Imitation assessment and its utility to the diagnosis of autism: evidence from consecutive clinical preschool referrals for suspected autism.

Doctors sent the preschoolers to a hospital autism clinic. All were suspected of autism.

Each child took the PIPS. This five-minute test shows actions like clapping hands. Kids must copy them.

The team also scored language, motor skills, and IQ. They later tracked which kids got an autism diagnosis.

Kids later diagnosed with autism scored lower on PIPS imitation than kids with only language or motor delays.

Even after removing the effect of language and motor scores, poor imitation still predicted autism.

The test added new information beyond standard developmental checks.

Walley et al. (2005) found that poor response inhibition was tied to language delay, not autism itself. Marleen’s team shows the opposite for imitation: the delay sticks even when language is held constant. The gap makes sense because imitation and inhibition tap different brain paths.

Honey et al. (2007) showed that repetitive play clusters with language problems in preschool autism. Marleen tightens the lens: one quick imitation task can flag the same group.

Prigge et al. (2013) later showed that the autism triad plus low adaptive skills predicts adult challenging behavior. Marleen’s preschool data feed the first half of that long-term picture by validating a fast triad marker.

You can run PIPS in the waiting room while parents fill out forms. Five minutes gives you a number that helps decide if a full autism evaluation is urgent. Add it to your screening battery when language or motor scores leave you unsure.