Joint Attention and Neurodevelopmental Models of Autism

Abstract

(From the chapter) From animal models to intervention studies, from metabolic genetics and neuroimaging to the identification of early behavioral manifestations, the syndrome of autism is being examined from multiple perspectives to piece together a veridical picture of the true nature of this disorder. One important piece of the picture has been revealed over the past 20 years by studies on the nature of early social-communication impairments in children with autism. In this chapter, we discuss a fundamental facet of this work that has revolved around research on joint attention impairment in children with autism. Nevertheless, relatively little attention has focused on the emergent theoretical and empirical interface between research on joint attention disturbance and neurodevelopment in autism. The aim of this chapter is to provide a discussion of this vital topic. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved)