Teaching Imitation of Simple Actions with Older Kids with Autism 👦🏽 | Pediatric Physical Therapy #16

Copying Simple Actions 👦🏽🧠 | Autism, Imitation Skill Building & Motor Learning | Pediatric Physical Therapy #16 I’m glad to share another session with my wonderful co-instructor, Eeshwar 👦🏽, a 12½-year-old boy with autism who is nonverbal. He primarily communicates by pulling adults toward what he wants, and he uses the Go Talk Now app when prompted in limited situations. In today’s video, we work on copying simple actions using Eric Carle action cards — a terrific visual tool for helping children understand what they’re being asked to do. This session walks through the stepwise progression I use when teaching imitation, especially for older children with autism: 1️⃣ Verbal cue only 2️⃣ Prior demonstration (he watches first, then tries) 3️⃣ Immediate/simultaneous demonstration (we model at the same time) 4️⃣ Prior physical assist (hands-on help first, then fading to see if he continues independently) 5️⃣ Required physical assist (he cannot complete the action without ongoing help) Today, Eeshwar practices three actions: bending knees, wiggling hips, and waving arms. You’ll notice that some actions come easily with a simultaneous demonstration, while others require more support — a great example of how individualized imitation skill development can be. His mom, Sravani, stands in front of him as a motivating model. Children often copy best from people they love, and her involvement helps keep him engaged. We also pace the session carefully to respect his frustration tolerance and provide quick, meaningful rewards to keep him motivated. 🎉💙 These strategies help build stronger imitation, motor planning, and functional communication skills — foundations that translate into daily routines for older children with autism. 🕒 Timestamps 0:03 Introduction 0:15 Meet Eeshwar & his mom 0:27 Why simple action copying matters 0:39 Introducing the Eric Carle cards 0:51 Step 1: Verbal cue (“Can you bend your knees?”) 1:03 Step 2: Prior demonstration 1:15 Step 3: Immediate demonstration — success 1:27 Action #2: “Wiggle your hips” 1:39 Trying verbal + visual cueing 1:51 Immediate model attempts 2:03 Step 4: Prior physical assist 2:15 Success with support 2:27 Action #3: “Wave your arms” 2:39 Verbal + visual cueing 2:51 Immediate demonstration — success 3:03 Why these cards help early imitation 3:15 Final thoughts 3:27 Subscribe & bell reminder 🔔 🎥 Watch Eeshwar’s Full Video Series Follow his progress from the beginning: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAkJbMrHyKjNhgwqxI9_oTLYJgDFfMmIu 🌐 Stay Connected Website: www.pediatricPTexercises.com Facebook: Pediatric Physical Therapy Exercises Email: amysturkey@gmail.com (Please note: I cannot provide treatment recommendations for a child I have not personally evaluated.) 📚 My Children’s Educational Books P is for Poop and Pee Accidents → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLSRJ483 A is for Anxiety → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LXQ3W6V A is for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QH9H5HR C is for Cerebral Palsy → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088TSJCYP D is for Down Syndrome → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079P8HH49 A is for Autism → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071F4FFTB 📘 Professional Books for Pediatric Therapists Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Hips → https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156736 Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Knees → https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156760 Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Ankles → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TX2ZCFD 🌍 Captions To turn on captions: Click CC To translate captions: Settings → Subtitles/CC → Auto-translate