8 Ways to Support Joint Attention

Joint attention is a fundamental social skill that plays a crucial role in communication and social interaction. It involves two people sharing focus on an object or event, which is essential for learning, language development and forming relationships. For children, particularly those with autism, difficulties with joint attention can pose challenges in communication and social engagement. Supporting joint attention is a key focus in therapy and can be addressed through various engaging play activities.

Joint attention helps children understand the perspective of others, allowing them to engage in shared experiences and learn from their environment. It’s critical for the development of communication skills, as it lays the foundation for meaningful interactions. Without joint attention, children may struggle with social communication, including gestures, eye contact and verbal exchanges.

For autistic children, joint attention difficulties can manifest as a lack of interest in social interactions, limited shared focus with others, or difficulty understanding and responding to social cues. Incorporating play activities designed to support joint attention can help children develop these essential social and communication skills.

Play Activities to Support Joint Attention

1. Turn-Taking Games Simple turn-taking games are a great way to encourage joint attention. These games create opportunities for back-and-forth interaction, where both the child and the adult or peer focus on the same task. Activities like rolling a ball back and forth, playing simple board games, or passing a toy between each other can help the child engage with another person while focusing on a shared object or activity.

2. Peek-a-Boo Peek-a-boo is a classic game that promotes joint attention by encouraging the child to focus on both the person and the action. This game can be played with toys or simply by hiding behind your hands. As the child anticipates the surprise, they learn to shift their attention between you and the event. This playful interaction builds engagement and teaches the child to focus on a shared experience with another person.

3. Collaborative Play with Toys Use toys that encourage collaboration and shared exploration, such as building blocks, shape sorters, or pretend play toys (e.g., dolls, action figures, or toy kitchens). Sit down and engage with the child using these toys, showing them how to use the toys together. For example, you can build a tower with blocks and invite the child to help, reinforcing the shared focus on the task. This helps them learn how to engage with others through a shared activity.

4. Imitation Games Imitation is a key component of developing joint attention. Play games where you model actions, sounds, or gestures and invite the child to imitate them. For example, clapping your hands or making funny faces and encouraging the child to copy you will help them focus on both you and the action. These activities support the child’s ability to focus on shared actions and respond to social cues.

5. Interactive Books Reading interactive books is an excellent way to promote joint attention, especially when the child is actively involved in the reading process. Choose books with flaps to lift, buttons to press, or textures to feel. As you read the story, point to the pictures, make eye contact with the child, and encourage them to look at the images or participate by lifting flaps or pressing buttons. This encourages the child to focus on both the activity (reading) and the person (you) in a social context.

6. Sing Songs with Actions Singing songs with accompanying actions (e.g., “If You’re Happy and You Know It” or “Wheels on the Bus”) is a fun way to support joint attention. The child can focus on both the lyrics and the physical actions, such as clapping or stomping. Engaging the child in these repetitive, interactive songs encourages shared attention and social interaction while promoting learning through movement.

7. Chase and Hide Games Play chase or hide-and-seek games where both you and the child are equally engaged in the activity. For example, you can pretend to hide behind a door and invite the child to find you, encouraging them to shift their attention between you and the hiding spot. These activities can naturally build joint attention by making the child more aware of the other person and the shared goal of the game.

8. Cause-and-Effect Toys Toys that respond to the child’s actions, such as push-button toys that play sounds or light up, are effective in teaching cause and effect while promoting joint attention. As the child presses a button and sees the toy react, you can both focus on the same event and share the excitement of the outcome, which helps strengthen the connection between you and the child.

Joint attention is a vital skill for developing social and communication abilities. By incorporating playful, interactive activities into therapy and daily routines, you can significantly support a child’s joint attention development. Turn-taking games, imitation, reading, and cause-and-effect toys are just a few examples of activities that promote shared focus and social engagement. Through these activities, children can learn how to navigate the world around them and build meaningful relationships with others.