 Television & Autism
Anthony Jones (28 Sep 2005 16:02)
I have a four year-old boy with autism and feel that his symptoms are made worse by even short exposure to TV & videos.
He seems to become more distant & living in the world of Bob & Pat scripts.
Indeed, kids' TV progs seem to be more real to him than reality, and this has been the case with him since he was 9 months old.
Has anyone seen anything similar or come across any research about children & autism.
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A little info
Allison Widmann, LCSW (29 Oct 2005 4:40)
I am a social worker who works with families who have children with autism. I, too, I have become interested in this topic, but don't have much to report yet. My hands-on experience is that quite a few children can repeat verbatim what they hear on a commercial, but they are not learning social conversation, just repetition of sound. I discouraage TV for this reason, and enourage practice with conversation the child is a part of, not that is just words. Your point in very valid, though, but to a certain extent many autistic children do not have the capacity to "get into" someone else's world on a cognitive level. Is your son responding to the visual stimulation, which is the reason many autistic children watch TV anyhow, not for the content. I am going to see what I can find in this area; if you would like me to forward on information feel free to email me (phoebs@starpower.net). Bless you for your caring and interest in your son's development - nowadays it is very rare. AKW
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More Info
Anthony Jones (7 Nov 2005 14:26)
Just to give more info ...
My son is addicted to kids' TV shows. They are like heroin for him.
He laughs loudly (and slightly inappropriately) at them, knows the scripts (but not what the words mean) & gets very upset when they are switched off.
After a long video session he is much madder than usual, disconected & unruly.
Unfortunately this has become a power issue in the family with those members who have put him in front of the TV unwilling to accept that it is anything other than good - "Look how happy he is when it's on", etc.
My fear is that prolonged TV exposure at a young age (~1 year) is too much for autistics & they are over-stimulated by it.
At last they have a perspective on reality they can understand & they grab it with both hands.
Unfortunately, it stops them connecting with everyone else's reality & holds back their already fragile development.
Thank you for your kind words.
Tony
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Links
Tony Jones (3 Dec 2005 21:20)
I have found a few links of about this.
The following is very interesting as although its about ADHD, it talks about TV being inappropriate for children under 2, which is certianly not a widely-known view at the moment. I've not seen health warnings on CBeebies yet.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/113/4/917-a
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=31871
I think this will be a growing topic over the next few years and in a generation people will look back at present high TV use in the same way we would llook at smoking mothers.
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It is frustrating
Karen (17 Sep 2006 2:24)
It is frustrating that your whole family doesn't see what television is doing, and has already done to him.
The fact that they think it makes him happy is a big problem.
People appear happy when they do drugs - it is still harmful, addictive, and damaging.
Best wishes to you, as that if you can get the TV down to none, your son might have a fighting chance in this world.
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This is really frustrating
Tara (20 Nov 2006 22:53)
It is hard to watch autistic who have so much potential be hurt so much by television. My nephew was once a bright young boy and his prolonged and excesive television exposure turned him into a child who has no interest in other children. My own children often feel hurt by his not wanting to play with them. I don't know what to say to my own kids. It seems a bit weird to say, hey your cousin got this way because his mom let him watch too much t.v. Any suggestions on how to handle this? I want to congratulate all the parents on this page who are trying there best to limit or get rid of t.v. and do the best for their kids.
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More and more evidence is supporting that television causes autism
Barry (25 Nov 2006 21:55)
The first autistic child was diagnosed in the 1940's in the states. That is exactly when television went into mainstream households. Also, autistic children in the 60's came from affluent families who could afford television. The past 20 years the amount of autistic children in the projects is climbing way up, and now it seems that there is a lot of television in those socio-ecomomic areas. As educators, and social workers, and parents, we do have an obligation to get the word out, so that children who may become addicted to television, don't ever get exposed to it.
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TV
Maggie (22 Mar 2006 21:49)
Tony-
We are experiencing the exact same thing with our 4.5 year old son. He has learned a lot from bumble bee videos and prefers educational programing to all others but its the commercials that get him completely wound up. He will flap, grab people around him, push his little brother down or run into me as hard as he can. He also repeats the "between" shows incessantly. So far PBS Kids Sprout is the worst becasue they say the station name alot and do a lot of "coming up" and "but first" and "next" promos.
