted with a child with ASD for a 10 weeks, twice a week. In the research process, baseline, daily probe, teaching, maintenance and generalising sessions have been organised. All of the sessions were done by using one-to-one teaching method. The generalisation effect of the research was evaluated with pre-test and post-test applications between individuals, settings and materials. The maintenance of learning was checked with probe sessions conducted 1st, 2nd and 4rd weeks after the completion of the intervention. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the child’s parents and teachers for social validity. According to the results, imitation skills were acquired by the child with ASD after 11 sessions of Orff-based music activities; the maintenance was kept after the training was completed and the generalisation was achieved as stated. In addition, it was revealed as social validity data that the applications were effective also on the child’s non-targeted behaviors such as eye contact and attention span.

Visuo-spatial complexity potentiates the body-part effect in intransitive imitation of meaningless gestures.

Recent studies on the imitation of intransitive gestures suggest that the body part effect relies mainly upon the direct route of the dual-route model through a visuo-transformation mechanism. Here, we test the visuo-constructive hypothesis which posits that the visual complexity may directly potentiate the body part effect for meaningless gestures. We predicted that the difference between imitation of hand and finger gestures would increase with the visuo-spatial complexity of gestures. Second, we aimed to identify some of the visuo-spatial predictors of meaningless finger imitation skills. Thirty-eight participants underwent an imitation task containing three distinct set of gestures, that is, meaningful gestures, meaningless gestures with low visual complexity, and meaningless gestures with higher visual complexity than the first set of meaningless gestures. Our results were in general agreement with the visuo-constructive hypothesis, showing an increase in the difference between hand and finger gestures, but only for meaningless gestures with higher visuo-spatial complexity. Regression analyses confirm that imitation accuracy decreases with resource-demanding visuo-spatial factors. Taken together, our results suggest that the body part effect is highly dependent on the visuo-spatial characteristics of the gestures.

RoboCA3T: A Robot‐Inspired Computer‐Assisted adaptive autism therapy for improving joint attention and imitation skills through learning and computing innovations

AbstractBackgroundThis study presents a Robot‐Inspired Computer‐Assisted Adaptive Autism Therapy (RoboCA3T) focusing on improving joint attention and imitation skills of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). By harnessing the inherent affinity of children with ASD for robots and technology, RoboCA3T offers a therapeutic environment designed to maximise engagement and facilitate effective skill development. It harnesses the advantages of Robot‐Assisted Therapies (RATs) by employing robot avatars and integrating them with Computer‐Assisted Therapies (CATs) within a web‐based solution. The integration of automatic gaze and pose detection algorithms within RoboCA3T addresses the challenge posed by potential human error and observation bias in assessing the child's progress, thereby ensuring accurate results. This research responds to the need for more effective, technology driven therapies for autism, filling gaps in existing methods.ObjectivesThe primary goal of this research is to create a robot inspired computer assisted adaptive autism therapy that maximises engagement and enhances joint attention and imitation skills.MethodsThe study involves 11 ASD children with 30 sessions (divided into two halves) per module over eight months, comprising 660 experimental trials, 110 familiarizations, and 110 follow‐up sessions. The joint attention module evaluates the subject's gaze pattern using WebGazer for gaze detection in response to four least‐to‐most robot‐generated cues. The imitation module utilises robot‐generated pose for comparing subjects' imitated actions using Tensorflow Lite for pose estimation.Results and ConclusionsThe effectiveness of therapy was substantiated by comparing Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) scores before and after intervention. Significant improvements were noted between the first and second therapy halves, validated by Wilcoxon signed‐rank tests (p < 0.01) and spearman's correlation analysis, reinforcing the observed improvements in joint attention and imitation skills.

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

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.

Using Prompting and Modeling to Teach Imitation Skills and Eye Contact to Syrian Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ABSTRACT Lack of eye contact and imitation deficits are frequently targeted in behavioral interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this study, we examined the effects of prompting and modeling on the imitation skills and eye contact of three Arabic-speaking young children with ASD in Syria. A multiple baseline design with a withdrawal component was used to evaluate the effects of the intervention in a clinical setting, at a center for children with special needs, and in follow-up sessions conducted in the participants’ homes. All participants’ imitative responses and eye contact increased when prompting and modeling were used. Our findings support the effectiveness of prompting and modeling on imitation skills.

Distinct social behavior and inter-brain connectivity in Dyads with autistic individuals

ABSTRACT Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is defined by distinctive socio-cognitive behaviors that deviate from typical patterns. Notably, social imitation skills appear to be particularly impacted, manifesting early on in development. This paper compared the behavior and inter-brain dynamics of dyads made up of two typically developing (TD) participants with mixed dyads made up of ASD and TD participants during social imitation tasks. By combining kinematics and EEG-hyperscanning, we show that individuals with ASD exhibited a preference for the follower rather than the lead role in imitating scenarios. Moreover, the study revealed inter-brain synchrony differences, with low-alpha inter-brain synchrony differentiating control and mixed dyads. The study’s findings suggest the importance of studying interpersonal phenomena in dynamic and ecological settings and using hyperscanning methods to capture inter-brain dynamics during actual social interactions.

