MbShea@PWP@English@UMCP

There are many stages of development in human. Learning about the environmental and neural cues that cause development may be helpful in treating disorders such as Autism. A newly theorized hypothesis has shown that autism be can a result from a malfunction in the brain circuitry that control Joint Attention. Joint attention is defined as a process where individuals are attuned to the same object. Joint attention can be initiated by verbal or non-verbal cues causing one individuals to look at the same object as the person giving that commands’ Joint attention can always be initiated by pointing. Studies have shown that infants who engage in joint attention are more likely to have a more diverse language production and comprehension. Primary, the studies looked at infants between the 10-12 months. However, studies have not been able to pinpoint how exactly gestures have led to this phenomenon. A study I have been working on at the Child Development Lab at UMD, examines the role the Mirror Neuron may play in the development of language. Discovered by Rizzolatti and his team in the 1990’s, the mirror neuron is responsible for allowing us to replicate actions that we have previously seen. This paper will describe the mirror neuron circuit, the experimental protocols used in my internship, the correct used of gestures to advance language development, and the theorized results.

WC: 226

Reader Profile: This paper could be read by fellow researchers or parents interested in techniques to help advance their children.

Reader Response: A response from fellow researchers could be: If they were looking at the formation of language and social awareness, shouldn’t it have been a longitudinal study rather than over a period of 2 months… An interesting idea, but to what extent should I uses this information to help my child. If my child does not exhibit the same results as other children, should I assume that he/she has a neurodevelopmental disorder such as autisms. Being a relatively new topic, would there be any side effects to this training. I wish there were more references or similar experiments included in the paper that may have assuaged my doubts…

Thesis: The mirror neuron is a relatively new component of the brain. Since its discovery, there has been some thought that the circuitry involved with this neuron may be involved in learning. This paper, which is based off the study I currently assist with, will examine the function the mirror neuron may play in the formation in language and social cognition through pointing gestures.

Voice: Third person
Citations: APA

A, can you name the number of studies? Who developed the hypothesis? What type of work happened in response to the Rizzolatti paper, now almost 20 years old?

Make sure that the first third or so of your document addressed this line of inquiry.

Also, you note a parent as a reader. How do they stumble across your paper that is pitched to a technical research audience?

Do you want to conclude your document with a related one or two page fact sheet/description about joint attention for patient families?

Touch base with me on this.