Mimicry and Prosocial Behavior in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Mimicry is a key mechanism of social interaction that promotes affiliation and prosocial behavior. In autism spectrum disorder (ASD), however, evidence is mixed: basic imitation abilities often appear intact, but their regulation by social cues and context may be altered. This study tested whether children with ASD show prosocial behaviors after being mimicked. Thirty children with ASD (ages 6–9) were randomly assigned to a mimicry or no-mimicry condition during interaction. Prosocial behavior was measured using a pen-dropping task. Mimicked children were more likely to help and picked up more pens, although wide confidence intervals render the true size of the effect uncertain. These findings provide preliminary evidence that mimicry may foster low-cost helping in ASD, though replication with larger, better characterized samples is essential

Autism · Autism spectrum disorder · Context (archaeology) · Imitation · Mechanism (biology) · Mimicry · Prosocial behavior · Autism Spectrum Disorder Research · Behavioral and Psychological Studies · Child and Animal Learning Development