Author(s)
A. J. Astell, M. P. Ellis
ISBN
1522-7227
Publication year
2006
Periodical
Infant and Child Development
Periodical Number
3
Volume
15
Pages
311-319
Author Address
We report the case of Jessie, an individual with severe Alzheimer’s disease. Over two sessions, we examine Jessie’s spontaneous conversation behaviour and urge to communicate using the ‘still face’ paradigm. Spontaneous and deliberate imitation are also examined to identify their importance in social interactions in severe dementia. Although Jessie has difficulty producing meaningful conversation, she retains the urge to communicate and participate in social interactions. These results confirm the importance of imitation in facilitating and maintaining people with communication problems in the social world. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.