Joint Attention Assessment in School-Age Children With Autism: A Thematic Analysis for Technology Integration

Joint attention (JA) is one of the fundamental early social and cognitive skills that play a significant role in education, language acquisition, social interaction, and autism diagnosis. In educational settings, JA facilitates engagement, collaborative learning, and communication development. However, JA is often weakened in children with autism, accentuating the need for precise assessment to support intervention and individualized learning strategies. This study aims to analyze current JA assessment practices using a qualitative study conducted through a focus group session and one-to-one interviews with specialists and teachers at a special school for autism. Thematic analysis was applied to the collected data to identify assessment practices, challenges, and perspectives on technology-assisted evaluation. Based on the findings, the study proposes a conceptual framework grounded in activity theory to guide the integration of technologies such as eye-tracking, computer vision, virtual/augmented reality, and AI-powered tools into JA assessment, aiming to improve objectivity, scalability, and overall efficacy.