Joint Attention, Language Development, and Social Communication among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Tunisia: A Mixed-Methods Study

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between autism spectrum disorder (ASD), joint attention (JA), language acquisition, and social communication from the perspective of psycholinguistics. It explores the problems of establishing and responding to joint attention and its importance in relation to children’s communication, language acquisition, and social interaction. The study also looks at the methods used in education and therapy for improving joint attention and communication development. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, where the data obtained from descriptively analyzed questionnaires were combined with observations and semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the thematic analysis approach. Methodological triangulation was used in order to improve understanding of the problem under investigation. The study concludes that joint attention plays a crucial role in the language development and social interaction of children with ASD. Findings highlight issues with eye contact, social understanding, initiating interaction, and maintaining joint attention, indicating varying skill levels among children. This suggests that joint attention should be regarded as a multi-skilled competency rather than a singular ability