Some Response to Toy Plane, No Response to Name

Video Summary

Often children imitate the actions of others to learn a new skill or participate in an interaction. Spontaneous imitation is thus socially motivated, and not simply a means of getting something or following a command. Children at risk for an autism spectrum disorder may have a deficit in this behavior. Connor, the evaluator, tries to get Evan to imitate her actions of flying a plane through the air without success. Rather than engaging with the evaluator, Evan isolates himself, moving away from both the examiner and his mother.

Keywords

• Nonverbal Behaviors Used in Social Interaction
• facial expressions
• lack of eye contact
• Play
• lack of imitative social play
• Social Interaction
• lack of spontaneous imitation
• Lack of reciprocal social interaction
• Verbal Communicative Skills
• lack of response to name