Last summer in a last ditch effort to control his behaviors and constant repeating of these shows we "broke" the TV for a month and he was a completely different kid! We've started using TV as a crutch again (to make our stressful lives easier) and the behaviors are back with a vengence. Today we started the no-TV before (afternoon) pre-school and his behaviors in school were better. I will try again tomorrow.
It's strange how TV can be so much like a drug to these kids. I am starting to think it is certainly becoming a hurdle in his already difficult life.
Maggie
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TV and autism
mags (9 Aug 2006 0:02)
As a teacher, who has taught a few autistic children, it does seem as though they consume more t.v. than average, and it does seem as though it is difficult if not impossible for them to seperate fantasy and reality. I and several of my colleagues feel as though there is a link to austism and television consumption, but we havn't fount a study to support this idea. It certainly can not be good for any child to watch t.v.
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T.V. should not be shown to ANY child under 3, and very limited to other
Shelley (14 Aug 2006 2:40)
The American Pediatric Society has told us (parents0 for the last 11 years that children under 3 should not watch television, as that it is not condusive to brain development. They have made it very clear that the content doesn't matter. Yet, people continue to abate their guilt and let their infants watch video after video, and convince themselves that it is educational - DON'T LET YOUR KID WATCH T.V. - IT'S NOT GOOD FOR HIM!
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Gameboys and Computer Games
Sophia (17 Aug 2006 18:28)
In response to the Tv thing, my son also responds to Tv like a junkie. I have always limited it. I am now divorced and my ex-husband gives my autistic son large doses of Gameboy and Computer games, Playstation...Ugh!!!! I do not allow any of this in my home, as he takes days to come out of the "game" world upon his return home. Has anyone seen this?
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Slate article on TV & autism
Bruce (6 Sep 2006 20:25)
In Search of the Cause of Autism
How about television?
By Gregg Easterbrook
http://www.slate.com/id/2149002/
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Television very well maybe the CAUSE of autism
Sharon (10 Sep 2006 23:50)
It really does seem to make sense. I have never met an autistic kid who doesn't watch way too much T.V.
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T.V. probably is the cause of autism.
Tanna (11 Sep 2006 0:17)
Most people who work in the neuropysch field believe this to be true, however, coming out with an accusation like "T.V. causes autism" is way too bold until everyone is sure. Nobody wants to "blame" parents, if they are not sure.
In the meantime, Children under the age of 3 should watch NO television at all.
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There does seem to be a link between TV and autism
Shanney (16 Sep 2006 23:47)
It really does appear to be a possible cause .
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TV AND AUTISM
ROBERT sHANNEY (28 Jan 2009 15:37)
Shanney tv and autism.be very interested in your story on he subject
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Very possibly a cause
Dave (18 Sep 2006 2:35)
It, TV, has been speculated as a cause for autism for a while now, but as some posters have suggested nobody wants to point fingers until we've got a real understanding.
As other posters have stated, in the meantime, it is IMPARITIVE that people who have autistic children expose them to NO television. It appears to be too risky.
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Yes, very possibly the cause
Sam (2 Oct 2006 1:22)
It is becoming more and more possible that television is the cause of autism. This is a theory that was discredited ten years ago, but is now coming back to the light of day.
It is very sad that this epedemic is probably preventable. I agree with the above posters. Get the t.v. down to none - it really is not good for your kids.
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New research study shows strong correlation
(20 Oct 2006 7:15)
Easterbrook follows up with a report on a study that found extremely high correlations between TV watching and autism in young children. Note: these are correlations, not demonstrable causal links.
http://www.slate.com/id/2151538
The researchers' report:
http://www.johnson.cornell.edu/faculty/profiles/waldman/autpaper.html
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This is a correlation, not causation
karis (25 Oct 2006 1:40)
I get very frustrated when I see this kind of research being mis-represented. Yes, autistic kids watch TV. It is visual, and they are visual learners. They probably find the escape from the stimulation of life pleasurable, but like any activity, parents must monitor this.