Comparing development-matched and age-matched play targets: A replication and extension.

Previous research has supported selecting development-matched targets rather than age-matched targets to teach play skills to children with autism spectrum disorder. However, few studies have been conducted, and replications and extensions of this research are needed. The current study replicated Pane et al. (2022) by comparing the acquisition of development-matched and age-matched play targets when teaching play skills to four children with autism. No contrived prompts or consequences were used to teach play skills in either condition. Extensions included identifying targets via a newer version of the Developmental Play Assessment, targeting different play categories, assessing additional imitation skills, and conducting a caregiver assessment to identify socially valid toys, play actions, and vocalizations based on each participant's common experiences and preferences as well as their caregiver's values and preferences. As in Pane et al., participants demonstrated a higher level of scripted play actions in the development-matched condition.

Caregiver-reported infant motor and imitation skills predict M-CHAT-R/F

ABSTRACT Altered motor and social-communicative abilities in infancy have been linked to later ASD diagnosis. Most diagnostic instruments for ASD cannot be utilized until 12 months, and the average child is diagnosed substantially later. Imitation combines motor and social-communicative skills and is commonly atypical in infants at risk for ASD. However, few measures have been developed to assess infant imitation clinically. One barrier to the diagnostic age gap of ASD is accessibility of screening and diagnostic services. Utilization of caregiver report to reliably screen for ASD mitigates such barriers and could aid in earlier detection. The present study developed and validated a caregiver-report measure of infant imitation at 4, 6, and 9 months and explored the relationship between caregiver-reported imitation and motor abilities with later ASD risk. Participants (N = 571) were caregivers of term and preterm infants recruited as part of a large multi-site study of PediaTrac™, a web-based tool for monitoring and tracking infant development. Caregivers completed online surveys and established questionnaires on a schedule corresponding to well-child visits from birth to 18 months, including the M-CHAT-R/F at 18 months. Distinct imitation factors were derived from PediaTrac at 4, 6, and 9 months via factor analysis. The results supported validity of the imitation factors via associations with measures of infant communication (CSBS; ASQ). Imitation and motor skills at 9 months predicted 18-month ASD risk over and above gestational age. Implications for assessment of infant imitation, detecting ASD risk in the first year, and contributing to access to care are discussed.

Embodied mental rotation ability in open- and closed-skill sports: pilot study with a new virtual paradigm

Embodied mental rotation is the influence of the body on mental rotation ability. Sports expertise enhances embodied mental rotation ability. However, sport-skill-dependent effects remain unclear. Previous studies refer to the influence of body positions on mental rotation ability. Yet, in sports, the investigation of the effect of simultaneous body and mental rotation movements is essential. Athletes need to constantly mentally and physically adapt to environmental changes and new motor tasks while being in motion themselves. This study aimed to investigate embodied mental rotation ability with simultaneous body and mental rotation in individuals with different sport skills, i.e., in open- and closed-skill sports. Forty-eight men and women, divided into two groups depending on their sport, performed 32 trials of an extended embodied mental rotation task. Simultaneous body and mental rotation were enabled by a novel test method including Virtual Reality. Results revealed shorter response times to the task stimulus in closed-skill sports participants than in open-skill sports participants. This group difference was significant for trials in which rotation directions of the own body and the mental rotation stimulus were aligned. The results might be related to sport-specific skill development processes. Motor imitation skills, as relevant in many closed-skill sports, may facilitate cognitive processes when the motion direction of the own body and of the mental rotation stimulus are aligned. The novel test method identifies potential applications that should be increasingly explored in the future, both for cognitive science and sports research.

Individual Differences in Accent Imitation.

All talkers show some flexibility in their speech, and the ability to imitate an unfamiliar accent is a skill that shows vast individual differences. Yet the source of these individual differences, in particular whether they originate from perceptual, motor, or social/personality factors, is not yet clear. In the current study, we ask how individual differences in these factors predict individual differences in deliberate accent imitation. Participants imitated three accents, and attempts were rated for accuracy. A set of measures tracking individual differences in perceptual, motor, cognitive, personality, and demographic factors were also acquired. Imitation ability was related to differences in musical perception, vocal articulation, and the personality characteristic of "openness to experience," and was affected by attitudes towards the imitated talkers. Taken together, results suggest that deliberate accent imitation skill is modulated not only by core perceptual and motor skills, but also by personality and affinity to the talker, suggesting that some aspects of deliberate imitation are a function of domain-general constraints on perceptual-motor systems, while others may be modulated by social context.

