Estimated reading time: 15 minutes
Joint attention examples are everyday moments when a student and a partner focus on the same thing and both know it: a preschooler follows the teacher’s point to a bird outside, or holds up a block tower and looks back to check that the aide saw it. ASHA defines joint attention as “the shared focus of two or more individuals on the same object or event.” This guide covers the two forms of joint attention with examples, when it develops, why autistic children may find it harder, how to teach it at school, activities, IEP goal examples and measurement.
Table of contents
Executive Summary
Joint attention is one of the earliest social communication skills, and the CDC lists differences in it, such as not pointing to show something interesting by 18 months, among the signs of autism. Among 8-year-olds in 2022, the CDC’s monitoring network estimated that 1 in 31 had been identified with autism, with a median age of earliest known diagnosis of 47 months. In 2024-25, autism was the category for 15% of students served under IDEA.
Joint attention can be taught in school: in randomized trials, children whose preschool teachers delivered an intervention used more joint attention in class. The challenge is volume, since sharing attention is learned through many brief exchanges across the day.
Key Takeaways
- Two forms: responding (following a partner’s gaze or point) and initiating (directing a partner’s attention to share).
- Sharing is not requesting: pointing to get a snack is a request; pointing to show an airplane is joint attention.
- It develops early: responding can be measured by 6 months, and by 18 months most children point to show something interesting.
- A skill, not a diagnosis: differences can be an early sign of autism, but only a qualified evaluation decides.
- Teach it inside enjoyable routines: follow the lead, imitate and expand, prompt and fade.
- Count shared focus however it is shown: a look, a point, a comment, a sign or a device.
What Is Joint Attention?
Joint attention is the ability to share focus on an object or event with another person, by following their attention or by directing theirs, in order to share an interest or experience.
The National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice (NCAEP) defines joint attention outcomes as “behaviors needed for sharing interests and/or experiences.” In a review archived in the NIH’s PubMed Central, Mundy and Newell describe responding to joint attention as following “the direction of the gaze and gestures of others,” and initiating as using gestures and eye contact to direct others’ attention to objects.
| Form | What the student does | Typical behaviors |
|---|---|---|
| Responding | Follows a partner’s focus to a third thing | Looks where an adult points or looks, looks back at the partner |
| Initiating | Draws a partner’s focus to something, to share it | Shows an object, points to something interesting, comments |
Sharing Is Not the Same as Requesting
The CDC milestones separate the two: by 15 months, most children point “to ask for something or to get help”; by 18 months, most point “to show you something interesting.” Only the second is joint attention. In a randomized trial with 58 autistic 3- and 4-year-olds, children in a joint attention intervention initiated significantly more showing than controls (Kasari et al., 2006). Record requests and sharing bids separately.
Joint Attention Examples: Responding and Initiating
These are original classroom scenes written for this guide; adapt them to the student’s age and communication mode.
| Example | Form | Why it counts |
|---|---|---|
| The teacher points to a squirrel outside and says “Look!”; the student turns to the window, then back to the teacher | Responding | Follows a point and checks back |
| A peer holds up a painted leaf at the art table; the student looks at it and smiles | Responding | Shares focus and feeling with a peer |
| The aide gasps and looks at the door as a visitor arrives; the student follows her gaze | Responding | Follows gaze alone, without a point |
| The student finishes a block tower, looks at the teacher, at the tower, then back | Initiating | Uses gaze to invite sharing |
| The student holds a toy dinosaur up toward a peer to show it, not to give it | Initiating | Showing, with no request attached |
| A student who uses AAC selects “look” and points to the class fish | Initiating | Directs attention with a device and a point |
Not joint attention on its own: pointing at the juice to get it (a request), or turning to a name call and returning to a toy (no shared third object).
When Does Joint Attention Develop?
