# A Novel Framework for Impaired Imitation in ASD

> **NIH NIH R01** · HUGO W. MOSER RES INST KENNEDY KRIEGER · 2021 · $617,993

## Abstract

Project Summary
There is long-standing recognition that people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have difficulty imitating
others’ actions; some investigators have highlighted impaired imitation as being a core contributor to the
development of autism. What is yet unknown is precisely how imitation in children with ASD differs from that of
typically developing peers. Following an in-depth review of videos of children imitating, we have identified a
task parameter that separates preserved from impaired gesture imitation in ASD: children with ASD have
difficulty imitating when the task requires two separate movement elements be coordinated simultaneously. By
contrast, imitation is relatively preserved when movement elements are performed serially. The coordination of
simultaneous movements is a hallmark of actions performed in the real world. With an eye to optimizing
common therapies that depend heavily on imitation, the next step is to tease apart where, in the chain from
perception to action, the capacity limitation in simultaneous processing lies. To do this, we propose a rigorous
research plan that encompasses three complementary experimental techniques. The first is psychophysical
task manipulation: In Aim 1, we will control for a potential confound (total number of gestures). In Aim 2, we will
specifically examine the perceptual contribution to simultaneity limitations in ASD, by minimizing the required
motor output. The second technique is correlation with relevant clinical neuropsychological measures: In Aim
1, we will examine, within the ASD group, the association between the performance cost of simultaneous (vs.
serial) imitation and a clinical measure of praxis/imitative function. We will also assess the relationship between
simultaneity cost and certain aspects of social function in ASD that may depend on the simultaneous
processing of multiple perceptual items and response plans. In Aim 2, we will examine the relationship
between attentional demands in simultaneous imitation and clinical measures of divided attention. The third
experimental technique is EEG: Based on published results from our laboratory and others, we hypothesize
that simultaneous processing demands will be characterized by an increased magnitude of task-related
modulation of EEG activity (event-related synchronization/desynchronization: ERS/ERD) in controls. By
examining for limitations of this effect in ASD, in either motor or visual networks, or both, we can assess the
locus of capacity limitation. By better understanding the relative contributions of perceptual and motor
processes, we can optimize the critical therapies in ASD that depend on imitation. Further, by better
characterizing the underlying physiology, we open a path to neuro-stimulatory therapies. If, as Rogers and
Pennington (1991) suggest, imitation is key to successful vs. aberrant development in children prone to ASD,
the application of such therapies in a developmental context could alter the c...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10222491
- **Project number:** 5R01MH113652-05
- **Recipient organization:** HUGO W. MOSER RES INST KENNEDY KRIEGER
- **Principal Investigator:** Joshua B Ewen
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $617,993
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-01 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10222491

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10222491, A Novel Framework for Impaired Imitation in ASD (5R01MH113652-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10222491. Licensed CC0.

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