# What therapy helps a child learn to attend to others? Canonical: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-therapy-helps-a-child-learn-to-attention-to-others Publisher: Pinnacle Blooms Network / Bharath Healthcare Laboratories Private Limited Attention to others is supported through warm, play-based behaviour therapy that rewards each moment a child notices, turns towards or responds to people, builds joint attention through turn-taking and shared play, and coaches caregivers and teachers to invite connection in everyday life. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. *When your little one starts to notice the people around them, a whole social world begins to open up — and the right play-based support gently lights that spark.* ## In short Learning to **attend to others** — to notice faces, follow another person's focus, and share moments together — is most often supported through **behaviour therapy** and play-based social-communication work. Therapists use warm, structured, motivating play to help your child turn towards people, share attention, and respond to faces and voices. With patient, repeated, joyful practice, these social-awareness skills steadily grow. ## The support that helps - **Behaviour therapy (naturalistic, play-based)** — the core support. Therapists follow your child's interests and reward each small moment of looking, turning or responding, building attention to others one positive step at a time. - **Joint-attention activities** — gentle games of pointing, sharing a toy, peek-a-boo and turn-taking teach your child to share a focus with another person — the foundation of social connection. - **Face and voice play** — singing, mirror play and animated expressions invite your child to watch faces and link them with warmth and fun. - **Coaching for caregivers and teachers** — because attention to others grows best in everyday life, your therapist shows you simple ways to invite eye contact, narrate play and wait for your child to respond at home and in class. The aim is never to drill a skill, but to make *people* the most interesting, rewarding part of your child's world. ## When to seek a check A developmental check is worth booking if your child rarely makes eye contact, seldom shares interest by pointing or showing you things, doesn't respond to their name, or seems more drawn to objects than people. ## The Pinnacle way AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional — never from an app or form. From there, a clinician-administered structured assessment shapes a plan built around your child, delivered through our [behaviour therapy](/behaviour-therapy) support. Learn more about [attention to others](/attention-to-others) and how the [AbilityScore®](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated) guides your child's journey. ## Trusted sources WHO ICF (Chapter d7, Interpersonal interactions and relationships); American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) social-development guidance; ASHA guidance on social communication. **Next step —** Want to help your child connect more with the people they love? [Book a social-communication check with a Pinnacle clinician](/behaviour-therapy). This is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. ## Sources - ICF d7: https://icd.who.int/browse11 - WHO ICF — Interpersonal interactions and relationships (Chapter d7): https://www.who.int/standards/classifications/international-classification-of-functioning-disability-and-health - AAP HealthyChildren.org — social and emotional development: https://www.healthychildren.org - ASHA — social communication guidance: https://www.asha.org ## Connected topics and perspectives - Skills: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/skills - Parent: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/stakeholder/parent - Child: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/age/child - Social: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/domain/social - Support: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/intent/support - Act: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/lifecycle/act - Behaviour Therapy: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/route/behaviour-therapy - Family Empowerment: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/empowerment/family_empowerment - Social Awareness: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/ability/social-awareness - Social Responsiveness Scale, 2nd Ed: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/assessment/srs2 - English: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/language/en - SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/sdg/10 - SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/sdg/3 - attention to others: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/skill/attention-to-others - Caregiver: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/stakeholder/caregiver - Teacher / Educator: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/stakeholder/teacher - Therapist / Clinician: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/stakeholder/therapist ## Related question paths ### Recognise signs & concerns - At What Age Should a Child Show Attention to Others?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/at-what-age-should-a-child-attention-to-others - Could difficulty with attention to others be a sign of a developmental delay?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/could-difficulty-with-attention-to-others-be-a-sign-of-a-developmental-delay - Is it normal that my child is not yet showing attention to others?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-it-normal-that-my-child-is-not-yet-showing-attention-to-others - What does it mean if my child is not yet showing attention to others?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-does-it-mean-if-my-child-is-not-yet-showing-attention-to-others - What signs suggest my child may need support with attention to others?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-signs-suggest-my-child-may-need-support-with-attention-to-others - When do children usually pay attention to others?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/when-do-children-usually-attention-to-others - When a child isn't yet showing attention to others: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/as-a-caregiver-what-should-i-do-if-a-child-in-my-care-is-not-yet-showing-attention-to-others - By what age does a child attend to others, and what should a teacher expect?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/by-what-age-is-a-child-usually-expected-to-attention-to-others-and-what-should-a-teacher-expect-in-class - Observing attention to others during a home visit: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/during-a-home-visit-what-should-a-frontline-worker-observe-about-a-child-learning-to-attention-to-others - Attention to Others: When a Frontline Worker Should Escalate: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/if-a-child-cannot-attention-to-others-at-the-expected-age-when-should-a-frontline-health-worker-escalate - Difficulty attending to others: a referral red flag?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-difficulty-learning-to-attention-to-others-a-clinical-red-flag-that-warrants-a-developmental-referral ### Understand assessment - Amber zone for attention to others — what it means: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-is-in-the-amber-zone-for-attention-to-others-what-does-that-mean - What a green zone for attention to others means: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-is-in-the-green-zone-for-attention-to-others-what-does-that-mean - What a red zone for attention to others means: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-attention-to-others-what-does-that-mean - How clinicians assess and track attention to others: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-can-a-clinician-assess-and-track-a-child-s-progress-in-learning-to-attention-to-others ### Explore therapy & support - Techniques to build a child's attention to others: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/as-a-therapist-what-techniques-help-a-child-develop-the-ability-to-attention-to-others - Therapy for Social Engagement in Children: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-therapy-helps-a-child-learn-to-social-engagement - What therapy helps a child build social responsiveness?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-therapy-helps-a-child-learn-to-social-responsiveness - How can a teacher support a child working on attention to others?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-can-a-teacher-support-a-child-working-on-attention-to-others - What therapy helps a child learn social relationship and reciprocity?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-therapy-helps-a-child-learn-to-social-relationship-and-reciprocity - What therapy helps a child learn social interaction?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-therapy-helps-a-child-learn-to-social-interaction - Amber zone for attention to others — what should we do next?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-is-in-the-amber-zone-for-attention-to-others-what-should-we-do-next - Green zone for attention to others — what to do next: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-is-in-the-green-zone-for-attention-to-others-what-should-we-do-next - Red zone for attention to others: what to do next: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-attention-to-others-what-should-we-do-next - How a Teacher Can Support a Student Learning to Attend to Others: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-can-a-teacher-support-a-student-who-is-still-learning-to-attention-to-others - How should a therapist prioritise a child who is in the amber zone for attention to others?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-should-a-therapist-prioritise-a-child-who-is-in-the-amber-zone-for-attention-to-others - Prioritising a green-zone child for attention to others: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-should-a-therapist-prioritise-a-child-who-is-in-the-green-zone-for-attention-to-others ### At home & in everyday life - How can I help my child learn attention to others at home?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-can-i-help-my-child-with-learn-to-attention-to-others-at-home - What is one Everyday Therapy activity to help my child with attention to others?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-is-one-everyday-therapy-activity-to-help-my-child-with-attention-to-others - Helping your child practise attention to others at home: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/as-a-caregiver-how-can-i-gently-help-a-child-practise-learning-to-attention-to-others-during-everyday-routines