Object Imitation Training

A preliminary investigation of fixed and repetitive models during object imitation training

Findings

There are few guidelines to the process of imitation training for children with autism. The practitioner is told to use differential reinforcement and massed trials in order to achieve generalized imitation. While this has been shown to be effective, it is possible that there are more efficient methods to achieve the same ends. The authors chose to investigate this by comparing the differential rates of acquisition of imitation targets using fixed and repetitive models. An example of a fixed model is when a therapist picks up a toy car, moves it to the other side of the table, and leaves it there. A repetitive model is when a therapist picks up drumsticks, clicks them together for 3 seconds, resulting in three independent clicks. The authors found that the dynamic motion of the repetitive motion led to more efficient skill acquisition across children. This indicates that when teaching young learners’ basic imitation, mastery will be acquired at a faster rate if the targets are repetitive and dynamic.

Research to Practice

In an area in which there is little guidance, the addition of this research paper is a welcome change. Imitation training is something that practitioners do all the time, so it is important there is a focus on efficiency. Overall, the best takeaway for a behavior analyst is that it is likely that a dynamic and repetitive target will lead to faster acquisition relative to a fixed target. This should help analysts inform their target selection to promote mastery. In addition, one of the notable findings was that leaving the item on the table in the spot where the behavior occurred did not increase imitation. For example, leaving the blocks stacked as a model did not increase the probability that the child would independently stack the blocks. This is an important finding because it lets analysts know that there will likely be additional prompting needed if the target is a fixed imitation task.

Citation

Deshais, M. A. & Vollmer, T. R. (2020). A preliminary investigation of fixed and repetitive models during object imitation training. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 53(2), 973-996. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.661