Research summaries for autism therapy: joint attention

definition of joint attention: Part of a social interaction when two people connect and pay attention to each other or to the same object or event.
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Shared Minds: Effects of a Mother’s Imitation of Her Child on the Mother-Child Interaction, Summarized Dec 25, 2009

Mothers who imitate their child with autism may help teach nonverbal social skills and feel more positive about their relationship with their children.

This case report describes a therapy approach where the mother imitated her 21-month-old child with autism.... The child’s joint attention skills improved more rapidly during the imitation phase than during the other phases of therapy. The mother also enjoyed being with her child more during the imitation phase.

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Establishing Response and Stimulus Classes for Initiating Joint Attention in Children with Autism, Summarized Nov 27, 2009

Behavioral therapy may help children with autism learn verbal and nonverbal ways to start a social interaction.

People with autism may have problems initiating (starting) a social interaction. The first step is called “initiating joint attention.” This article describes the way that 3 preschool children with autism were taught these skills. Therapists used behavioral therapy techniques based on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) theory. For one boy, the therapist used toys that could show a response (e.g., singing stuffed animal or piano with lights).... Read more...

Islands of Loneliness: Exploring Social Interaction through the Autobiographies of Individuals with Autism, Summarized Nov 6, 2009

People with autism expressed loneliness and a desire for better social interactions when they wrote about themselves.

The authors of this article read seven books written by people with autism about themselves (autobiographies). The book authors had a range of social communication skills; three of them used facilitated communication. The people with autism said that they were aware of their own social difficulties. They wrote moving passages about feeling lonely.... Read more...

Language Outcomes of Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Two Year Follow-Up, Summarized Sep 24, 2009

Doctors who gather information about language skills in 2-year-old children may be better able to catch autism at an early age.

Researchers compared toddlers with autism (2 years old) with poor language skills to toddlers with autism with better language skills.... The children had poor skills in nonverbal and verbal language, receptive language, symbolic play, and response to joint attention. The authors said that it can be hard to diagnose autism in children less than 2 years old.... Read more...

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Synonyms for joint attention include: common focus, joint communication, shared attention, social interaction
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