Joint attention and language gains in children with Down syndrome

Joint attention and topic initiation in caregiver-child interactions was explored in relation to children's language gains over 13 months. Caregivers of 28 children with Down syndrome spent more time in joint attention and maintained more attention to caregiver-selected toys than did caregivers of 17 children with typical development. Receptive language gains of children with Down syndrome were associated with caregivers maintaining attention to child-selected toys and with longer lengths of joint attention. Caregivers redirecting attention away from child-selected toys and a greater frequency of joint attention episodes was negatively associated with children's language gains. More time spent in joint attention and caregivers maintaining attention to mother-selected toys was associated with receptive language gains in children who were developing typically.