DESCRIPTION: The proposed research aims to better understand the effects of interventions aimed at core deficits of young children with autism, joint attention, and symbolic play. Two studies are proposed. The first is a longitudinal follow-up of children with autism who participated in the currently funded intervention study. In this study, 60 children with autism, aged three to four years, were randomly assigned to a joint attention intervention, symbolic play intervention, or a control group. These children will be followed up four years post-intervention when the children are between six and eight years of age. The second study will generalize intervention approach from skilled clinicians to paraprofessional teachers. Forty eight paraprofessionals will be taught over two years, along with forty eight newly recruited preschool-aged children with autism. The goals of the proposed research are twofold: to determine the long-term effect of a targeted intervention aimed at changing joint attention and symbolic play skills in young children with autism. A second goal is to determine the extent to which an intervention successfully implemented by skilled clinicians can be translated and implemented by less skilled and educated paraprofessionals.