Working in Movement

A recent study at UCLA looked into the difference in recognizing emotions in others between 10 high-functioning autistic kids and 10 non-autistic kids. The researchers imaged the kids' brains with MRI during the study. The brain images showed one big difference between the autistic kids and their peers: the autistic kids had much less activity in a brain region located near the temple, a region other studies have suggested helps humans understand other's intentions by observing their actions (or imitating their behavior). The study suggests a relationship between the reduced activity in this brain region (part of the mirror neuron system) and the trouble understanding emotional states.

Reading this got me to wondering about possible alternate pathways in the nervous system for things like social behavior. If one part of the nervous system is somehow impaired, can other well-functioned parts supply the functions normally associated with the impaired parts? In the Feldenkrais Method and other forms of somatic education, one belief is that we sometimes find what looks like an alternative pathway in the brain for some forms of motor behavior, at least those contained within the context of a lesson. (I don't know of any research that proves or disproves this belief.) But since motor activity (movement) is part of every human activity, is there some way to investigate whether there could be a link?