Joint Attention with Toddlers: What It Means (and Why It's a Important for Preverbal Skills)
What is Joint Attention?
Joint attention is one of the most foundational preverbal (prelinguistic) communication skills. In simple terms, it’s when a child and adult are both focused on the same thing—and they both know it. It forms a little triangle between: The child, you and the shared object, event, or experience.
Some early skills that might show you that a child does have joint attention are: smiling back at a caregiver, reaching for a toy that someone has, playing simple interactive games such as tag, bringing objects to show caregivers, responding to the communication of others with eye contact, and following a parent’s gaze.
It’s not just about what a child is looking at—it’s about a shared experience
Joint attention is one of the most foundational preverbal (prelinguistic) communication skills. In simple terms, it’s when a child and adult are both focused on the same thing—and they both know it. It forms a little triangle between:
👶 The child
🧑🦰 You
🎈And the shared object, event, or experience
Some early skills that might show you that a child does have joint attention are: smiling back at a caregiver, reaching for a toy that someone has, playing simple interactive games such as tag, bringing objects to show caregivers, responding to the communication of others with eye contact, and following a parent’s gaze.
Early in my years as an SLP, I remember how much emphasis was placed on joint attention, but it was a more rigid form of attention than I look at now. I looked at eye contact in particular. We prompted. We waited. We even gently sabotaged—moving toys just out of reach or pausing a game—hoping to spark a moment of shared focus. This technique sometimes worked, but it didn’t always feel right. Especially when the child wasn’t enjoying it, and neither was I. Some tears and tantrums later, I found an easier way!
Over time, I’ve come to view joint attention differently. It’s no longer about checking off a skill on a developmental list. It’s about connection (actually EVERYTHING is about connection first!)
The key part? The child shifts their attention between you and the object (with their eyes, their body, or even a gesture) and includes you in that moment. It’s not just about what they’re looking at—it’s about sharing the experience- that connection that I was talking about!
But here’s something I want to say loud and clear:
Joint attention doesn’t have to look the same way for every child. It is important that it happens, but it may look different with a neurotypical child than with neurodivergent child or an Autistic child.
A child doesn’t have to make perfect eye contact or point like we may expect. They might pause when they hear your voice. They might hand you a rock or smile when you start their favorite song. That’s still joint attention. That’s still communication and still connection.
Joint attention is one of the earliest ways children learn to connect, to notice what we’re talking about, and to begin attaching words to
their world.
When a child can’t—or doesn’t—share focus with us, they miss countless chances to absorb language. Think about how much vocabulary is built when a toddler follows your gaze to a dump truck and hears: “Look! That’s a big dump truck! It is dumping the dirt out!” Without joint attention, it’s like that learning moment floats right past them.
Joint attention (along with turn-taking) is one of the key markers we look at when distinguishing a child who may have a speech or language delay from one who may have more developmental differences like autism.
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What Might Joint Attention Challenges Look Like?
Here are a few things I encourage parents and educators to watch for:
A child seems “zoned out ” when you’re trying to show or share something
They don’t look where you’re pointing
They become laser-focused on a toy or screen and do not acknowledge anything else going on around them
Simple social games like “Peek-a-boo” fizzle out quickly or never really get going
You feel like you’re working hard just to get them to engage
If any of those sound familiar, know that you’re not alone—and these are skills we can nurture!
We don’t need fancy programs or high-tech tools. The most powerful thing we can do is meet a child where they are, and join their world.
What Can You Do to Build Joint Attention?
Here are a few ideas to start with:
👉 Join their joy: Are they spinning? Spin with them. Lining up cars? Get your own and join the parade.
👉 Match their comfort zone: Eye contact might feel too intense. Try sitting side-by-side and playing parallel instead.
👉 Pause with purpose: Don’t pause to demand a look or a word—pause to create a natural rhythm. A shared breath. A chance to connect.
👉 Use “Show-Hold-Give” routines: During daily routines like snack or diaper changes, model showing the object, holding it up to share, and then giving it to them. These routines create predictable, interactive exchanges.
