Children learn so much by looking at our faces. At first they look because they enjoy our faces. Later, they look to see what we are looking at and what we think. This is called joint attention and provides an important foundation for language learning.
A child who is noticing where we are looking when we say a new word, will know what the word refers to. For children who are not looking as much, such as children with autism spectrum disorders, there are games that encourage them to enjoy and learn from looking.
Continue reading “Encouraging Joint Attention in Children with Autism”