A Social Turn-Taking, Parent Mediated Learning Intervention for a Young Child with Autism: Findings of a Pilot Telehealth Study.

Lee et al. (2023) coached one parent through weekly Zoom calls. The goal was back-and-forth play sounds and eye contact with a two-year-old who had just been diagnosed with autism.

The parent learned to wait, prompt, and celebrate tiny turns. All teaching happened on the living-room floor while the therapist watched on video.

The toddler began giving longer looks and copying play sounds. Mom and child started smiling at the same time.

The parent told the team, "I finally feel like he wants me in the game." Gains showed up in one month.

Fahmie et al. (2013) tried the same Zoom idea ten years earlier with eight families. They also saw better eye contact and first words, so Lee’s single case adds a sharper focus on turn-taking.

Weiss et al. (2021) looked at a bigger group and saw almost no joint-attention growth after natural play sessions. That sounds like a clash, but their kids had more severe delays and no live coaching. Lee’s child had milder needs and a parent who got real-time tips.

Azzano et al. (2023) ran 29 weekly telehealth lessons for a 30-month-old still waiting for diagnosis. Both studies hit high parent fidelity, showing the method works before and after the autism label.

You can teach turn-taking without driving to the home. One coached parent, one tablet, and a bag of toys may jump-start joint attention for toddlers who rarely look our way. Try adding a five-minute "wait and watch" routine to your next telehealth session and track who starts the next turn.