👉 Keep turn-taking playful and fast: Early turn-taking games should have quick, silly back-and-forths that match your child’s developmental stage. Think: popping bubbles, rolling balls, or pressing buttons on a toy together.
Connection First. Language Follows.
The biggest shift I’ve made in my practice is moving away from performance-based expectations and toward engagement. When we focus on joint engagement rather than “perfect” joint attention, we open the door for authentic connection—and communication naturally follows.
If you’re curious about how joint attention fits into a bigger picture of early communication, I created a resource just for you. My Preverbal Skills Handout breaks down the 11 foundational skills that come before words—like joint attention, turn-taking, and gestures—and shows you:
✔️ What each skill looks like in real life
✔️ Why it matters
✔️ How to support it in simple, playful ways
It’s perfect for teachers, therapists, and families who want to feel confident helping pre-talking children move toward connection and communication. Click for a preview of the Handout kit, or to snag a copy for yourself!
Understanding Communication Milestones: A Guide to Speech and Language Development for Young Children
When it comes to young children's communication milestones, understanding typical speech and language development is key. As parents, caregivers, or educators, it's essential to know what to expect as children grow and develop. Monitoring these milestones can help you recognize if your child is on track or might benefit from the support of a speech-language pathologist or audiologist.
“NOT ALL CHILDREN MASTER SKILLS AT THE SAME AGE”
When it comes to young children's communication milestones, understanding typical speech and language development is key. As parents, caregivers, or educators, it's essential to know what to expect as children grow and develop. Monitoring these milestones can help you recognize if your child is on track or might benefit from the support of a speech-language pathologist or audiologist.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) provides valuable developmental milestones handouts that outline what most children achieve at specific ages. These handouts cover both communication and feeding/swallowing skills, giving a comprehensive view of a child's development. However, it's important to remember that these milestones are general guidelines. Not all children will master these skills at the exact same age, and that’s perfectly normal! The goal is to observe continuous progress in speech and language skills over time.
Key Points to Remember:
General Guidelines, Not Strict Rules: Milestones are not a diagnostic tool. They're a helpful reference to guide you in understanding typical development. Each child is unique, and variations are common.
Look for Continuous Development: Rather than focusing solely on specific ages, consider the broader range of development that may happen before and after the expected age. This holistic approach allows you to see a clearer picture of your child's progress.
Know When to Seek Guidance: If you're ever concerned about your child's communication or feeding skills, don't hesitate to reach out to a professional. Early intervention can make a significant difference in helping children reach their full potential.
“GET TEXTS ABOUT MILESTONES, SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES AND WARNING SIGNS OF A SPEECH OR LANGUAGE DELAY”
Resources for Parents and Caregivers:
ASHA has partnered with Bright by Text to provide free, expert-backed resources and tips directly to parents and caregivers of children ages 2-6. By subscribing, you'll receive text messages with practical activities and advice tailored to your child’s age. Content is sourced from trusted organizations like PBS and Sesame Street, covering topics from language and early literacy to health, safety, and behavioral tips. You can get texts about speech and language milestones, suggested activities and warning signs of a speech or language disorder or delay. Text TALK to 274-448
For more detailed information on communication milestones and to access ASHA's developmental handouts, visit ASHA's developmental milestones page. These resources are designed to empower you with the knowledge you need to support your child’s speech and language development effectively.
How much of my child’s speech should I be able to understand? Click here for guidelines.
Remember, every child’s journey is different. Celebrate the progress your child makes, and don't hesitate to seek support if you have concerns. Together, we can ensure our children grow into strong communicators, ready to engage with the world around them.
Speech Therapy Tips for Minimally Verbal Preschoolers
How do I get my child to talk? What can I do at home to help my child communicate what they want and need? If my child isn’t talking, is there anything I can do?
These are some initial questions that I hear when I first see a minimally verbal child for a speech and language evaluation. Although it is important for intervention (speech therapy) to be tailored to the individual child, there are some intervention techniques that are helpful for all children.
How do I get my child to talk? What can I do at home to help my child communicate what they want and need? If my child isn’t talking, is there anything I can do?
