This paper describes an approach to intervention that aims to foster the skill of young children with autistic spectrum disorder to share social attention and action to promote socially meaningful communication. It applies principles derived from research into pre-linguistic development. The efficacy of the approach was evaluated through both a formal research project and within a clinical setting of a Portage scheme with groups of three to five year olds with a severe delay in their ability to communicate/autistic spectrum disorder. Outcome measures showed significantly accelerated levels of participation in social games and associated development of communication skills.