Apart from being activated when an individual performs a motor act or observes another individual engaging in the same act, mirror neurons in humans are also connected with

Apart from being activated when an individual performs a motor act or observes another individual engaging in the same act, mirror neurons in humans are also connected with empathy, the evolution of language and even autism. Mirror neurons make people react or feel the same as the person they are watching, and this is known as empathy. However, for people with autism, they may have reduced mirror neuron activity which causes difficulties for them to detect feelings or empathize with other people.

(American Psychological Association, 2005).