Does the mirror neuron system and its impairment explain human imitation and autism? Mirror neuron systems: The Role of Mirroring Processes in Social Cognition

The proposal that the understanding and imitation of observed actions are made possible through the 'mirror neuron system' has led to much speculation that a dysfunctional mirror system may be at the root of the social deficits characteristic of autism. This chapter will critically examine the hypothesis that those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be in possession of a 'broken' mirror neuron system. The present authors propose that the deficits seen in imitation in individuals with ASD reflect not a dysfunctional mirror neuron system (MNS), but a lack of sensitivity to those cues that would help them identify what to imitate. In doing this, it is also argued that imitation in typically developing children cannot be explained by appealing to a direct-matching mechanism, and that the process by which young children imitate involves a far more complex yet effortless analysis of the communication of those who they learn from. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)