Project
Joint attention and language development in young children with autism.
Recent theories suggest that an impaired ability to engage in joint attention, as seen in children with autism, may have a negative impact on language development. This contention was supported by my honours project, which found that joint attention and language demonstrate a relationship over and above their co-existence as symptoms of autism. While no conclusions regarding causation could be made based on these results and more questions were raised than were answered, my honours project did set me up with some nice research questions for my PhD project.
My PhD project aims to determine if ability to engage in joint attention
does impact upon language development in children with autism, while also
determining the most effective methods of increasing joint attention skill
in children with autism. The first study will compare the efficacy of
a joint attention training drill included in an over-arching applied behavioural
analysis program to an intensive joint attention training program. Measures
of both joint attention and language will be taken before and after intervention.
Hopefully the interventions will increase joint attention which, in turn,
will increase language. Fingers crossed! Subsequent studies will attempt
to create a computer program that is effective at teaching joint attention
skills to children with autism.
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