From earliest infancy, a typically developing child imitates or mirrors the facial expressions, postures and gestures, and emotional behavior of others. Where does this capacity come from, and what function does it serve? What happens when imitation is impaired? Synthesizing cutting-edge research emerging from a range of disciplines, this important book examines the role of imitation in both autism and typical development. Topics include the neural and evolutionary bases of imitation, its pivotal connections to language development and relationships, and how early imitative deficits in autism might help explain the more overt social and communication problems of older children and adults.
I. Imitation in Typical Development 1. Studies of Imitation in Early Infancy: Findings and Theories, Sally J. Rogers 2. Vocal and Action Imitation by Infants and Toddlers during Dyadic Interactions: Development, Causes, and Consequences, Elise Frank Masur 3. Instrumental, Social, and Shared Goals and Intentions in Imitation, Malinda Carpenter 4. Mimicry and Autism: Bases and Consequences of Rapid, Automatic Matching Behavior, Eric J. Moody and Daniel N. McIntosh 5. Imitation and the Development of Language, Tony Charman 6. Does Imitation Matter to Children with Autism?, Jacqueline Nadel 7. Imitation and Self-Recognition in Autism: In Search of an Explanation, Mark Nielsen, Thomas Suddendorf, and Cheryl Dissanayake 8. Imitation, Theory of Mind, and Cultural Knowledge: Perspectives from Typical Development and Autism, Eva Loth and Juan Carlos Gomez 9. Imitation, Identification, and the Shaping of Mind: Insights from Autism, Peter Hobson and Jessica Meyer II. Evolutionary and Neural Bases of Imitation 10. The Dissection of Imitation and Its ""Cognitive Kin"" in Comparative and Developmental Psychology, Andrew Whiten 11. A Cognitive Neuroscience View of Imitation, Jean Decety III. Imitation in Autism and Other Clinical Groups: Biobehavioral Findings and Clinical Implications 12. Imitation in Autism: Findings and Controversies, Sally J. Rogers and Justin H. G. Williams 13. Longitudinal Research on Motor Imitation in Autism, Susan L. Hepburn and Wendy L. Stone 14. Measuring the Development of Motor-Control Processes, Mark Mon-Williams and James R. Tresilian 15. Neuroimaging Self-Other Mapping in Autism, Justin H. G. Williams and Gordon D. Waiter 16. Assessment of Imitation Abilities in Autism: Conceptual and Methodological Issues, Isabel M. Smith, Crystal Lowe-Pearce, and Shana L. Nichols 17. The Effect of Motor Disorders on Imitation in Children, Deborah Dewey and Shauna Bottos 18. Conclusions, Bruce F. Pennington, Justin H. G. Williams, and Sally J. Rogers
