They Say: Autism is Linked to Watching TV

re: They Say: Autism is Linked to Watching TV

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:22:39 GMT

Sheri, I am certainly not calling attention to this study to blame the parents of children with autism. If anything, the study puts the blame on the shoulders of Baby Einstein, TeleTubbies, and other TV programs marketed at the very young. I firmly support the American Academy of Pediatrics' warning against letting children under two watch television, which you apparently followed, so there is certainly no need to feel any guilt.

I have a close friend with two boys who have been diagnosed with autism, and she thought the study had merit. It was at her urging that I chose to share it. Of course, as I pointed out, the study certainly has holes in it--for instance, who's to say that spending more time indoors, which means higher exposure to chemicals, was not the key factor? Renee, thanks for pointing out that the study was not published in a peer-reviewed journal, which does cast it in a dubious light.

I just believe that, until there is a cure, it is important to consider every study on the topic. If that means ripping a study to shreds, by all means do!

re: They Say: Autism is Linked to Watching TV

Dad — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 01:16:17 GMT

Thank goodness I don't live in one of those 4 states! My kids can watch all the TV they want!

re: They Say: Autism is Linked to Watching TV

Sheri — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:49:38 GMT

Great......considering Nate didn't even see tv until he was 2 1/2...

Just what parents of children on the spectrum need, more frigging guilt that we did something to cause this....

Thanks.

re: They Say: Autism is Linked to Watching TV

chyna823 — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:57:02 GMT

I also wonder if the reason is the other way around--children with autism tend to watch more TV, perhaps because their parents need the break more. Just a guess...

re: They Say: Autism is Linked to Watching TV

Renee — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:54:13 GMT

(other) renee: You know, I can't actually tell if the paper was ever peer-reviewed - it certainly was never published in a peer-reviewed journal. The only place I can see that it's published is as a working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research (a private non-profit research foundation), and their site doesn't say anything about their publishing practices.

Anyway, I remember reading this when it came out (I'm a research psychologist specializing in child cognitive development), and thinking it was mildly interesting, but a pretty big stretch. It may be standard practice for economists, but I can tell you that no responsible psychologist would make such grand and inflammatory claims over this type of research design.

re: They Say: Autism is Linked to Watching TV

kpearce — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:21:48 GMT

Also, let's note that these researchers are from the business school, the policy school and the department of economics. They are making an economic argument about cable spreading throughout the U.S. and increased viewership in colder places.

But looking at more communication/psych/medical based research on the same topic, there hasn't been much done specifically on autism.

But a 2001 10-year lit review by Susan Villani found that the primary effects of media exposure are increased violent and aggressive behavior, increased high-risk behaviors, including alcohol and tobacco use, and accelerated onset of sexual activity.

A 2005 study looked at the impact of TV viewing at age 3 on cognitive skills at age 6 and 7.

"Each hour of average daily television viewing before age 3 years was associated with deleterious effects on the Peabody Individual Achievement Test Reading Recognition Scale... on the Peabody Individual Achievement Test Reading Comprehension Scale... and on the Memory for Digit Span assessment..."

Not good stuff. It isn't autism, but doing worse on reading and counting? Not good at all.

re: They Say: Autism is Linked to Watching TV

leahsmom — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:17:08 GMT

The media does this all the time - two things happen at the same time - boom! We Have Found the Explanation!

This is why I don't read the paper anymore.

re: They Say: Autism is Linked to Watching TV

kpearce — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:02:24 GMT

The researchers never made a causal claim, merely that there is a correlation between television viewing and autism. It is the media reports that make it sound causal.

re: They Say: Autism is Linked to Watching TV

renee — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:43:48 GMT

Inferential Statistics 101: The Ecologic Fallacy. Unless you show that the kids who watched TV and the kids who have autism are the same kids, you have not proven anything. I'm surprised this made it through peer review.

re: They Say: Autism is Linked to Watching TV

Oh come now — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:34:56 GMT

This story is from 2006 and been picked apart as scientifically suspect to say the least.

Oh well, you made me click.