Mundy and Newell report that responding to joint attention “may be measured at least as early as 6 months and predicts language ability at 24 months.” The CDC’s Learn the Signs. Act Early. milestones, which describe what most children (75% or more) can do by each age, show related skills building through the second year.
| By age | Related CDC milestones (paraphrased) |
|---|---|
| 9 months | Looks when you call their name; smiles or laughs at peek-a-boo |
| 1 year | Plays games such as pat-a-cake |
| 15 months | Shows you an object they like; looks at a familiar object when you name it |
| 18 months | Points to show you something interesting; looks at a few pages in a book with you |
| 2 years | Looks at your face to see how to react in a new situation |
The CDC states that these resources do not replace standardized developmental screening. In school, present levels matter more than milestone ages: a 5-year-old who does not yet follow a point needs that skill taught.
Why Joint Attention Can Be Harder for Autistic Children
IDEA defines autism as a developmental disability “significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction” (34 CFR 300.8(c)(1)), and ASHA’s Practice Portal on autism notes that these social communication differences can include joint attention.
Research describes a pattern, not a single cause. Mundy and Newell write that differences in autism are more pronounced in initiating than in responding, and that joint attention relates to the intensity of social symptoms, responsiveness to intervention and long-term social outcomes. One research line links it to how the brain’s attention systems develop in infancy, still a hypothesis.
The CDC’s signs and symptoms of autism include not sharing interests by 15 months and not pointing to show something interesting by 18 months, and add that “some people without ASD might also have some of these symptoms.”
What a Teacher Should and Should Not Conclude
A missing skill is an observation, not a diagnosis. The IRIS Center’s autism module page on diagnosis and eligibility explains that a licensed provider such as a physician or psychologist makes a medical diagnosis, while a multidisciplinary school team decides special education eligibility, on different criteria. Under IDEA’s child find rule, children suspected of having a disability who need special education must be identified and evaluated (34 CFR 300.111). A teacher describes what they see, talks with the family and follows the district’s referral process.
How to Teach Joint Attention at School
The NCAEP review found joint attention outcomes in 63 of 972 studies, linked to 16 of its 28 evidence-based practices. Two classroom trials stand out:
- Public preschool teachers: in a pilot randomized trial with 16 teacher-child pairs, after six weeks, students of trained teachers used more joint attention in class (Lawton & Kasari, 2012).
- Preschool teachers with weekly supervision: with 61 autistic children aged 29 to 60 months, eight weeks of intervention increased joint attention initiation with teachers, with carryover to longer joint engagement with mothers (Kaale et al., 2012). Gains held at 12 months, though no effect on language was found (Kaale et al., 2014).
Naturalistic and Developmental Approaches
NCAEP describes naturalistic intervention as practices embedded in everyday routines, built on the learner’s interests and drawn from behavioral and developmental approaches. It lists JASPER in this category; ASHA describes JASPER as targeting “the foundations of social communication (joint attention, imitation, play).” The AFIRM naturalistic intervention module lists strategies that fit any classroom:
- Follow the student’s lead and play with what they are playing with.
- Imitate the student, then wait to see if they look toward you.
- Expand play by one new step.
- Change things up: new materials, or something silly out of place.
- Narrate, comment and exaggerate sounds and movements.
Modeling, Prompting and Fading
NCAEP defines prompting as verbal, gestural or physical assistance, and time delay as a brief wait before a prompt, used to fade prompts. In one study, three autistic children learned to respond to an adult’s bid by looking where the adult pointed, commenting and looking back; initiating needed additional training (Taylor & Hoch, 2008). In practice: set up something interesting, wait, prompt only as much as needed, respond with shared excitement rather than a reward for looking, and lengthen the wait as the student succeeds.
Imitation and Turn Taking
Motor imitation means copying another person’s actions; gross motor imitation means copying large movements such as clapping, stomping or raising both arms. Both require watching a partner. The CDC lists copying other children while playing at 15 months. NCAEP classifies reciprocal imitation training, in which the adult imitates the learner to promote imitation, within naturalistic intervention. In a randomized trial with 27 young autistic children, a focused imitation intervention produced more joint attention initiations, though the analysis did not confirm imitation as the mechanism (Ingersoll, 2012). Turn taking adds natural look-backs, and NCAEP also reports joint attention outcomes for peer-based practices and video modeling.
