The aim of this article is to discuss the development of the joint attention ability and its implications for the early identification of autism. The literature review is based on both developmental theories and empirical evidence. For this purpose, a wider discussion about the development of communication and the concept of intentionality is included within which the issues about the joint attention ability are inserted. Subsequently, the importance of the presence of the JA ability in the child's behavioral repertoire is focused. It is argued that the JA deficits are among the strongest predictors of developmental disorders, in particular of autism.
Socio-communicative development; joint attention; autism; early identification