My son did not watch TV much (Mr. Rogers a few times) when he was young, but once he was in preschool he watched a lot of Bill Nye the Science Guy and other programs. He actually learned from these shows, in fact, most of the information from Bill Nye put him in good position for high science marks through middle school. Now, in high school, he developed a keen interest in history, due to watching every WWII movie and show ever made.
The part of I find most objectionable is the underlying message that your bad parenting (having child watch TV) caused autisim. This was said on a radio show in Vancouver yesterday. My son, and many friends had diagnoses of autism long before TV came into the picture.
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Sorry Karis, but your wrong
(6 Nov 2006 22:41)
I'm sorry if it is coming across as people blaming you, but the truth of the matter is, that television consumption probably is the cause of autism.
It is the fact that parents get upset, that has stiffled research. Unfortunately, parents aren't getting the message, and it is a message that needs to be heard. You say you son didn't watch muct T.V. well, children under 3 should watch NO T.V. What part of that is unclear. And the fact that you continue to let him watch it, and fool yourself that it is helping him is really, really selfish.
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Sorry Karis, but you are wrong
(6 Nov 2006 22:54)
I am sorry that you do not understand the difference between causation and correlation in research. It is the type of statement that is harmful to parents and leads to misunderstanding. It is too bad that you have to resort to flaming to get across you poorly argued position.
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TV is good for parents but not for autistic kids
(7 Nov 2006 19:27)
perhaps parents let autistic kids watch so much tv, because it is a relief for the parents. That is understandble. But to pretend that it is good for the child is just dilusional.
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Everyone must be honest
Jeraldine (8 Nov 2006 2:19)
It is understandable to be hurt that some "bad parenting" acusations are being made - and they shouldn't be saying that parents of autistic kids are bad parents . However, we must be able to talk about this subject honestly. The truth might be that T.V. causes autism. We have to be able to look at that without parents of autistic children feeling angry. If we are going to learn from our mistakes, it is essential that we be honest about what might be causing autism. Yes, there is a difference betweeen coralation and causation, but it is possible that television is the causation. When the parent said that his autistic child likes autism that did sound foolish. Heroin addicts like heroin - still it shouldn't be given to them.
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People need to hear this message
(30 Nov 2006 1:19)
To the poster named Karis, You have a right to defend yourself as a parent because you probably really didn't know that t.v. causes autism. Continuing to defend showing t.v. to autistic children is very harmful to children. It seems like you talk about what is harmful to parents, but this site is about helping children and people with autism. We are trying to get people to understand how harmful watching t.v. is, and that there are real physical damages being done to brain development.This is sad. The researchers at Cornell are just trying to get people to look at this, and the British Columbian radio stations are making an honest effort to get people this information, so that we can stop this epidemic. Why would Karis be angry at this? Karis reminds me of people who defended smoking while pregnant.....We didn't have the information 20 years ago, but we have it now. Let people hear it. Why do children have to continue to be harmed by television because some people won't let the word get out. I agree with the posters who say get the word out, so parents are at least informed.
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Your son was watching T.V in preschool?
(8 Nov 2006 2:20)
To Karis,
You said your son was watching T.V at pre-school. Do you not see a problem with that?
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Missing the point
(9 Nov 2006 5:45)
As a researcher and statistician myself, what I am opposed to is when research results are misinterpreted and generalized by the media. This is what is happening here, and it happens all of the time. Yes, my son did watch about 60 minutes of tv over a week when he was in preschool. PBS, no commercials, educational science stuff. We would sit together an talk about the subjects. This was highly monitored, as it should be for all children. Let's face it, the overwhelming evidence shows a genetic cause for autism.
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Let's all be civil
(14 Nov 2006 0:32)
We really need to not get defensive when people are trying to get to the root of this problem. Karis, it does seem as though you are not even looking at the posibility that t.v. might be the cause of autism. Let's just look at it, and try to prevent it in for future children. It can't just be a genetic cause, because why the major upswing in autism? There does have to be something environmental. T.V. very well might be it. Autistic children seem to watch a lot of t.v. and t.v. should not be shown in any preschool, or school, or to any child under the age of 3 at all.
