Breakout Session

Imitation Skills in Action: Equipping EC Providers and Parents to Enhance Toddler Development

Terri McGill
Breakout Session E
Wed, Jun 17, 2026 | 9:00 - 10:00am CDT

Session overview

Track:

Early Education

Audience level: 

Enhanced

Intended audience:

Anyone who interacts directly with young children and/or their families, Anyone who works with young children in early childhood education, Anyone who works with young children in the juvenile court system, Early childhood educators, Early Head Start personnel, Educators, Family support workers, Foster care support workers, Foster parents, Head Start personnel, Home visitors, Parents/caregivers, School administrators, School representatives, Service providers

Session materials: 

This session does not have any session materials currently.

Session Description

Some young children with autism may not observe others or acquire new skills, such as using a variety of actions with objects or engaging in gestures during play. These challenges can reflect a missing foundational skill—imitation.

This training provides Early Childhood (EC) providers , parents and others with an in-depth understanding of the critical role imitation plays in comprehensive intervention programs for young children with autism. Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) is a naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention (NDBI) and has demonstrated improvement in social communication by teaching imitation through play-based, child-led interactions (Ingersoll, 2006). The goal of RIT is to teach children to imitate as a means of social interaction (Ingersoll, 2022). In RIT, adults model and reinforce imitation within natural contexts, supporting children’s engagement and learning.

Participants will learn the systematic steps for implementing RIT, as well as strategies to plan, model, and coach parents and other professionals in its use.

Ingersoll, B. (2006). Teaching reciprocal imitation skills to young children with autism using a naturalistic behavioral approach: Effects on language, pretend play, and joint attention. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(4), 487–505.

Ingersoll, B. (2022). Reciprocal Imitation Training Manual. Michigan State University.

Learning objectives

  1. Explain the importance of imitation as a foundational skill for social communication and learning in young children with autism
  2. Describe the procedures/steps of Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) as a naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention (NDBI)
  3. Implement systematic, play-based, child-led steps of RIT in early childhood settings
  4. Plan, model, and coach parents and other professionals in applying RIT strategies within natural contexts to support skill development
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