Joint Attention

One of our primary objectives for each child is the development of their ability to engage in give and take relationships, commonly known as "joint attention".  Children with autism, regardless of where they are on the spectrum, almost always struggle with their ability to reference social cues, respond to nonverbal communication, and engage in reciprocal interactions.  These abilities are absolutely necessary to develop and maintain emotionally based relationships.  By focusing on building a child's social referencing skills we can help them move them from a focus on the self to a focus on others.  This is done in gradual, step-by-step processes to avoid sensory overload, which leads to further withdrawal from the environment and relationships.

For example, we may begin with simple "hide and seek" games focusing on eye gaze--the ability for the child to identify what object the mentor is referencing.  These "games" do not force direct eye contact, simply a glance in the right direction.  We may then progress to back and forth activities, such as our "Row the Boat" game, which involves direct physical contact without mandated eye gaze.  This then transitions into adapted versions of "Peek A Boo" which require direct social referencing, but allow a child to limit the length of the interaction.  Regardless of what methods are used, the child's comfort level and current abilities are always taken into consideration with our objective being to move the child just a little bit further in their ability to reference and engage.  

Studies have indicated these skills are best taught within the child's natural environment.  Social skill groups in external context have limited ability, at best, to help a child develop social referencing skills and apply them in natural settings.  Instead, we begin working with the child within the safety and comfort of their core environment--their home.  Only after a child has learned that these give-and-take actions are safe do we expect them to engage in these actions outside of their "safe zone".

Joint attention skills also assist the child in cognitive and academic development.  The ability to read purposefully and comprehend the message behind the written word requires the child to identify the meaning of emotion-based words and the slight nuances of a written social scene.  A child may be able to read, by route, a list of advanced words but not be able to identify the moral of a simple fairy tale.  By simplifying stories and enhancing them by making them actively engaging, requiring interaction with the mentor, a child's reading and comprehension skills can dramatically increase.  This same concept can also be applied to math, writing skills, and other academic domains of learning.

Sources:
Association for Psychological Science (2007, September 26). Joint Attention Study Has Implications For Understanding Autism.


Indiana University (2007, June 25). Social Skills Programs For Children With Autism Are Largely Ineffective, Study Suggests. ScienceDaily. 


Michigan State University (2007, June 20). Childhood Social Skills Linked To Learning