Autism and Joint Attention ─ Development, Neuroscience, and Clinical Fundamentals

From a preeminent researcher, this book looks at the key role of joint attention in both typical and atypical development. Peter C. Mundy shows that no other symptom dimension is more strongly linked to early identification and treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). He synthesizes a wealth of knowledge on how joint attention develops, its neurocognitive underpinnings, and how it helps to explain the learning, language, and social-cognitive features of ASD across the lifespan. Clinical implications are explored, including reviews of cutting-edge diagnostic methods and targeted treatment approaches.

Peter Mundy, PhD, is Professor and Lisa Capps Endowed Chair of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Education in the School of Education and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). He is also Director of Educational Research at the UC Davis MIND Institute. A developmental and clinical psychologist, Dr. Mundy has been working on defining the nature of autism and developmental disabilities for over 30 years. The author of the Early Social Communication Scales, which was selected by Autism Speaks as a recommended measure for clinical trials, he is associate editor of Autism Researchand serves as an editorial board member or consulting editor for numerous other journals.