These are some initial questions that I hear when I first see a minimally verbal child for a speech and language evaluation. Although it is important for intervention (speech therapy) to be tailored to the individual child, there are some intervention techniques that are helpful for all children. Some experts (Fish, 2016; Velleman, 2003) suggest intervention for young children include the following (modified from article by Megan Overby, PhD, CCC-SLP original article Sharon Gretz, M. Ed.):
Learning to imitate gross motor skills
Large motor movements (such as clapping, hands up to be picked up)
Actions with objects (banging two blocks together)
Imitating vocal play (i.e. raspberries, tongue clicks)
Imitating oral-facial movements (i.e.,puffing cheeks out, blowing kisses)
Vocalizing visible early sounds such as /m/, /b/, or /d/ (e.g., /mmmm/, “muh” or “buh”)
Vocalizing to get attention (e.g., “uh” and pointing to a cookie)
Sound effects: animal noises (e.g., “grr” for a tiger, vehicle sounds)
As children start using more of the above and begin to use more sounds imitatively and spontaneously, focus can include more functional vocalizations:
Words with distinctive pitch patterns (e.g., “uh-oh,” “wow,” “whee,” “yay”)
Words with strong emotional meaning (“no”, “up”)
Vocalizations that can be paired with actions (e.g., “whee” as a car goes down a track, “hi,” with a wave and “oops” when an object falls)
Sound effect words (e.g., “woof’, “beep,” etc.). There are great books that use sound effects (see Blog post, 13 Tips for Choosing Books for Preschoolers)
Verbal routines and singing (e.g., songs like “5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed,” favorite predictable books like “Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do you See”) : (see Blog post, 13 Tips for Choosing Books for Preschoolers)
Words with very early consonants and simple syllable shapes (e.g., “hi,” “me”, “mama”, “oh no”)
Some helpful speech therapy tips:
Use sounds already in the child’s repertoire to build simple productions (e.g., if a child has /p/, can they learn to say “pop” “up,” or an approximation of those words)
Hold toys or objects of interest near the speaker’s mouth to direct the child’s attention to mouth movements during imitation tasks.
Use movement during practice (push a car down a track to work on “wheee” or build a tower and place block on top and practice “up” then “uhoh” when they fall down.
Make it fun and incorporate play with stuffies or whatever the child is interested in to elicit speech and language (i.e. let your child see you “hiding” toys in the room and have them find them)
Books and music are extremely helpful to facilitate skills.
Keep in mind, once a child begins to use sounds, it is more important to expand their sound and syllable repertoire than to have them accurately produce the sounds ( that will come later!)
The more repetitions you can get the better! Using target vocalizations in play is not only fun for the child, but also encourages the most engagement and in turn increased repetitions.
The primary goals for children who are exhibiting minimal communication skills are (modified from Davis and Velleman, 2000):
Help the child establish a consistent form of communication. This could include sign language, pointing to pictures, using approximations of words, pointing to what a child wants, gestures and facial expressions (or a combination of these!). It is important that the child and the people in their environment agree what a gesture, sound, picture, or word approximation represents or means.
Using alternative communication such as sign language, gestures, or pictures can help move a child toward verbal communication by relieving frustration and establishing a consistent, reliable means of communication (Fish, 2016).
Once my child/student starts vocalizing, where do I go from there?
A hierarchy is suggested for working on production of syllable shapes for children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (modified from Fish, 2016 and Velleman, 2003) but can also be applied to minimally verbal children. I have include the initial steps in this hierarchy:
CV (Consonant plus a vowel) (“me”)
VC (vowel plus a consonant “up”)
Reduplicated CV.CV (“bye-bye” or “no-no”)
CV.CV with a vowel change (“mommy”, “nehnuh”)
Variegated CV.CV (“bunny”)
CVC (“pop”)
CVC with different consonants (“top”)
These are techniques and suggestions that speech language pathologists use in therapy and caregivers can use at home to elicit some speech and language skills. If you are concerned about your child’s speech and/or language development, it is recommended that you contact a speech-language pathologist through your local county or early intervention or preschool program to have a thorough communication evaluation to determine if speech therapy is required.