Joint attention is the shared focus of two individuals on the same object or event, achieved by coordinating gaze, gestures, or verbal signals. It typically emerges toward the end of an infant’s first year and is a foundational skill for social and language development, as children learn to share experiences and vocabulary through these interactions. In therapy and early childhood education, joint attention is seen as crucial because it underpins the development of more complex communication and social skills. Clinically, SLPs often target joint attention in interventions (especially for children with autism spectrum disorder) to foster engagement, language acquisition, and social-communication abilities.
White, Pamela J., et al. “Best Practices for Teaching Joint Attention: A Systematic Review of the Intervention Literature.” Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders 5, no. 4 (2011). Link
Akhtar, Nameera, and Morton Ann Gernsbacher. “Joint Attention and Vocabulary Development: A Critical Look.” Language and Linguistics Compass 1, no. 3 (2007). Link
