Imitation from Infancy Through Early Childhood

Mikael Heimann, Ph.D., is a professor emeritus of Developmental Psychology at Linköping University, Sweden. He has a background in child clinical psychology and has also been professor and Head of a Centre of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, University of Bergen. Dr. Heimann’s research focuses on infant cognition (imitation, memory and attention) and early social and communicative skills in both neurotypical and neurodiverse children. He has also conducted intervention studies aimed at increasing social interaction skills and literacy for several neurodiverse children.

• Chapter 1. Introduction.- Part 1. From the Social Infant to the Verbal Child: The Role of Imitation.- Chapter 2. A Fresh Look on Neonatal Imitation.- Chapter 3. Imitation from Birth to Three Years.- Chapter 4. Imitation and Temperament in Infancy.- Part 2. Declarative Memory Processes in Infancy: Input from Imitation.- Chapter 5. Biology of Memory Processes.- Chapter 6. Deferred Imitation: A Window into the Preverbal Child’s Mind.- Chapter 7. A Rational Mind or Not?.- Part 3. Imitation: A Vehicle for Change.- Chapter 8. Imitation and Autism.- Chapter 9. Intensive Imitation Opens the Door to the Social World for Children with Autism.- Part 4. Ending.- Chapter 10. Conclusion: Binding it All Together – A Proposed Model.