Musical perception skills predict speech imitation skills: differences between speakers of tone and intonation languages

AbstractThe ability to imitate speech is linked to individual cognitive abilities such as working memory and the auditory processing of music. However, little research has focused on the role of specific components of musical perception aptitude in relation to an individual’s native language from a crosslinguistic perspective. This study explores the predictive role of four components of musical perception skills and working memory on phonetic language abilities for speakers of two typologically different languages, Catalan (an intonation language) and Chinese (a tone language). Sixty-one Catalan and 144 Chinese participants completed four subtests (accent, melody, pitch and rhythm) of the Profile of Music Perception Skills, a forward digit span task and a speech imitation task. The results showed that for both groups of participants, musical perception skills predicted speech imitation accuracy but working memory did not. Importantly, among the components of musical perception skills, accent was the only predictive factor for Chinese speakers, whereas melody was the only predictive factor for Catalan speakers. These findings suggest that speech imitation ability is predicted by musical perception skills rather than working memory and that the predictive role of specific musical components may depend on the phonological properties of the native language.

Ablution Intervention with Prompting Techniques to Improve Gross Motor Imitation Skills of ADHD Children

One of the characteristics of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is difficulty paying attention and difficulty listening. This can hinder children with ADHD in learning to imitate, such as imitating activities that use gross motor skills. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of interventions using ablution movements with prompting techniques in improving the imitation gross motor skills of children with ADHD. The method used is an experimental method with the type of single subject research (SSR) and using the ABA design on one child with ADHD. The results of the study find that ablution interventions with appropriate prompting techniques according to children's abilities could improve the gross motor imitation skills of children with ADHD, this is evidenced by the increase in the average gross motor imitation ability of the subjects from 15.9% to 86.3% after being intervened 30 sessions. The improvement in gross motor imitation skills involving the hands is getting better, but the subject had not been able to distinguish which one is right and left when not given a verbal command.

Brief Report: Telehealth Music-Enhanced Reciprocal Imitation Training in Autism: A Single-Subject Feasibility Study of a Virtual Parent Coaching Intervention.

Telehealth delivery increases accessibility of parent-mediated interventions that teach parents skills and support autistic children's social communication. Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT), an evidence-based Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention (NDBI) focused on imitation skills, a common difficulty in autism, holds promise for telehealth-based parent training. Imitation is also a core component of musical play during childhood and the affordances of musical play/song naturally shape parent-child interactions. We evaluate the feasibility of a music-based, telehealth adaptation of RIT-music-enhanced RIT (tele-meRIT)-as a novel format for coaching parents in NDBI strategies. This single-subject, multiple baseline design study included 4 autistic children (32-53months old) and their mothers. Parent-child dyads were recorded during 10-min free play probes at baseline, weekly tele-meRIT sessions, and one-week and one-month follow-up. Probes were coded for parents' RIT implementation fidelity, parent vocal musicality, and children's rate of spontaneous imitation. No parent demonstrated implementation fidelity during baseline. All parents increased their use of RIT strategies, met fidelity by the end of treatment, and maintained fidelity at follow-up. Parent vocal musicality also increased from baseline. Intervention did not consistently increase children's imitation skills. A post-intervention evaluation survey indicated high parent satisfaction with tele-meRIT and perceived benefits to their children's social and play skills more broadly. Implementing tele-meRIT is feasible. Although tele-meRIT additionally involved coaching in incorporating rhythmicity and song into play interactions, parents achieved fidelity in the RIT principles, suggesting one avenue by which music can be integrated within evidence-based parent-mediated NDBIs.

