A Qualitative Analysis of Imitation Performances Of Preschoolers with Down Syndrome

Abstract

A number of studies suggest that imitation is a characteristic strength in children with Down Syndrome (DS). The present study aims to discover whether imitation performances are qualitatively phenotypical in DS. Eight preschoolers with DS were matched on chronological, mental, language and imitation age with 8 preschoolers with intellectual disabilities of undifferentiated etiology (ID-UND). Imitation performances on the Preschool Imitation and Praxis Scale were videotaped for blind scoring on 30 possible errors. Children with DS made less production errors (synkinesias, OR 0.3 [0.1-0.7]), but more conceptual errors (substitution, OR 2.5 [1.6-3.9]) compared to children with ID-UND. This finding is in line with the view of a cognitive phenotype in DS, which is characterized by preserved visuospatial and impaired language abilities.