Joint Attention Activities for the Classroom
These original activities take a few minutes and fit existing routines.
| Activity | Targets | How it runs |
|---|---|---|
| Window watch | Responding at a distance | At transitions, an adult points outside, says “Look!” and waits |
| Mystery bag | Initiating by showing | The student pulls a surprising object from a bag; the adult waits, looking expectant |
| Silly setup | Initiating by pointing or commenting | A toy sits somewhere odd (a shoe on the snack table) until the student notices and shares |
| Flap book pause | Both forms | The adult points to a picture, then pauses on the next page for the student to point first |
| Follow the leader song | Gross motor imitation | Peers take turns leading a movement and the group copies |
| Ramp turns | Turn taking with look-backs | A student and a peer take turns sending a car down a ramp |
For play, conversation and group skills built on these foundations, see social skills activities by age.
Joint Attention IEP Goal Examples
These goals are original examples. Set the criterion from the student’s baseline in the present levels, name the real setting and communication mode, and add the timeline (“By [date of the next annual IEP review],”). Communication and AAC goals for autistic students are in IEP goals for autism.
- Following a distant point: When an adult points to an object at least 6 feet away and says “Look,” [Student] will turn to the target within 3 seconds in 8 of 10 opportunities with at least two adults, as measured by event recording.
- Checking back: After following an adult’s point during play, [Student] will check back by looking, touching the adult’s arm, signing or using their device in 7 of 10 opportunities across 3 sessions, as measured by event recording.
- Sharing an interest: During 15-minute play sessions, [Student] will initiate at least 3 sharing bids (showing, pointing or commenting, requests excluded) in 4 of 5 sessions, from a baseline of 0 to 1, as measured by event recording.
- Gross motor imitation: During movement songs, [Student] will imitate a peer’s or adult’s action within 3 seconds without physical prompts for 8 of 10 actions in 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by teacher data sheets.
- Turn taking: During a shared toy routine with a peer, [Student] will take a turn and give the turn back for 4 consecutive turns in 4 of 5 sessions, as measured by event recording.
How to Measure Joint Attention
Researchers use structured tools such as the Early Social Communication Scales; for IEP monitoring, short direct observation is usually enough. The IEP must state how progress will be measured and reported (34 CFR 300.320(a)(3)).
| What to measure | How | Data type |
|---|---|---|
| Responding | Share of partner bids the student follows | Event recording, percent |
| Initiating | Spontaneous sharing bids per session, requests excluded | Event recording, rate |
| Imitation | Share of modeled actions copied | Event recording, percent |
| Prompt level | Independent, gesture, verbal or physical | Noted on each record |
| Generalization | Same measure, new partner or setting, monthly | Probe |
Count, percent and rate are the event recording formats in Kentucky Department of Education guidance on types of data; templates are in IEP data collection sheets.
Funding and Staffing
| Source | What it can support | Note |
|---|---|---|
| IDEA Part B | Special education and related services, including speech-language pathology services and parent counseling and training | Parent training helps parents support the implementation of the IEP |
| Local and state funds | Staff training, play and book materials | Cooperatives such as TIPS can simplify purchasing |
Source: 34 CFR 300.34. In the NCAEP review’s 2012-2017 studies, research staff delivered the intervention in 52% of studies and educators in 20%. With a median monthly caseload of 50 students per full-time school-based SLP (ASHA 2026 Schools Survey), SLP time goes further coaching classroom staff, alongside the free AFIRM modules.
Common Mistakes District Leaders Make
- Counting requests as joint attention. Record them separately.
- Writing eye-contact goals. Count shared focus, however the student shows it.
- Teaching responding only. Initiating is often the larger gap and may need extra teaching.
- Drilling at a table with nothing worth sharing. Joint attention grows from the student’s interests.
- Leaving prompts in place. Plan fading from the first session.
- One adult, one room. A skill shown only with the SLP is not yet used.
- Treating an observation as a diagnosis, or waiting instead of following child find procedures.
Recommended Actions
- Train preschool and early elementary staff in one naturalistic practice, starting with the free AFIRM modules on naturalistic intervention, prompting and time delay.
- Audit preschool and autism IEPs for goals that separate responding, initiating and requesting, and replace eye-contact goals.
- Plan sharing opportunities into routines: circle, centers, snack, read-alouds, outdoor play.