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Study at Cornell
Jesse (14 Nov 2006 2:13)
There was a study published at Cornell last month, as a lot of you know. Many univesities here in Canada have been publishing this for years, but now that a major Ivy league U.S. university publishes it, they see it as true. The Cornell study is very well done, and really does show at least a coralation. I believe Karis needs to not take things so personally, and look at the big picture. Regardless of coralation or causation, television is not good for his child. And if he is admitting to 60 minutes a week, it was probably a lot more. He says he sat down and talked with his son about it...aren't most austistic children language imparred a bit. I really don't believe these were all educational shows. People who let their kids watch t.v., aren't usually very educationally minded people. Let's as Canadians at least try to be better than the Yanks on this, and not fall into their television consuption trap.
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Let's get the word out about television and autism
(14 Nov 2006 15:44)
We have a responsibility to let people know that t.v. might cause autism.. yes we will run into some defensive parents, but so be it. Put the word out. That letting young children view t.v. is harmful. What people do with the information after that is their business. Don't let a few people who are in denial, continue to ruin childrens' future.
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It is really sad
(16 Nov 2006 1:11)
Autism is probably a preventable condition, and we can't talk about it openly without people taking it personally and getting defensive.
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Not just autism....ADHD and other disorders
(17 Nov 2006 19:40)
Let's not poo poo this theory. It might really be true.
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This is so difficult to accept
(19 Nov 2006 2:11)
One of my best friends has an autistic son. From the onset he watched so much t.v. Several of us tried to tell her that it was a bad idea, but she didn't agree. Now her son is 7 years old. He bites people at school, and if he even sees a televsion he goes crazy until he can watch his particular DVD. Throws tantrums everywhere they go,and has become a real danger to other children around him.He sometimes grabs other children in inappropriate places, and it is very difficult to have him be able to have around children unless you let him watch t.v., and go through his rituals with his particular shows. If other children express and interest in something else, or don't want to replay his favorite part over and over again, he will scream, kick and bite until he gets to watch the t.v. again. I feel like it is watching a 7 year old do drugs right infront of me. I know it is so bad for him, but his family won't even look at the possibility that this is the cause of his autism, or at the very least making it worse. I don't know what to do or say, as that I feel that his television consumption is wrong, but his family doesn't seem ready to hear it. Meanwhile, he gets worse. Any suggestions on dealing with this sensative topic? As seen with the posters above, people get very upset.
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T.V. is probably the "on switch" to autism
(21 Nov 2006 1:52)
Karis,
Even if there is a genetic cause, it is very possible that television is the "on switch" for autism. Meaning that the genetic factor could be there, but t.v. turns it on. Please don't defend showing television to any children especially autistic children.
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B.C. tax payer
(4 Dec 2006 2:14)
Tax payers pick up a big tab for autism.Yes they deserve services and research, but if this is preventable,we need to know AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, and do something about it. It isn't your own private family matter when you expect us to pay for you having let your kid watch t.v.
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This has to be dealt with
Janet (11 Dec 2006 1:00)
We have to get our heads out of the sand and all work together to find out what has caused this dreadful epidemic. If it is t.v. then we have to do something about it. We can not stay in denial. It hurts to accept research but it is needed to find a cure.
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Hello Everyone
Anthony Jones (1 Mar 2007 15:01)
Hello everyone
Thanks for all of your input on this topic, which has really taken off recently.
The Cornell study in particular shows that there is enough of a link to warrant further research.
I think that TV 'causing' autism seems unlikely but heavy use may well trigger some underlying condition. Cetainly the descriptions of children on this page seem grimly familiar.
What's also interesting in the stories detailed is that many people just don't see (or don't want to see) the harm that heavy TV use causes to younger autistic children.
It's much easier to focus on how happy the telly makes the kids (until it's offed) than consider the damage that could be done to them.
