What is joint attention and how do I teach it to my child?
Do you have a child or know a child that won’t make eye contact, rarely initiates play with an adult/peer, prefers to play alone, or has difficulty with communication and other social engagements? If the answer is yes, this child may have difficulty with “joint attention.”
Joint attention is the shared focus of a child and a partner/peer on a particular experience, object, or event. This is an important skill required for language, speech, and social skill development.
Below you will find some basic activities to help your child develop this skill.
Give your child the verbal cue “Look at me” paired with touching/pointing to his/her face and then your face. Don’t expect your child to respond immediately. Give them the time and chance to respond.
Use the verbal cue “Look”
Practice with toys or activities your child enjoys! Point to a toy and say “Look!” Once your child looks at the toy, immediately begin to play with it and/or give them the toy! If they struggle to follow the simple “Look” command, gently turn their head toward the toy.
Say “Look” while holding the toy/object up by your face. This will encourage your child to not only redirect their attention to the object, but also to you! As soon as your child looks at both you and the toy, give them the toy.
Blow bubbles and say “Look”. Point to help your child’s ability to track the bubbles. When your child engages you for more by looking at you, immediately blow more bubbles, repeat “Look”, and point again to help your child track them.
Book reading: Select a book your child enjoys. Throughout the book, say "Look” when pointing to specific pictures. This also helps your child point to pictures in the book. If both you and your child are showing interest and focus on the same picture/book, you have accomplished joint attention.
If you child is asking or requesting something of you, wait to grant/respond to their request until they look at you. Try to redirect their eye gaze/attention by saying “Look”, touching their face and then yours, or gently turning their head.
