Sports and games that use one ball are a fantastic way to create a shared focus amongst many children. This ability to keep one’s attention centred on something along with many others is a lifelong skill that every child should hone. It doesn’t always have to be sports. There are many ways to refine this ability. In a therapeutic setting, joint attention is defined as the shared focus between a child and another person on an object or activity. When it comes to children with autism, it is a crucial developmental milestone. It forms the foundation for communication, social interaction, and learning. At Monarch House, we understand the unique challenges families face when fostering this skill and offer targeted strategies to make progress achievable. 

Here are ten effective ways to encourage joint attention in young children with autism Toronto.

1. Start with Their Interests

At Monarch House, we strive to find the thing that most excites your child, and we build our sessions around that as best we can. It has been shown that engagement begins with motivation. We start by observing what captivates your child, whether it’s a favourite toy, sound, or activity, and then bringing that into practice. We use these as tools to establish shared focus. For example, if your child loves trains, we will work with a toy model, and play with them on the track, pausing to encourage eye contact or a smile.

2. Be Playful and Animated

There is a time and a place to be slightly theatrical. When it comes to eliciting focus from a child, it’s encouraged to exaggerate facial expressions and gestures to capture their attention. An adult’s excitement becomes contagious and invites your child to engage. It’s important to be mindful of maintaining a playful tone and having big reactions to make joint activities irresistible. This can help to turn interaction into a rewarding experience.

3. Use Visual Supports

A colourful picture, photo, or illustration can do the heavy lifting in a session by getting your child engaged in a concept. It gets the conversation starting. Children with autism often respond well to visual aids. Introduce pictures, videos, or simple charts that depict shared activities. For instance, a picture of blowing bubbles can signal the activity and serve as a joint attention starter.

4. Introduce Turn-Taking Games

At Monarch House, we like to work around a recreation activity that gets two people involved. Simple games that naturally require back-and-forth interaction, like rolling a ball back and forth or stacking blocks, are excellent for building joint attention. These activities create opportunities for shared focus and reinforce the concept of “your turn” and “my turn.”

5. Incorporate Gestures and Non-Verbal Communication

Catching a child’s attention in the first place is half the battle. This requires a little showmanship. Our therapists will try pointing, waving, or clapping to draw your child’s attention to shared objects or activities. Demonstrating these gestures while interacting with an object helps them associate actions with joint engagement.

6. Make Use of Technology

There are devices and tools on screens that can help a child share a focus with an adult in the room. For instance, there are interactive apps and videos designed for children with autism that are designed to support joint attention. Platforms that encourage participation, like tapping the screen or responding to prompts, can be both engaging and educational.

7. Create Joint Attention Moments During Routine Activities

Children with autism thrive on repetition and consistent rituals. Daily routines offer countless opportunities for shared focus. Mealtime, dressing, or bath time can become interactive sessions where you point out items, name them, and wait for your child’s response, fostering connection naturally.

8. Pause and Wait

When working with children with autism it is important to be patient and take your time. Sometimes, silence speaks volumes. Pause during an activity to allow your child to respond or look at you for cues. This gives them the space to initiate interaction, strengthening their role in the engagement.

9. Celebrate Small Wins

Be sure to celebrate the everyday victories. Every instance of shared attention, no matter how brief, is worth celebrating. Positive reinforcement—clapping, cheering, or offering a small reward—encourages your child to repeat the behaviour.

10. Create a Calm, Sensory-Friendly Space

You want your home to be a sensory friendly environment. We try to make sure our clinics are too. A conducive environment can make all the difference. At Monarch House, we emphasize creating sensory-friendly spaces. A quiet room with soft lighting and minimal distractions helps children focus and engage more effectively.

Baseball is a great example of multiple children all having their eyes on the ball. This one object keeps their minds attentive to everything that is going on at the moment: the score, the next play, the count. It keeps them focused. And this is a skill that translates into social navigation, ease of communications, educational, and working relationships down the road. It’s a lifelong skill. Joint attention is about more than eye contact or shared moments; it’s about building meaningful connections. At Monarch House, we combine evidence-based strategies with personalized care to help your child develop this foundational skill. At Monarch House we have a professional, interdisciplinary staff or occupational therapists, behavioural therapists, psychotherapists, and speech pathologists that are here to help. We work with families in Toronto to empower children with autism to thrive.

Encouraging joint attention is a journey, and progress may not always follow a straight path. By focusing on what excites and motivates your child, celebrating each step forward, and creating an inclusive support system, you’re giving them the tools to connect, learn, and grow. At Monarch House, we’re here to guide children with autism Toronto every step of the way.