Joint Attention and Attachment in Toddlers with Autism |
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Authors: | Fabiënne B A Naber Sophie H N Swinkels Jan K Buitelaar Claudine Dietz Emma van Daalen Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg Marinus H van IJzendoorn Herman van Engeland |
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Institution: | (1) Center for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, P. O. Box 9555, Leiden, NL-2300RB, The Netherlands;(2) Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rudolph Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands;(3) Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | Joint attention is often referred to as a triadic relation between self, other and object. Young children with autism show
deficiencies in the use of joint attention behaviors. Individual differences may be expected, and they may be determined by
the children’s cognitive development or the characteristics of the relationship of the child with the caregiver. Although
most joint attention skills develop under the age of three, most studies of joint attention in children with autism involved
children older than 3 years of age, due to difficulties in diagnosing autism under this age. In this study we investigated
joint attention behaviors of 78 young children (mean age 25.7 months, SD 6.1) with autism spectrum disorders (n = 20), other developmental delays (n = 18), and typically developing children (n = 40). Following the pertinent literature and confirmed by factor analysis, two types of joint attention behaviors were distinguished,
Basic Joint Attention (BJA) and Associated Joint Attention (AJA). We found that cognitive delays and autistic symptoms—but
not attachment insecurity or disorganization—were related to less joint attention. Already at the age of 2 years, children
with more autistic symptoms show less joint attention, even after controlling for developmental level. |
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Keywords: | Joint attention Autistic disorder Toddlers Attachment |
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