Joint Attention: The Foundation of Early Language

October 25, 2026 3 min read

Long before a child says a first word, they are learning something just as important: how to look at the same thing as another person, and to know that the other person is looking too. This is called joint attention, and it is one of the foundations on which spoken language is built.

What Is Joint Attention?

Joint attention happens when a child and another person focus on the same object or event and are aware of sharing it. A child points at a dog and looks back at their parent. A parent holds up a ball, and the child looks at the ball, then at the parent’s face. These small moments are where words get their meaning, because the child can connect what they hear with what they see.

Scientific Findings

  • In a classic study, toddlers learned object names better when the adult named what the child was already looking at than when the adult tried to redirect the child’s attention first (Tomasello & Farrar, 1986).
  • Joint attention is often harder for autistic children to develop spontaneously. A randomized trial with preschoolers with autism found that short, targeted interventions focused on joint attention and on symbolic play were associated with gains in these skills and in language (Kasari, Paparella, Freeman & Jahromi, 2008).

Everyday Ways to Practise

  • Follow your child’s lead. Notice what they are looking at or reaching for, and name it.
  • Keep language short. One or two words more than your child uses is a good target.
  • Use pointing and gestures together with words, and wait for your child to look.
  • Take turns. Roll a ball, stack a block, pause, and let your child signal that they want more.
  • Repeat favourite routines. Familiar games make it easier to join in.

What Does This Mean?

Language grows out of shared attention, so the best support for it is time spent paying attention together. When a parent or practitioner shares the screen with a child, an app can offer a clear, repeatable focus for that shared attention. That is how we think about Suufle: as something to do with a child, not for a child.

References

  • Kasari, C., Paparella, T., Freeman, S., & Jahromi, L. B. (2008). Language outcome in autism: Randomized comparison of joint attention and play interventions. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 76(1), 125–137.
  • Tomasello, M., & Farrar, M. J. (1986). Joint attention and early language. Child Development, 57(6), 1454–1463.
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