Preserved imitation in contrast to limited free application of comfortable hand actions in intellectually able young adults with an autism spectrum disorder.
Bright adults with autism can copy you perfectly but still struggle to plan comfy, efficient moves on their own.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Demily et al. (2018) watched young adults with autism copy hand actions. All participants had average or above IQ.
The team asked them to imitate once, then later choose their own comfortable way to do the same move.
What they found
Imitation looked perfect. The adults matched the model every time.
When they chose their own grip, they rarely ended in the comfy position and moved less smoothly.
How this fits with other research
Du et al. (2024) saw the opposite in kids: autistic children copied gestures less accurately. The clash fades when you note age. Kids struggle with the copy part; bright adults copy fine but still plan poorly.
Faso et al. (2016) also tested adults and found they copied timing well yet missed the exact limb path. Caroline’s team extends that idea: good mimicry can hide weak forward planning.
Falcomata et al. (2012) showed kids with autism lean on goal cues even when told to copy the movement only. The adult study flips the lens: once goals are removed and comfort is up to them, motor planning gaps show up.
Why it matters
Your client may nail imitation trials yet still grab a spoon upside-down or sit awkwardly. Build in choice moments: ask them to plan the most comfortable way before they move, then give feedback on end position and smoothness. This turns hidden motor planning trouble into teachable reps.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Imitation problems are commonly reported in children with an autism spectrum disorder. However, it has not yet been determined whether imitation problems persist into young adulthood. In this study, we investigated imitation skills of 20 intellectually able young adults with autism spectrum disorder relative to 19 age-matched neurotypical adults. For this purpose, we used a bar-transport task, which evokes the application of the end-state comfort principle. Specifically, we examined whether young adults with autism spectrum disorder imitated the means-end structure of a demonstrator's bar-transport action with and without application of the end-state comfort principle (imitation task). In addition, we examined whether participants spontaneously applied the end-state comfort principle during a similar bar-transport task (free execution task). Results revealed that young adults with autism spectrum disorder imitated the means-end structure of observed actions to the same degree as neurotypical adults ( p = 0.428). In contrast, they applied the end-state comfort principle less often during free executed actions ( p = 0.035). Moreover, during these actions, they were slower to place the bar into the penholder ( p = 0.023), which contributed to the reduced efficiency of their performance. Findings suggest that imitation abilities of young adults with autism spectrum disorder are preserved and that observing others' actions might promote more efficient action planning in this population.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2018 · doi:10.1177/1362361317698454