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)
