Individual differences in infant skills as predictors of child-caregiver joint attention and language

Current research suggests that the extent to which child-caregiver dyads en gage in interactions involving episodes of joint or coordinated attention c an have a significant impact on early lexical acquisition. In this regard i t has been recognized that individual differences in early developing child communication skills, such as capacity to follow gaze and early infant lan guage may contribute to these child-caregiver interactional patterns, as we ll as to subsequent language development. To address this expectation, 21 i nfant-parent dyads were recruited for participation in a longitudinal study , Early infant language, responding to joint attention skill, and cognitive development were assessed at 12 months of age. Child-caregiver joint atten tion episodes, as well as responding to joint attention skill and child lan guage, were assessed at 18 months of age. Developmental outcome, using the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories and the Bayley Scales of In fant Development-II, was assessed at 21 and 24 months of age. Consistent wi th previous findings, results indicated that individual differences in chil d-caregiver episodes of joint attention were related to language at 18 mont hs. In addition, though, 12 month vocabulary and responding to joint attent ion skill were associated with some aspects of 18 month child-caregiver int eraction, as well as subsequent language development. in general, 12 month child measures and 18 month child-caregiver interaction measures appeared t o make unique contributions to language development in this sample. These r esults suggest the need to further consider the role of infant skills in th e connections between child-caregiver joint attention episodes and language development.