Abstract:

The Manifestation of overt ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) symptoms can be as early as before age of 3, yet the diagnosis under existing technique takes intervention only after 3 years old, on which the autistic children miss the optimal intervention period. The mismatch will makes autistic children likely to miss the optimal intervention period. The empirical evidence showing that the development of joint attention and empathy can be of importance as to an early warning of autism before the age of 3. The abnormal early joint attention development is a vital incentive for autistic speech disorders and social barriers. While the deviation of the early empathy may lead to ASD social barriers and communication disorders. The article depicts the trajectory of early joint attention and empathy, to summarize the neurophysiologic, genetic and environmental mechanism that affects the early development of the two. Future studies to combine molecular biology and neuroimaging techniques will provide significant evidence-based indicators for early warning from reaching on the brain cell layers.

Key words: ASD, joint attention, empathy, early warning, infant