Abstract
Background Angelman syndrome (AS) is a rare neurogenetic disorder that overlaps with autism and is associated with severe cognitive, speech and motor impairments. Communication and social deficits are found among children with AS, both of which may be linked to impairments in joint attention. Methods The participants in this study were four children with a genetically confirmed diagnosis of AS, aged 5–10. Children’s joint attention responding and initiation were measured using a modified version of a structured assessment protocol from MacDonald et al. (2006). Results Children’s ability to respond to joint attention bids was less impaired than their ability to initiate joint attention. Conclusions Differences in children’s response patterns are discussed in relation to their characteristics on measures of cognitive, adaptive and language functioning as well as on a measure of autistic symptomatology. A better understanding of the nature of joint attention deficits in children with AS may assist with developing remedial approaches to improve their communication and social skills.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
