Long before children talk, they learn to communicate. In typical development, children communicate for many reasons - to meet their basic needs, request what they want, secure another person’s attention, request comfort, share an observation or experience – to name a few. Joint attention is communication that directs another person’s attention toward an object or event of interest. It is highly social because the only goal of joint attention is to share thoughts, ideas, memories, observations and experiences with another person.
Often when children with Autism Spectrum Disorder begin to communicate, they are strong when it comes to communicating their needs and requesting what they want. However, they are less likely to communicate for joint attention. In fact, this may be one of the first indicators that communication is not developing as it should. Typically developing children begin communicating for joint attention between 9 and 12 months of age. They may do it simply by pointing to an object of interest, such as an airplane in the sky, and then looking toward their communication partner, by holding up a toy to show, or by following the point or gaze of a caregiver. Communication partners then help to further develop this skill by responding to their bids using declarative language.
Current research is in agreement that impairment in joint attention is one of the defining characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Usually, parents become concerned about their child between two and three years of age when he or she is not talking as much as would be expected; this is often when ASD gets diagnosed. However, it is important to think beyond only words or what a child can say, and consider the quality and range of that child’s communication. Lack of showing gestures and spontaneous sharing of interest are red flags that may be evident much sooner.
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