Nathan Wants Toy Frog; Lack of Transition

Video Summary

Though Nathan, a young child with autism, appears interested in a toy frog, he struggles to imitate the examiner's actions despite several attempts. This difficulty with imitation as well as Nathan's apparent language delay and tendency to fixate on one object, in this case the frog, are symptoms of autism. Nathan speaks no words throughout the video and spends most of the assessment perseverating on the frog. He struggles to transition to other activities or toys. Further, when playing with the frog, Nathan wiggles his fingers and waves his hands, stereotyped behaviors that often arise during moments of excitement, interest or distress in children with autism.