Effects of Joint Attention Mediated Learning for toddlers with autism spectrum disorders: An initial randomized controlled study

The purpose of this study was to determine effects of the Joint Attention Mediated Learning (JAML) intervention on acquisition of joint attention and other early social communication competencies for toddlers with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Twenty-three parents and their toddlers were randomly assigned to JAML or a control condition. Observational assessments were collected at pretest, posttest, and follow-up sessions, while standardized developmental measures were collected at pre- and posttest. Significant intervention-×-time interactions, favoring the intervention group, occurred for the observational measures Focusing on Faces and Responding to Joint Attention, with both having large effect sizes that maintained at follow-up. In addition, significant intervention-×-time effects, also favoring the JAML group were found for receptive language on the Mullen Scales of Early Learning and the Communication sub-domain of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale. The observational measures Turn-Taking and Initiating Joint Attention and the Expressive Communication measure on the Mullen, while not showing significant differences between groups, revealed moderate effect sizes favoring the JAML group, suggesting that a study with more power could well detect significant differences on all of the measures. Findings support a focused, developmentally sequenced, systematic, and family aligned approach that targets preverbal social communication development within parent–child relationships.

► JAML targets preverbal social communication for toddlers with autism.
► Toddlers improved on two measures of preverbal social communication.
► Toddlers also improved on standardized language measures not targeted by JAML.
► Large and moderate effect sizes across a range of variables were found.
► Parents rated JAML's goals, outcomes achieved, and intervention process highly.