- Schedule SLP coaching time in classrooms, not only pull-out sessions.
- Adopt one data sheet that records partner, setting and prompt level.
- Clarify the referral path for staff who notice joint attention differences in a student not yet identified.
Questions District Leaders Should Ask
- Do our preschool IEPs distinguish responding, initiating and requesting?
- How many preschool and early elementary staff are trained in a naturalistic practice?
- Outside the SLP session, how many chances to share attention does a student get each day?
- When a teacher notices joint attention differences in a student without an IEP, what happens next?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is joint attention a form of autism?
No. Joint attention is a social communication skill most children develop in their first two years, not a condition. Differences in it, such as not pointing to show something interesting by 18 months, are among the signs the CDC lists for autism, but the CDC adds that some people without autism show some of these signs. A diagnosis comes from a qualified evaluation, and special education eligibility is a separate school team decision. Teachers share observations; they do not diagnose.
At what age does joint attention begin?
Mundy and Newell report that responding to joint attention can be measured at least as early as 6 months. CDC milestones show the skills building through the second year: by 15 months most children show an adult an object they like, and by 18 months most point to show something interesting. The CDC describes milestones as what 75% or more of children can do by each age.
Why do autistic people struggle with joint attention?
There is no single settled explanation. Research reviews describe differences mainly in initiating joint attention, less in responding, and some researchers link them to how attention systems develop in infancy. The federal definition of autism centers on communication and social interaction, and ASHA notes these differences can include joint attention. For schools, the key point is that joint attention can be taught: classroom trials found gains after teacher-delivered interventions.
How to improve joint attention?
Build it into routines the student enjoys: follow the student’s lead, imitate and expand what they do, set up small surprises, pause so the student has a reason to share, and prompt only as much as needed before fading. Practice with several adults and peers. Randomized trials found that preschool teachers trained in a joint attention intervention increased children’s joint attention in the classroom.
What is the role of joint attention in child development?
Joint attention lets a child and a partner share a point of reference, which supports learning words and social meaning. Mundy and Newell report that how often infants engage in joint attention is related to their language acquisition, that responding at 6 months predicts language at 24 months, and that joint attention relates to later measures of IQ, self-regulation and social competence.
Related Resources
- Social Skills Activities by Age
- IEP Goals for Autism
- Speech IEP Goals
- Social Emotional IEP Goals
- IEP Data Collection Sheets
- PLAAFP Examples
Conclusion
Joint attention is easy to see and slow to build: a student follows a point, shows a toy, looks back to share a moment. It develops early, it is not a diagnosis, and classroom staff can teach it inside routines students enjoy. Districts that separate sharing from requesting, train staff in naturalistic strategies and count shared focus across partners and settings build the foundation for conversation and friendship.
Sources: ASHA Practice Portal, Autism; Mundy & Newell, Attention, Joint Attention, and Social Cognition, Current Directions in Psychological Science (2007); CDC, Learn the Signs. Act Early. Developmental Milestones; CDC, Signs and Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder; Shaw et al., Prevalence and Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 4 and 8 Years, ADDM Network, 2022 (MMWR, 2025); IRIS Center, Autism (Part 1): An Overview for Educators, Diagnosis and Eligibility; Steinbrenner et al., Evidence-Based Practices for Children, Youth, and Young Adults with Autism, NCAEP (2020); AFIRM, Naturalistic Intervention Brief Packet (updated 2025); Lawton & Kasari, Teacher-Implemented Joint Attention Intervention (2012); Kaale et al., A Randomized Controlled Trial of Preschool-Based Joint Attention Intervention for Children With Autism (2012); U.S. Department of Education, OSEP, 2024-25 Static Tables (Part B Child Count & Educational Environments). Other studies and sections of 34 CFR Part 300 are linked where they are cited.
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Joint attention is taught in shared moments with adults and peers, and in a busy classroom adult time for those moments is short. Telo AI is being adapted for students with IEPs: patient, 1-on-1 practice aligned to each student’s IEP goals, so teachers and aides have more time for small-group and individual work. We are inviting districts to shape it with us in a 2027 pilot.
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