This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Charman, T. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Charman, T. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Specifying the Nature and Course of the Joint Attention Impairment in Autism in the Preschool Years

Implications for Diagnosis and Intervention

Institute of Child Health, London, UK

The paper reviews recent experimental findings into the extent and specificity of the joint attention impairments shown by preschool children with autism. In contrast to the commonly held view that children with autism are impaired in declarative gestures but intact in requesting gestures, the pattern of intact and impaired joint attention abilities revealed by recent research is more complex. The research reviewed represents a significant advance on previous findings by dissociating form and function in gestural communicative acts, by adopting a developmental perspective and thus identifying changes in the precise nature of the joint attention impairments over time, and by taking advantage of recent advances in early detection and diagnosis that enable us to study very young preschoolers with autism. The lessons to be learnt from this research for clinical diagnosis, and early intervention and education programmes, are considered.

Key Words: diagnosis • gestures • intervention • joint attention

Autism, Vol. 2, No. 1, 61-79 (1998)
DOI: 10.1177/1362361398021006


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. E. Stephens Spontaneous imitation by children with autism during a repetitive musical play routine Autism, November 1, 2008; 12(6): 645 - 671. [Abstract] [PDF]

				L. A. Vismara and G. L. Lyons Using Perseverative Interests to Elicit Joint Attention Behaviors in Young Children With Autism: Theoretical and Clinical Implications for Understanding Motivation Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, October 1, 2007; 9(4): 214 - 228. [Abstract] [PDF]

				E. A. Jones and E. G. Carr Joint Attention in Children With Autism: Theory and Intervention Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, January 1, 2004; 19(1): 13 - 26. [Abstract] [PDF]

				E. Williams A Comparative Review of Early Forms of Object-Directed Play and Parent-Infant Play in Typical Infants and Young Children with Autism Autism, December 1, 2003; 7(4): 361 - 374. [Abstract] [PDF]

				V. Moore and S. Goodson How Well Does Early Diagnosis of Autism Stand the Test of Time?: Follow-Up Study of Children Assessed for Autism at Age 2 and Development of an Early Diagnostic Service Autism, March 1, 2003; 7(1): 47 - 63. [Abstract] [PDF]