Babies should be able to imitate an adult's motions or gestures by 6 to 8 months. Studies have found that infants who are later diagnosed with autism experience considerable delays in developing imitation and play skills as early as 9 to 12 months of age. Although these skills improve over time, they do so at a slow rate.

A study of children with autism spectrum disorders also showed that by 9 to 12 months of age, three key behaviours – joint attention, imitation, and object play – play an important role in predicting later communication and intellectual outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorders. Hence, helping children develop imitation skills would help their future development.

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1. Poon, K. K., Watson, L. R., Baranek, G. T., & Poe, M. D. (2012). To what extent do joint attention, imitation, and object play behaviours in infancy predict later communication and intellectual functioning in ASD? Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 42(6), 1064–1074. doi:10.1007/s10803-011-1349-z

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