Contingent imitation increases verbal interaction in children with autism spectrum disorders.

Six preschoolers with autism played one-on-one with an adult. In one condition the adult copied every sound the child made. In the other condition the adult responded with different words. The team switched the conditions back and forth to see which one sparked more talking.

They counted how often each child imitated the adult and how many back-and-forth turns happened.

When the adult echoed the child’s sounds right away, every child gave more vocal imitations and took more conversational turns. The simple act of repeating the child’s noise worked like a green light for more talking.

Neimy et al. (2020) ran the same echo tactic with babies who were at risk for autism. Moms copied every coo at home and the babies tripled their sounds. The two studies line up like puzzle pieces: copying works for both infants and preschoolers.

Sun et al. (2025) later tested the same idea with children who had developmental delays. They saw big jumps in vocalizations too. Their larger effect sizes update the 2016 finding, showing the echo trick is even stronger than first thought.

Pelaez et al. (2011) gave the first lab proof that a parent’s echo functions as real reinforcement. Yuka et al. took that basic principle and showed it works in playful table-top sessions with autistic preschoolers.

You don’t need extra toys or a new program. Just echo the child’s sound within a second. This tiny move can fill your session with more imitation and turn-taking. Try it during play, snack, or circle time and watch the conversation grow.