Many people with Autism experience joint attention difficulties, but what does this mean? Joint attention occurs when two or more people share interest in an event, object or emotional state and they all acknowledge that mutual understanding. For example, when a child points to his toy aeroplane and says, ‘Look at my plane!’ or when a parent points to a cat, says ‘Look at that cat!’ and the child reacts by following the parent’s eyes and
pointed finger.
Joint attention is vitally important in a child’s development, providing a foundation for communication, social interaction and ability to learn.
Here are some tips to help your child develop and improve joint attention:
Keep at your child’s eye level when interacting with them.
Use exaggerated expressions when speaking to them.
Allow your child to select the activity of their choice. In this way, they’ll be more motivated to share their interests with you.
Observe your child carefully so that you notice when they are starting to share their interests with you. This could be as simple as a glance so respond to it quickly.
Play simple music and movement games together like; Row, Row, Row Your Boat, or Round & Round the Garden.
Encourage your child in joint sensory activities, like tearing and scrunching paper or blowing and popping bubbles.
Play turn-taking games like coin slotting or building a tower of bricks.
Read simple engaging stories with repeated sentences.
Engage with them in any art activities which offer opportunities for turn taking. For example, in collaging activities, you can take turns to apply the glue and to stick.
Do everything that you can to join in on your child’s activity of interest. If they like twiddling pieces of paper then join in with energy and enthusiasm!
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