Joint Attention Intervention Outcomes: Language and Social Communication in Young Children with Autism

Background: Joint attention has been a focus of interest in many studies of autism since it is considered to be a deficit skill and a hallmark for social communication and language development. Recent intervention studies have focused on joint attention; however few studies have focused on the parent's role in joint attention interventions. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate joint attention interventions in mother-child contexts in home environments, and to further our understanding of developmental trajectories of joint attention and social communication in young children with autism engaged in a variety of play-based joint attention activities. Methods: Fifteen young children diagnosed with autism (ages 24 to 38 months with a mean age of 33 months) were selected based on a diagnosis of autism within six months of the study onset. Several pre-test, mid-point, and post-test developmental measures were administered including The Early Social Communication Scales (ESCS), the MacArthur Communication Development Inventory, and the Mullen Scales of Early Development. Daily language diaries, weekly social communication and joint attention ratings were collected. All subjects participated in four laboratory visits, and sixteen weeks of home intervention in joint attention and social communication tasks. All home intervention interventions were videotaped and subsequently rated for both maternal and child behaviors using the Mahoney Behavioral Rating Scales. Results: Correlations indicate strong relationships between joint attention and social communication behaviors and developmental outcomes in intervention contexts. Profiles of joint attention shifts across weeks are presented to explicate indicators that may be influencing the rate of progress in joint attention behaviors and subsequent language outcomes. Conclusions: Joint attention focused interventions play a specific role in increasing social communication skills in young children with autism. In particular, these home-based interventions have important implications for both language development and early intervention approaches.