Precursors to social and communication difficulties in infants at-risk for autism: gaze following and attentional engagement.

Bedford et al. (2012) watched 13-month-old babies who had an older sibling with autism. These babies are at higher risk for autism themselves.

The team used eye-tracking to see if the infants could follow an adult’s gaze to a toy. They also measured how long each baby looked at the toy after following gaze.

Two groups were compared: babies who later showed social-communication delays and babies who developed typically.

Both groups were equally good at turning their eyes toward the toy. Success at gaze following was not different.

The difference showed up in staying power. Babies who later had social-communication troubles looked at the toy for a shorter time after they got there.

In short, the skill of following gaze was present, but the interest in the shared object was weaker.

Congiu et al. (2016) extends this work to preschoolers. They found that older kids with autism could still follow gaze direction, yet they missed the mental-state meaning behind the look. Together the studies trace a line: early attention to the target object fades first; understanding the social “why” comes later.

Gunby et al. (2018) and Lee et al. (2022) show you can teach gaze-shift skills with progressive prompting and fading. Their positive results offer a practical next step for the subtle weakness Rachael spotted.

Gordon et al. (2015) and Veness et al. (2012) looked at gestures instead of gaze. They also found that tiny communication gaps at 12-15 months predict later autism. The papers line up: whether you watch gestures or gaze, infant attention markers matter.

You can spot risk long before diagnosis. If a 1-year-old follows your point but quickly looks away from the toy, note it. Build sessions that reward sustained looking: hold the toy close, add sound, or pair it with social praise. Target length of joint attention, not just the initial turn.