Imitation is connected to the development of language and social and cognitive skills. Therefore, interventions that use imitation should be started early and continue as the child develops.
Teach imitation skills in an order similar to how a child acquires them developmentally. For instance, start with motor skills: show the child how to perform larger, physical activities such as clapping, standing or rolling a ball. Follow this with verbal instructions. This will help the child to match words to the actions and encourage imitation of language and verbal skills.
Use visual aids. For instance, show the child a picture, such as a cookie. Model the response, "I want a cookie," paired with the picture. Repeat a few times, each time saying the verbal response later and later, until the child mimics your verbal response to the picture. This exercise encourages spontaneous speech for autistic children and can help them learn how to communicate what they want or need.
Model nonverbal communication. Autistic children often have difficulty understanding body language and connecting it with verbal language. Show the child a gesture along with a phrase. For instance, shake your head "no," and repeat either "no" or "yes." Ask the child to match the proper word or phrase to the proper action. This exercise can be reinforced using rewards, such as tokens, for correct responses.