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Tv and autism- the world is going mad
sasha douglas (4 Apr 2007 23:30)
TV does not cause autism, the very notion is laughable and the research based on pure speculation relating to the sales of satellite tv and the amount of rain fall. I have worked closely with an autistc girl for the past 6 years and understand the desperation parents feel to find a reason, or a cause, for autism. I am saddened to see so many people willing to believe any piece of ill-researched work based on nothing vaguely medical or scientific.
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Thank you Karis and Sasha
Matt (1 May 2007 3:48)
I'm late to join this conversation so I apologize. I do want to start by thanking Karis and Sasha for keeping a sort of equilibrium here.
TV is not the CAUSE of autism. The fact that Karis made this statement months ago and was attacked by others is ridiculous but in some ways understandable. Parents of children with autism are grasping for anything and I understand that. At the same time, you have to be able to understand the difference between good research (or in this case ethical conclusions to empirical research) and poor research.
To all parents: just because you read it doesn't mean it legitimate. With computers and the internet, rumor and inaccurate information are at all time highs. The Cornell study (more on this below) was conducted by Economists. For a group of economists to suggest anything about the causes of autism is at the very least ridiculous if not approaching unethical. To make statements regarding the causes of autism without adequate knowledge or study of the condition of autism is completely irresponsible.
First and foremost, the study is a correlational study. In every college level introductory course to statistics you learn not to confuse correlation with cause. They may be related (or correlated) but cause can not be determined from this type of research. As many people have suggested on this site, children with autism are visual learners and seem to be infatuated with television and video games. So, who is to say that autism in these young children wasn't already established (but undetected because of young age) and that these children reacted positively to early exposure to television (a highly visual stimuli)? Then, these parents might have allowed their children to watch more (for whatever reason but not because they were bad parents). And when these kids were older, they were diagnosed with autism. This is one theory that I don't necessarily support but in this case. autism was the cause of increased television watching (not the other way around). With correlational research, both the Cornell studies claims and the theoretical claim that I suggested (but doesn't necessarily support) would result in the same correlational findings. So, correlational research doesn't mean cause. There are many factors that could be the cause of autism that are also related to television watching or precipitation amounts or vaccinations or genetics, etc.
Second, good research is published in peer (other researchers in the field) reviewed journals. At this point, the Cornell study has NOT been accepted in any peer-reviewed journals. Therefore, its not published research. Its only presented on their own website and parenting magazines and parenting websites. There is a good review in TIME magazine that points out man of the same issues that I'm suggesting.
Third, lets not confuse defending television with respect to the Cornell study with saying that its good for you. And lets not confuse negative experiences with television with causation either. I've read many people stating that television is not good for you. That may or may not be true but if it is true that doesn't mean its the cause of autism or ADHD or obesity. I don't think that Karis was suggesting that television was good for kids (like vegetables and milk). Rather, he was suggesting that if used and monitored in an responsible ways, that children CAN actually learn from some television. There is actually some really good (and published research) on children's learning from programms such as Sesame Street, Blue's Clues, etc. And these are from researchers who study learning for a living (not an economist). Okay, that is my last jab at the Cornell people.
Last, to parents of children with autism, please look forward and not backward. Although, it is important to learn and study the causes of autism, I think parents should focus on intervention and supporting their children (and you probably do). Autism is not caused by something parents intentionally did (television or otherwise). Its a condition that is natural and we should focus on supporting these children reach their dreams. Let medicine and allied health research focus on causes. Let us do the loving and supporting.
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Matt (12 May 2007 13:35)
P.S. Since my first posting, I've talked to colleagues who study autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This study is a water cooler joke and is not expected to be accepted by any credible journal. I'm actually submitting this to another colleague who teaches an undergraduate course in research methods and design. It will be a poster-study of skewed science and approaching unethical research.
