Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition marked by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction alongside restrictive and repetitive behaviors or interests. ASD is sometimes accompanied by intellectual impairment.
These core symptoms manifest differently among individuals, ranging from mild to severe. The disorder's complexity extends beyond its clinical presentation, encompassing a diverse range of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences.

Modeling in Therapy

Modeling in Therapy

Modeling, a key technique in therapy, uses observational learning to help clients acquire and practice new skills by watching therapists demonstrate desired behaviors. This approach, rooted in Albert Bandura's concept of vicarious learning, plays a significant role in therapeutic interventions for various psychological conditions, including social anxiety, ADHD, and depression.
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in...

Nonconscious Mimicry

Nonconscious Mimicry

Nonconscious mimicry occurs when individuals alter their mannerisms to match the behaviors and expressions of those nearby, without intention.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Development and testing of bio-based amphiphilic-designed polymer coatings as a safer approach to marine biofouling.

Marine pollution bulletin·2026

Same author

Phenotypic Characterization of Five Children With PACS1-NDD: Longitudinal Insights Into Development, Behavior, and Brain.

Clinical genetics·2026

Same author

Early Trajectories of Resting-State EEG power in autistic children: a longitudinal study across language profiles.

Translational psychiatry·2026

Same author

Corrigendum to "More than meets the eye: Microalgal-bacterial association in polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) accumulating cultures of Desmodesmus communis"[New Biotechnol 91 (2026), 192-200].

New biotechnology·2026

Same author

More than meets the eye: microalgal-bacterial association in polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) accumulating cultures of Desmodesmus communis.

New biotechnology·2026

Same author

Profiles of parent-teacher discrepancy on autistic children's adaptive functioning.

Autism : the international journal of research and practice·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2025

Eye Tracking Young Children with Autism

Eye Tracking Young Children with Autism

Published on: March 27, 2012

Gesture Imitation Performance and Visual Exploration in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Kenza Latrèche¹, Nada Kojovic², Irène Pittet²

¹Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1206, Geneva, Switzerland. kenza.latreche@unige.ch.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

|October 15, 2024

Summary

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show varied imitation skills. Meaningful gesture imitation correlates with symptom severity, while meaningless gesture imitation links to cognitive and motor abilities.

Keywords:

Autism spectrum disorders Eye-tracking Imitative behavior Motor execution Visual attention

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Deciphering the Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms of Gesture in Communication

Author Spotlight: Deciphering the Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms of Gesture in Communication

Published on: January 26, 2024

Comparing Eye-tracking Data of Children with High-functioning ASD, Comorbid ADHD, and of a Control Watching Social Videos

Comparing Eye-tracking Data of Children with High-functioning ASD, Comorbid ADHD, and of a Control Watching Social Videos

Published on: December 7, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 10, 2025

Eye Tracking Young Children with Autism

Eye Tracking Young Children with Autism

Published on: March 27, 2012

Author Spotlight: Deciphering the Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms of Gesture in Communication

Author Spotlight: Deciphering the Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms of Gesture in Communication

Published on: January 26, 2024

Comparing Eye-tracking Data of Children with High-functioning ASD, Comorbid ADHD, and of a Control Watching Social Videos

Comparing Eye-tracking Data of Children with High-functioning ASD, Comorbid ADHD, and of a Control Watching Social Videos

Published on: December 7, 2018

Area of Science:

Developmental Psychology
Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is often associated with impaired imitation, though findings vary due to diverse methodologies.
Previous research suggests visual attention and motor execution deficits may underlie imitation difficulties in ASD.
The distinction between imitating meaningful and meaningless gestures in ASD requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate imitation performance in children with ASD, focusing on visual attention and motor execution.
To differentiate imitation abilities for meaningful versus meaningless gestures (hand and facial) in ASD.
To explore the relationship between imitation performance, autistic symptom severity, and cognitive/motor skills.

Main Methods:

An imitation eye-tracking task involved 100 children (84 with ASD) imitating gestures demonstrated in videos.
Measures included visual attention (fixation duration) to actor's face and gestures, and video-recorded imitation performance.
Gestures comprised meaningful/meaningless hand gestures and meaningless facial gestures.

Main Results:

Visual attention to gesture demonstrations was similar between ASD and typically developing groups.
Children with ASD showed less visual attention to faces during facial gesture demonstrations.
Imitation of meaningful gestures correlated with lower autistic symptom severity; meaningless gestures correlated with higher non-verbal cognition and fine motor skills.

Conclusions:

Imitation of meaningful and meaningless gestures are distinct processes in children with ASD.
Visual exploration of gestures does not appear to directly impact imitation performance in this cohort.
Findings highlight the complexity of imitation in ASD and inform clinical assessment and intervention strategies.