The Impact of Autistic Traits on Joint Attention in Young Children With Down Syndrome During Mother-Child and Father-Child Interactions.

Researchers studied how 15 young children with Down syndrome shared attention with their mothers and fathers during play. They found mothers tried to get their child's attention more than fathers did, especially if the child had autism-like behaviors. Children with more autism-like traits were less responsive to their fathers and started fewer attention-sharing moments with both parents. This matters because sharing attention helps children develop language skills later.

This study examined joint attention behaviors during parent-child interactions in 15 young children with Down syndrome (mean age 39.67 months). Researchers compared mother-child and father-child interactions, finding that mothers initiated more joint attention bids than fathers, particularly when children had more autistic traits. Children with higher autistic traits showed reduced responsiveness to fathers' joint attention attempts and initiated fewer joint attention behaviors with both parents. The study highlights differential parent approaches to supporting communication development and demonstrates that co-occurring autistic traits in Down syndrome negatively impact joint attention skills, which are crucial predictors of later language development.

Clinicians should consider both parents in joint attention interventions for children with Down syndrome, particularly those with co-occurring autistic traits. Mothers and fathers may benefit from different coaching strategies. Early identification of autistic traits in Down syndrome is crucial for targeted intervention to support joint attention development and prevent language delays.

Very small sample size (n=15) limits generalizability. Cross-sectional design prevents causal inferences. Study type not clearly specified. Limited information about measurement tools and methodology. Lacks comparison with typically developing children or children with Down syndrome without autistic traits.

Joint attention predicts later language in Down syndrome (DS) and autism. The co-occurrence of autism in children with DS is 6%-19%, which is higher than in the general population. However, little is known about how co-occurring autism in DS impacts the development of joint attention. This study compared mother-child and father-child interactions in families of children with DS.

Our purpose was to investigate differences in caregiver joint-attention bids and whether caregiver and child joint attention were associated with autistic traits and receptive language in children with DS. Fifteen children with DS (= 39.67 months) and their biological caregivers participated in the current study. We collected mother-child and father-child interactions in participant's homes. Using Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests, we examined if there were differences in mothers' and fathers' joint attention bids and if children responded differently to their bids.

We used Spearman correlations to examine the associations between child autistic traits, receptive language, and caregiver and child joint attention. We found that mothers initiated more joint-attention bids than fathers but did not find differences in child responsiveness or initiations based on communication partner. Mothers used more bids when children had more autistic traits. Child autistic traits were negatively correlated with child responsiveness to father joint-attention bids.

Children with more autistic traits produced fewer joint-attention bids with both caregivers. Findings suggest mothers and fathers may use differing approaches to support their child's language development. Regardless of communication partner, children with more autistic traits engaged in fewer instances of joint attention.