Video Library

The video library contains more examples of imitation and learning to help you master the material.

In this clip, the therapist imitates the child’s actions with toys and uses simple and repetitive language to describe what he is doing. About once per minute, she models an action for imitation using toys that the child is already interested in. When she models an action, she uses a clear verbal label (e.g., “in the bucket”) to describe the modeled action. You will notice that he often imitates the verbal label, before imitating the modeled play action. The therapist continues to model the action until the child imitates the action (either spontaneously or with her help). The therapist always provides the child with praise and continued access to the toys after he has completed the modeled action.

In this clip, you will see a therapist using RIT with a preverbal child. You will notice that the therapist imitates the majority of his actions with toys, even though he is not engaging in functional play. The therapist elicits the child’s attention before modeling an action for imitation by blocking his access to his toy, holding her object directly in front of his face, calling his name, and using animation. When the child does not imitate the therapist’s action after the third model, she physically helps him complete the action and provides him with praise and access to his toy of choice.

In this clip, the child is not especially interested in playing with toys. The therapist follows the child’s lead and keeps him engaged by letting him ride on her back. When she models an action for imitation, she selects a toy that is nearby and was the last toy that the child had played with. Additionally, because the child wasn’t interested in the toys, the therapist modeled movements and gestures (e.g., a point, knocking on the wall) for the child to imitate.

In this clip, the therapist follows the child’s lead as he moves from activity to activity. She imitates his actions with toys and uses descriptive language to talk about what he is doing and seeing. When she models an action for imitation, she ensures that she has his attention by blocking his play, using animation, and holding the object directly in front of his eyes. Because the child is just beginning to engage in pretend play, many of the actions that she models are basic pretend actions. For example, you will notice that she models giving Oscar a drink and giving Oscar a shower. If he does not imitate her action after the third model, she helps him complete the action and immediately provides him with praise and access to the desired materials.

In this clip, you will notice that the therapist imitates the child’s behaviors, including the majority of his vocalizations. When she does this, the child notices and becomes more engaged as demonstrated by his continued vocalization and eye gaze towards the therapist and her toys. Even though the therapist models actions for using toys that the child is playing with, he often loses interest as soon as she starts to model a new action for imitation. Rather than giving up, the therapist follows him around the room and continues to model the new action for imitation until he has spontaneously imitated or she has physically helped him complete the action. After the prompting sequence is complete, she returns to the beginning of the RIT cycle by imitating him and describing what he is doing and seeing.

In this clip, you will see a therapist modeling a new action for imitation about once every two minutes. She monitors the child’s motivation and models actions with toys the child is already interested in. This helps increase the chances that the child will see the model and be motivated to imitate. She moves through the entire RIT cycle at a good pace and always returns to imitating the child’s actions with toys, body movements and vocalizations. She also uses simple language to describe what the child is doing and seeing.

In this clip, the therapist models a new action for imitation about once every one to two minutes. She gets the child’s attention before modeling a new action, and models new actions with toys that the child is already interested in. Sometimes the child loses interest in the activity and walks away when the therapist starts the second part of the RIT cycle. Notice how the therapist still follows the child around the room and continues the complete the entire RIT cycle. She quickly returns to imitating the child’s body movements and vocalizations using simple language to describe what the child is doing and seeing.

In this clip, you will notice that the child quickly loses interest in the activity when the therapist begins to model a new action for imitation. Rather than shying away from his frustration, the therapist quickly follows through with the rest of the RIT cycle. By doing this, she is helping the child be successful and increasing the chances that he will imitate her next time! As soon as he has completed the modeled action, either on his own or with help from the therapist, she returns to the start of the RIT cycle by imitating his actions and body movements and using simple language to describe what he is doing and seeing.

In this clip, you will see a therapist modeling a new action for imitation about once every one to two minutes. She models a new action for imitation with the activity that the child is already engaged in, in order to increase the chances that he will imitate on his own. When he does not imitate after the third model, the therapist uses gentle physical guidance to help him complete the action. Notice how she quickly returns to the beginning of the RIT cycle one he has imitated. Towards the end of the clip, she imitates his vocalizations and sound effects and he turns this into a fun social game.

In this clip you will notice that the child is not especially interested in toys and is more motivated for gross motor play. The therapist begins the interaction at the start of the RIT cycle by imitating his body movements and gross motor play. She then incorporates interest in gross motor play into the type of action that she models for imitation (e.g., spinning in a circle). Modeling actions such as jumping, running, and skipping can be good for those children who are more interested in gross motor play than in play with toys.

In this clip, a mother and her daughter are coloring together. Watch how the mom follows her daughter’s lead and copies her daughter’s actions as she moves back and forth between coloring and playing with sunglasses. Notice how the little girl responds to her mother by looking at her and smiling after they both put on the sunglasses!

In this clip, a mother and her son are playing with a toy together. The mom starts out by imitating his play with the discs and labeling his actions (“spin, spin, spin”). Since he is really interested in the discs, she models a new action for him to do with the discs. When he doesn’t imitate on his own, she helps him be successful by using gentle physical guidance. His mom praises him for the attempt, and then goes right back to copying his play with the toy…before starting the whole RIT cycle over again!

In this clip, you will see a mother imitating her son’s sounds and words. Watch how she copies all of his sounds, even when they aren’t real words. Notice how he turns around to look at her when she starts copying his sounds, and then how he actually starts to direct single words towards her spontaneously towards the end of the clip!

In this clip, you will see a mother imitating her son’s actions and sounds. At the beginning of the clip, the son isn’t paying much attention to his mom, and is more involved in his own play. But as soon as she starts to imitate his sounds and actions (especially laying on the floor with him), he starts to look at her and laugh!

In this clip, this mom has learned all of the RIT techniques, and is practicing putting it all together. She starts by copying and describing what her son is doing, and then models a new action for him to imitate. When he doesn’t imitate her on his own, she helps him be successful, and then praises the attempt. Then she goes back to imitating and describing, before trying another model. Notice how her son copies this next one all on his own!

In this clip, you will see a father who is imitating his son’s actions (picking up and putting down objects) and vocalizations. The father also uses simple language to describe what he and his son are doing and seeing. Notice how his son responds–with eye contact, vocalizations and smiles-when his dad uses the two first steps of the RIT cycle together.

In this clip, you will see a father who is using the first two steps of the RIT cycle together: imitating the child and describing play. The dad is labeling everything they are doing using single words and short phrases, and copying all of his son’s actions. Notice how his son responds to the imitation–he starts just by looking briefly at his dad’s toy, but then actively ‘tests’ his dad by trying a new action and watching for his dad’s response. They end up in a back-and-forth game complete with eye contact and laughing!

In this clip, you will see a mother following her child’s lead by imitating his movements around the room and using simple language to describe what he is doing and seeing (e.g., “round, round” and “roll, roll”). She starts to ask her child a question (“is that a ruler?”) and quickly rephrases it as a comment (“ruler!”).

In this clip, you will see a mother imitating her son as he uses his hands to bang on a drum. Notice how he seems to really enjoy the fact that she is joining in on this fun play!

In this clip, you will see a mother using the second half of the RIT cycle to help build her son’s gesture imitation skills. Notice how she models and labels a gesture that is directly related to their play – in this case waving to Mr. Potato Head. After her son imitates she praises his effort before returning to the beginning of the RIT cycle.