Sports and other shared activities are great because they keep several people focused on a singular object, typically a ball. When it comes to children, this event creates a group experience where everyone involved is concentrating on the same thing. This creates peer learning, camaraderie, socialization, and a common goal. For children with autism, this cohesion of focus with other people is integral to their development. Shared attention, also known as joint attention, is the ability to focus on an object or activity while also sharing the experience with another person. It doesn’t just have to be sports. It can be anything where two or more people put their attention towards a similar objective, like a jigsaw puzzle, or a model train. It’s not uncommon for children with neurodivergence to find this difficult. However, developing shared attention, while challenging, is crucial for social, communication, and cognitive growth. 

Here are ten strategies to foster shared attention during play in children with autism in Burlington.

1. Imitating The Child’s Actions

There is a communication technique that is called the chameleon effect. Studies have shown that people are more likely to engage with the person that they are talking to if that person has the same body language as them. We use this method at Monarch House. Mirroring your child’s movements or sounds can grab their attention and foster connection. If they clap or stack blocks, we do the same. Engaging in a shared activity strengthens your child’s sense of being heard and understood.

2. Using Animated Expressions And Voices

Embrace your inner cartoon character or children’s mascot. Channel those big, wide eyes and ear-to-ear grins. As silly as it sounds, it’s a professional technique that we employ at Monarch House to generate an increased interest in a shared activity with a child with autism. Exaggerated facial expressions and playful tones capture the child’s interest. If you get happy, they get happy. Excitement is contagious, and your undeterred enthusiasm and good nature can encourage them to join in the activity.

3. Incorporating Your Child’s Interests

Does your child have an affinity for toy cars? Are they a singular fascination that they can’t stop talking about? Special interests like these go part and parcel of having a child with autism. When looking for a way to build a shared focus, let this be your starting point—or any activity or toy that genuinely interests your child. By engaging in something they enjoy, you create a natural opportunity to capture their attention and build rapport. Play with your child. Build a little Hot Wheels racetrack and practice taking turns.

4. Simplifying The Environment

To fully immerse oneself in an imaginative mindset, it helps if there is a dedicated, clutter-free environment to relax and let the mind wander. You can help to create this space for your child by minimizing distractions. Designate a focused play area. Make sure it is a tidy and calm environment. This helps your child concentrate on the shared activity without being overwhelmed by extraneous stimuli.

5. Using Visual Supports

Sometimes it helps to have a little instruction before embarking on a new game or playing with a different toy that’s never been used before. You can do this by creating a visual display of how the rules and turn-taking will unfold. It’s not uncommon for children with autism to gravitate towards a visual representation they can process in advance. There are different kinds of visual cues that you can use, such as pictures, charts, cue cards, or infographics. These tools can guide your child, and teach them how to focus on the activity. For instance, showing them a picture of the block tower you want to build with them will help them understand what the goal is, and reinforce the shared attention objective.

6. Making Eye Contact Fun

One of the characteristics often found in young children with autism is a reluctance to make direct eye contact. At Monarch House, we work to facilitate the development of this through shared play. One of the ways that we encourage eye contact is by integrating it into a game. For example, we might hold a favourite toy near to our face and wait for the child to look in our direction before giving it to them. This is one way to naturally promote interaction without forcing the child. Note: not making eye contact is a preference by many autistic individuals and it’s ok to not make eye contact if that’s the preference.

7. Pausing And Waiting

Shared focus can be an excellent way to foster social engagement with your child and others. At Monarch House, our therapists have an assortment of beneficial techniques to facilitate this. For instance, during play, we might pause deliberately to give your child a chance to respond or initiate. Another example is that we might stop mid-action and look at the child with an expectant expression. This moment of stillness encourages them to re-engage. The process requires patience and consistency, but over time, it helps to build social development in your child.

8. Introducing Turn-Taking

It’s one thing to have a shared focus and another to know the rules of conduct. Other children will want to spend more time engaging with your child if they have the proper playground etiquette. This is something that we can help to instill at Monarch House. For instance, simple turn-taking games, such as checkers or Go Fish, teach the child to engage in reciprocal interactions. One of the things that we do is label the turns with phrases like “Your turn” and “My turn” to reinforce the concept.

9. Incorporating Sensory Play

Play, done right, can make use of all five senses. The more immersive the experience, the better. Many children with autism enjoy sensory experiences. At Monarch House, we can introduce engaging activities like playing with kinetic sand, water, or bubbles. It’s one thing to experience a cool handful of sand as it flows smoothly through your fingertips and another to share this experience with a friend. We can get the ball rolling on how to go about shared play by describing sensations and reactions as they happen. It helps to describe your observations, such as:  “Feel how slippery this is.”

10. Celebrating The Small Steps

It takes patience and consistency to gain progress in shared play activities. So we encourage your child as much as we can. One of the ways that we do this is by acknowledging and celebrating every effort that your child makes to engage, no matter how small. We are big believers in the positive reinforcement model of learning, and we encourage parents and caregivers to do the same. Clapping, smiling, rewards, and verbal praise all motivates a child to continue interacting. In this way they develop new skills and growth. 

Your child might not want to run out and  join the local baseball team right away. However, they may be drawn to a game of frisbee in the backyard. It takes time to build the skills and confidence to engage with other people in a shared play experience. It’s a gradual process, requiring creativity, patience, and a consistent approach. By using these strategies to encourage engagement, while tailoring the activities to their special interests, we can work together with other caregivers, parents, coaches, and educators to help your child with autism develop essential social and communication skills. At Monarch House we have a professional, interdisciplinary staff of occupational therapists, behavioural therapists, psychotherapists, and speech pathologists that are here to help. The ultimate goal is to create quality, meaningful connections and find a fun outlet for their interests. It’s possible with a little trial and error, and consistency, to make playtime a joyful and enriching experience for both your child and their partner in play.