Joint Attention means your child knows you exists and an item exists at the same time.
They can share their attention with you and an item without difficultly.
Ever notice how your child (or significant other) doesn't pay attention to you when the TV is on their favorite show? That would because they are not using joint attention. They are "turned off" and not sharing their attention with you.
Have you ever played fetch with a dog?
You know how some dogs will look at you and at the ball like they are telling you "hey human, could you grab that and launch it across the yard please and I will go get it and come right back to you." That good boy (or girl) is using joint attention. You will see them look at the ball, look at you, and look at where they think the ball is going to go. When the chase the ball they typically run right back to you as they know you still exist (you didn't disappear from the world after they looked at the ball).
So, lets think about our child.
Does your little human share their attention with you and items?
Note: If the TV is on, most humans turn off from joint attention. If a child is working very hard on something (trying to get a block on top of others that might fall or trying to push something heavy, they might turn off their attention. And, if you are making your child leave an activity they love to go do something new, they may turn off their attention.
If your child has mastered joint attention, you should feel like more that half they time your child is "in it" with you. You should feel connected and engaged if they are sharing their attention with you.
PLAYFULLY get in your child's way or put yourself in the middle of their play causing them to have to go through you to get what they need to continue their activity. In order for this to work you must already have the environment set up. If there are many other toys or activities out, your child could just move on to something else and ignore you.
Click Here 👉 For more info to SET UP THE ENVIRONMENT
Click Here 👉 For more in on Following Your Child's Lead & Imitating Your Child
If your child is doing a repetitive task (example your child is walking to a bin with Mega blocks, picking one up, walking across the room, adding the block to a line, then coming back to the bin to get the next one) Add Yourself To The Middle Of This Play! (Example sit in front of the bin taking out one Mega block at a time ready to hand the next block to your child when they come back). Hold the item near your face so your child sees the wanted item and your face. Reward eye contact, gestures, or sounds by handing your child the wanted item quickly. Block access to the wanted items (such as the bin with the blocks) so that your child cannot get the items without you. Act like it is your job to help by handing your child the items.
Note: If your child is not sharing attention with you and items, this may not be the time to prompt for high communication skills such as signing "more" or using a word to get items.
There may be some activities you observe that are more difficult for your child to share their attention. I recommend working on activities that are easier for your child first, then coming back to more difficult activities later when your child has practiced. Typically these may be activities where a child is attempting to "do it themself" like linking trains together when lining them up. Do not give up with activities where you can be I the middle of them play such as handing items to your child! Yes, they would LIKE to do it themselves because that is what they are usd to, but be understanding when your little one is working on a harder skill, such as linking trains rather than lining them up, as they may want to try the task before getting help from you.