Joint attention is considered as the co-ordinated attention of child and social partner towards each other and towards a third object/event. The focus of attention is shared between the communication partners. Joint attention is considered as the key step in language development and word learning. Joint attention is also positively related to the social cognitive behaviors of the child. In joint attention, one person will alert other’s attention towards an object or events using words like ‘look’, gestures like pointing, or through eye gaze. In a typical development joint attention will be initiated at 9 months of age and firmly established between 12 and 18 months of age.
Two aspects of joint attention areimportant in language development:
- Initiating joint attention, which means attending to an object and partner through gaze alternation or pointing. This level is mainly related to expressive language development.
- Respond to joint attention, means following another person’s gaze and pointing gestures. This aspect is mainly related to development of receptive language skills in children.
Joint attention has two types of response forms,
- Proto- imperative: requesting with gesture or eye gaze
- Proto- declarative: commenting or sharing interest.
Joint attention plays an important role in
- Social interaction
- Language acquisition
- Cognitive development
Several skills are important in the development of joint attention
- Attending to a social partner
- Shifting gaze between people and objects
- Sharing emotional states
- Ability to follow gaze and views of others
- Appropriately responding to the social partner
- Drawing attention of another person towards an object or event.
Children with ASD shows deficit in joint attention, they shows features like,
- Trouble in coordinating
- Impairment in emotional sharing
- Doesn’t orient to certain sounds
- Doesn’t draw other’s attention towards objects.
- Doesn’t follow the eye gaze of the partner
- Affected play
- Inappropriate intonation
- Lack of imaginary play
- Difficulty in sustaining eye contact while conversing
- Doesn’t show interest to conversation
- Lack of social interaction
- Poor speech development
How we can improve joint attention?
- Maintain eye contact while conversing with the child. Sit in a position where your eye levels are same.
- Give attractive things or toys to the child.
- Play with funny facial expressions
- Give encouragements through hugs, kisses, and by giving an interesting item.
- Nursery rhymes with intonation changes
- Flash light games to attract child’s attention
- Repeat your baby’s productions which can act as reinforcement for him.
- Give an interpretation to child’s sounds, gestures according to the need and situation even though they don’t make a meaningful word.
- Give opportunities to socially interact with others.
- Observe child’s actions and respond to their gestures.
- Describe simply about the things and events happening around him.
- Play with the child.