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Speak for yourself
Andrew (22 May 2007 6:10)
These researchers found a correlation between autism and TV. They did not conclude that TV causes autism. That is why their paper is titled with a question. Nevertheless, TV and video games are a known contributing factors for ADHD. It would behoove you to not even consider the possibility that there might be a link to autism. This is what they said about smoking and cancer a few decades ago, and about DS and older mothers, or about CO2 emission and global warming... We have an autistic child who has shown dramatic improvements since we eliminated TV. We did this directly as a result of the Cornell study we read about. I can't speak for all parents with autistic children, nor can I prove that TV causes autism, but these guys at Cornell did us a great service. Perhaps someone out there might benefit from this study like we did. TV has never proven to be beneficial for anyone, autistic or not. So what's the harm is stopping it? Why are you getting so defensive by the mere suggestion that there might be a correlation to autism?
Regarding medicine and allied health, while there are excellent medical doctors who treat autism, I have learned not to rely on the prevailing medical expertise for anything except emergency surgery. Go to quackwatch.org and see for yourself what they have to say about autism treatment. Bio-intervention, diet, auditory therapy are all bunk, as are the connection to vaccines and antibiotics. The only thing proven is ABA, and even that was on the quackwatch list not too many years ago.
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Matt (30 May 2007 4:20)
All I did was dispute the validity and reliability of the Cornell study. I didn't suggest that TV wasn't worth eliminating/reducing from any child's daily routine. In fact, I would support this notion but not because it has anything to do with autism. One of the hallmark symptoms of autism and ASD is the difficulty with taking another person's perspective (thus problems with language learning and social communication). When one is watching TV, they loose the opportunities to learn these complex behaviors (language and social communication). Your child has probably made improvements because of increased opportunities to interact with people and thus learning language and social communication. That is the only thing TV needs to be chastised for and same with video games. They reduce the amount of time for social engagement.
And I'm not getting defensive at all. If there is one good thing that comes from the Cornell study is that maybe parents (whether their child has autism or not) will reduce TV watching but not because it causes autism.
And yes, the Cornell study DOES suggest that TV is the environmental trigger to autism. They do talk about causation. Read the paper on their website. I did. And it is still the only place you can read the paper because no one will publish it. TV DOES NOT CAUSE AUTISM. The fact that they used precipitation levels and cable subscription rates to conclude that autism is correlated to TV watching. For one, just because cable subscription rates are higher necessarily have anything to do with increased levels of TV watching. Again, they make a huge jump with no proof. Again, this is terrible science at best.
And let's just say there was proof that higher subscription rates and precipitation meant increased TV watching. Children with autism are highly visual, as you already know. Did the Cornell study ever suggest that maybe children with autism are drawn to the visual medium of TV. And maybe TV subscription rates are hihger because parents get some respite while their child is fascinated by thier visual preferences. Did they ever suggest that autism causes increased TV watching? No because that's not interesting. That conclusion is equally ridiculous because its a correlational study!
And who do you think was saying that about smoking and cancer? It wasn't science. It was tobacco industry with a bit of a bias. Science connected all of the causational links that you mentioned. Yes, science is slow but jumping to conclusions about TV subscription rates and precipitation amounts is laughable...just ask anyone in any field related to autism. And no, not economists.
By the way, ABA is great for many behaviors. However, there is no link between ABA and higher level language learning (anything more than labeling objects) and social communication. The nature of ABA (stimulus-response) and social communication (context-dependent interactions) don't theoretically match. And the research supports this notion. Or I should say lack of research. I encourage you to find playgroups and social experiences for your child with a trained professional who specializes in fostering social interactions and social opportunities. Your child will be rewarded through positive interactions...that is the reward. Not some ABA therapist with some token (and thus meaningless) reward system. All the best to you and your family.
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Video modelling
C (1 Jul 2007 20:55)
On the other hand, TV and video when used appropriately can provide the perfect medium for educating some children with autism - video modeling. Many studies have shown the effectiveness of this technique.
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Keep On-Message
Anthony Jones (7 Nov 2007 15:01)
Both Sasha & Matt have provided a necessary corrective here, but are slaying dragons that don't exist.
The first line of my original post was "My son has autism, and TV makes his symptoms worse."
I don't believe it caused his condition, but I do believe that too much exposure to it, especially in his first years, has made this pre-existing condition worse, and I wondered if any other parents had seen anything similar.
And although there may have been tangents into causality here, I think the postings show that people at the coalface have seen similar and proper research would be valuable.
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