METHODS AND INDICATORS FOR EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR PRESCHOOL CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects the way people perceive the world. The learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities of people with ASD can range from gifted to very challenging. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives, while others need less.
 Symptoms of ASD range from mild to severe. Children with ASD may have delays in developing basic skills. For example, some children with ASD may be able to talk. Others may communicate in other ways or have trouble relating to other people. People with ASD may also limit their behaviors or have repetitive behavioral patterns. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have delayed motor skills, limited coordination, and poor postural control. They also have to work harder to learn imitation skills. This can make it difficult to develop social skills. The task of a physical therapist is to help children with ASD develop gross motor skills, basic motor skills and improve their quality of life. Intervention programs, including physical therapy, have benefits for children with ASD, but the lack of reliable diagnostic tools makes it difficult to assess children with ASD in the context of their holistic development and provide timely therapy. In order to design an effective rehabilitation program, a physical therapist needs to qualitatively assess physical development using standardized tools, so it is important to understand what assessment tools and indicators a physical therapist can use. Only after assessing and identifying impairments in movement or aspects of motor skills that are delayed in a child's development can a physical therapist set functional goals with the parents (guardians) of a child with ASD to optimize the child's functional mobility in the most effective way.
 The aim of the research: to determine which assessment tools and indicators are most commonly used by researchers to evaluate the effectiveness of physical therapy and rehabilitation of children with autism.
 Materials and Methods. A search for systematic reviews related to physical therapy, rehabilitation, exercise and physical activity in children with ASD in the Cochrane, PubMed and Pedro libraries over the past 10 years was conducted and 11 of them were selected, which included 225 scientific studies.
 Results. The analysis of scientific studies based on 11 systematic reviews ensured the use of high-quality data and the consideration of modern and relevant assessment tools for children with ASD. From the 286 assessment tools and indicators used, six groups of assessment criteria were formed in the following main areas: mental functions (97 assessment tools), motor development (127 tools and indicators), life activities (21 tools), quality of life (12 tools) and assessment of children with ASD (12 tools) and comprehensive assessment (17 tools). We divided motor development into three subgroups, which included questionnaires/observations of motor skills development (23 instruments), clinical tests for assessing motor skills and physical qualities (43 instruments), balance and vestibular function (61 instruments).
 Conclusions. In our study, the examination of children with ASD covered several areas that are important and allow a specialist to comprehensively assess the child, but since their large number and their repeatability in studies is insignificant, it is very difficult to choose those that will be effective in the use of a physical therapist.

Effectiveness of group therapy versus individual therapy in acquisition of pre-linguistic skills in children with expressive language disorders

Background: Children with expressive language difficulties may find it difficult to communicate effectively. To encourage the development of prelinguistic skills and improve overall language development, early intervention is essential. Objective: To determine the effectiveness of group therapy as compared to individual therapy in the acquisition of pre-linguistic skills in children with expressive language disorders. Methods: A experimental study was conducted at special education centers of Rawalpindi & Islamabad, from August 2015 to January 2016. A total of n=17 children with expressive language disorders of either gender with ages between 4-7 years were recruited through a nonprobability convenient sampling technique, with Group A (Individual Therapy) including n=7 kids and Group B (Group therapy) n=10 kids. The outcome measures were Eye contact, attention span, turn-taking, and imitation skills, noted before therapy and after completing 20 sessions post-therapy (after 7 weeks). Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 20. An Independent t-test was utilized to see any difference between groups. Results: The study included 10(58.82%) males and 7(41.18%) females with most 9(52.94%) being 6 to 7 years of age. Post therapy results revealed significantly better results for group therapy versus individual therapy (11.0±1.24 vs 8.28±1.11) for eye-contact (p=0.000); (11.0±0.94 vs 7.8±1.34) attention span (p=0.000); (11.4±0.69 vs 8.0±0.81) turn taking (p=0.000); and (10.6±1.34 vs 8.4±0.97) for imitation skills (p=002). Conclusion: The study concludes that group therapy is significantly more effective than individual therapy for improving pre-linguistic skills including eye contact, attention span, turn-taking, and imitation skills in 4 to 7 years old kids with expressive language disorders. Keywords: Language, Expressive language disorder, Pre-linguistic skills, Group therapy, Individual therapy

Imitation Studies Among Autism Spectrum Disorder Children

Numerous studies have indicated that imitation difficulties are apparent when comparing autistic children to typical development children or children with various disorders who are of the same mental age. Autistic children with imitation problems can be discriminated against by other children as early as age two. Children's skills development in language, social, and capacity for play depends on their ability to imitate. However, there is a shortage of information regarding imitation studies among children with autism. Thus, this study examines recent research on children with autism spectrum disorders and their imitation skills.

The Effect of Reciprocal Imitation Training on Increasing Expressive Vocabulary of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

"Objective: One of the areas of impairment in childhood autism spectrum disorders is delayed imitation. Due to the defect in the social function of imitation in these children and its negative consequences on lexical and verbal skills, Researchers in the field of educating autistic children consider increasing imitation skills to be a very important therapeutic goal. Previous studies have shown the effects of improving imitation on increasing the social, linguistic, and verbal skills of these children. In the present study, the effect of reciprocal imitation training on increasing the vocabulary of autistic children was investigated. Materials and Methods: This was an interventional study with a pretest-posttest design. 16 autistic children were trained in crossborder imitation based on expressive vocabulary in 96 sessions. After performing post-test and data collection in data analysis from the McNemar test to determine the changes of each word before and after the intervention and the Wilcoxon Marked Test was used to determine changes in vocabulary categories before and after the intervention and the level of statistical significance was considered (P> 0.05). Results: The results of data analysis show that the average number of responses ""expresses"" in each of the words after the intervention increased significantly in all vocabulary groups (P> 0.05). It seems that the intervention resulted in significant changes in participants. Conclusion: The results of this study show that teaching the method of reciprocal imitation has a significant effect on increasing the number of expressive words in autistic children. "