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Joint Attention and Its Relationship with Autism Risk Markers at 18 Months of Age

Maite Montagut-Asunción1, Sarah Crespo-Martín2, Gemma Pastor-Cerezuela2

  • 1Department of Neuropsychobiology, Methodology, and Basic and Social Psychology, Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.

Children (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 23, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Early joint attention skills in infants are crucial indicators for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Deficits in initiating or responding to joint attention by 12 months may signal ASD risk.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Pediatric Medicine

Background:

  • Joint attention, the ability to coordinate attention with others, is vital for social-cognitive development.
  • It underpins symbolic thought, language acquisition, and understanding others' mental states.
  • Deficits in joint attention are recognized as early markers for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To longitudinally assess joint attention skills in infants at 8 and 12 months.
  • To investigate the relationship between joint attention performance and the presence of early ASD signs at 18 months.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal study involving 32 infants.
  • Data analysis using logistic multiple regressions.
  • Assessment of joint attention at 8 and 12 months, with ASD risk evaluated at 18 months.

Main Results:

  • Initiating joint attention at 8 months was associated with ASD risk.
  • Responding to joint attention at 12 months was also linked to ASD risk at 18 months.
  • These findings highlight the predictive value of specific joint attention behaviors.

Conclusions:

  • Early joint attention skills play a pivotal role in identifying early manifestations of ASD.
  • Assessing joint attention provides valuable insights into developmental trajectories related to ASD risk.
  • Targeted early interventions may benefit from focusing on joint attention development.

Keywords:
ASDASD riskearly symptomatologyjoint attention

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