A quarterly publication of the Autism Research Institute
Winter 2025 | Number 1, Volume 39
Greater exposure to screens at 18 months of age may be associated with later symptoms of autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or with poorer developmental outcomes, according to a recent study.
Monique Moore Hill and colleagues studied 82 children at either high or low risk for ASD or ADHD. Children were designated as “high risk” if they had an older sibling or (in the case of ADHD) a parent with either condition. The researchers collected data on the children’s exposure to screens—for example, television, phones, and tablets— between 2017 and 2022 and assessed their development at 12, 18, 24, and 36 to 64 months of age. They identified children who developed autism by the final assessment, as well as those who exhibited early symptoms that raised concerns for a later diagnosis of ADHD. (In general, the children were too young to qualify for an official ADHD diagnosis.)
The researchers report that children with autism or “ADHD concerns” at the final assessment experienced significantly more screen exposure at 18 months than children without autism or elevated symptoms of ADHD. On average, they say, “children later identified with autism or elevated symptoms of ADHD experienced more than double the amount of screen exposure at 18 months relative to the comparison group.”
The researchers also say that across the entire sample of children, greater screen time at 18 months was associated with higher scores on measures of neurodevelopmental symptoms as well as lower developmental achievement at preschool age. “Below average receptive and expressive language scores at age 3-5,” they say, “were approximately twice as likely in children with higher amounts of screen time at 18 months.”
The researchers note that their sample size was small and their findings need to be replicated. In addition, they caution that they could not determine the directionality of the association between screen time and autism or ADHD symptoms. For example, they say children with autism or ADHD may have greater difficulty regulating their emotions and behavior, and parents may give them greater access to screen time to help manage challenging behavior.
The researchers conclude, “Randomized controlled trials assessing the effect of screen time reduction strategies on child development are needed to provide greater insight into associations between screen time and developmental outcomes in toddlers and preschool-aged children.”
“Toddler screen time: longitudinal associations with autism and ADHD symptoms and developmental outcomes,” Monique Moore Hill, Devon N. Gangi, and Meghan Miller, Child Psychiatry and Human Development, November 29, 2024 (free online). Address: Monique Moore Hill, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis Medical Center, MIND Institute, University of California, 2825 50th St., Sacramento, CA 95817, [email protected].
