To wonder why screens aren’t investigated as a cause of childhood behaviour issues?

[Peony1897]

We now know that screens, and in particular tablets, have really horrific effects on young children and their emotional/social development - in particular speech, regulating anger, sensory issues and how they interact with their peers.

So why is it whenever we see a thread where a small child has some or all of the above issues, and the OP clearly mentions tablet use or ‘all they are interested in is screens’, the answer is nearly always an autism assessment rather than removal of screens?

Genuinely curious as to why such a clear risk factor is never picked up on.

It would be interesting to see if there's any correlation between preemie babies surviving earlier and earlier and the increase of asd/adhd.

It’s not just kids either plenty of adults are also glued to their phones.

my DD was recently diagnosed via the RTC system (providers contracted by the NHS to assess) yes it was virtual but she picked up on everything my DD did/didn’t do. And she had extra information from us and DD school/EP report. It was not just a one hour and there’s your diagnosis. Misinformation like that is so damaging and frankly upsetting to read.

My DS had his ADOS appt today face to face and they did the exact same thing. If anything the virtual consult was probably better for my DD has she doesn’t really leave the house anyway so this meant she was far more comfortable.

My DD also has ADHD diagnosed privately as we were at breaking point with extreme impulsive behaviour and risk taking. Since being medicated we have had none of that! She is able to concentrate so much more on her work and her tutor can notice a clear difference. Again it was not just a quick hour call and that’s that. They had forms from school, forms from us, a QbTest and a developmental questionnaire also.

it also has a genetic link surely? My DP niece is the exact same as my DD despite different parenting styles. Her school has already picked up on it and she’s only 5.

I can see why parents with ND kids get frustrated at threads like this, we’re all lumped in to one big pile, told we’ve paid for diagnosis, blamed for all the issues.

it is so incredibly stressful I don’t think people realise unless they have lived it.

one thing that does shock me is how young people are giving their children smartphones. They are no no way mature enough to manage that responsibility at 6,7,8…

@ConcernedFriendgbvc56 the current wait for assessment is a huge issue, around four years at the moment I believe. It’s so problematic because if a query of additional needs is made then the child will be treated as if they have those needs until they can be assessed. I believe this approach is necessary as children who are ND need these interventions to support them to be able to function in education and even with this many burn out by secondary school. Unfortunately, this means that some children who are NT will be treated by their peers and their teachers as though they are ND for up to four years, I do not see how this cannot have a profound impact on them. The only solution is for assessments to be much faster but I cannot see how this will change, it’s a mess

I agree with this - so often I see young children with a parent who ignores them because they’re looking at a screen.

There’s no need for a screen in a cafe or restaurant. Just play iSpy, Os & Xs on a napkin, let them do some colouring, chat to them.

I think there must be some reason that so many more children have ADHD & autism. In my first 10 years of teaching I can count on one hand the number of children with obvious signs of ADHD & autism. Now there are probably a couple per class of 30.

I suspect some of these threads are driven by recent changes to the benefit system and the "unprecedented" and "spiralling costs" of SEN provision etc.

This thread has been relatively measured and subtle in its approach, but the underlying theme is slightly questioning of the validity of autism and ND diagnoses in general. I don't know enough about that to comment - I respect the reported experiences of parents regarding their children, and as I said in my previous post, I can't and won't judge.

Screens and reliance on technology in general is a bugbear of mine in general, as I feel we are rushing into a world with little proper understanding of its impact on humanity as a whole.

I think trying to state definitively that screens "cause" or "contribute" to diagnosis of autism / ND conditions is perilously close to old and erroneous assumptions that blame parents, such as "cold mothers", especially as there is clearly a genetic component seen in multiple generations in many cases.

Right now, understandably, frazzled parents are feeling defensive and under scrutiny, and struggling to get support for their children in increasingly hostile and underfunded systems, both medical and educational.

Every situation and experience is unique. Trying to tie it all up neatly into this or that reason might appease some observers, but it might also leave families under yet more pressure and with even less understanding or support.

I think we should tread very carefully in this area, given the current zeitgeist.

My kids were on the autism assessment pathway, long before they were given access to screens in the form of tablets/phones.

The only TV they watched was Cbeebies.

I didn't even own a Smartphone myself until about 3 or 4 years before they became popular.

The sensory issues and meltdowns were occuring before the age of 5 and got progressively worse.

I sang to them, read to them every day, gave them my full attention during waking hours, played with them, spoke to them about our daily routine and we went to some kind of toddler class every day if the week (so I didn't go mad sitting in the house every day). They had a solid routine.

Made no effing difference. They're autistic. As am I and I didn't get alot of screen time growing up either. Had a ton of sensory issues and meltdowns myself. I was apparently a very challenging baby too! My parents said they had the shock of their life after having my mild mannered older sibling.

My kids have unlimited screen time now. It has made no difference to their behaviour or sleep patterns. I find screen time to be a regulating thing for me as it is for them.

Ironically, I only bought my eldest a tablet to give me a break after they went from sleeping 7pm-7am to progressively feeling less tired and staying awake until 8pm, 9pm 12am, 1am and eventually 2am every night over a period of 18 months. After a month of 2am bedtimes, I broke and bought a tablet for them to use sitting in bed next to me to entertain them when I could no longer keep my eyes open from sheer exhaustion. Nothing I tried made them more tired. I tried 40 different strategies over those 18 months. The only thing that had an effect was a Melatonin prescription.

They definitely impact social development and cause behavioral issues.

Everything in moderation.

Though I think adults are equally impacted by screens, people care less, are selfish and behave as they please.

I'm Not including dc with special needs in the above, that is unacceptable.

I think it’s being discussed because of changes in behaviour of students in school & the rising levels of anxiety amongst young people. I don’t think iPad use has anything to do with children being eligible for benefits or better SEN support in school.

Along with use of technology I think a major issue is parents both having to work long hours & so rushing about. I think they possibly rely on technology too. So it’s not an issue of poverty.

Because unfortunately she won't listen to that sort of music and would be bored with it within 10 seconds and wanting to wander about.

Yes to all of this. 🥹

My son has numerous neurodevelopmental conditions but is high masking. School is just not set up for his needs - too loud, busy, and a sensory nightmare.

He does use screens time to regulate when he comes home. A 30 min stint of minecraft or his fave programme helps reduce his stress levels and calm down. This then helps him feel ready to return to more normal socialising.

In an ideal world he'd perhaps do something else. But reading a book is out because he finds it so stressful (highly dyslexic). When he's overwhelmed and exhausted after school he doesn't cope with other people,.his tolerance levels are tiny, he wants to hide away on his own. I've tried lots of other things but that short period of time screens are the best solution.

I also use his tablet if we go for a meal. It allows him to cope with the sensory overload just enough to be there (although tends not to manage to eat). I'd rather he's there and chatting on and off than not able to join in at all.

I do agree though that having screens as the constant solution isn't healthy.

Sometimes neurodiversity is hereditary so it wouldn’t be surprising if the parents themselves overly rely on screens and are addicted.

There are definitely benefits to screens/tech, just have to be careful how we use them (like you did with your children).
Screens were how both my children learnt to read - they learnt with Reading Eggs and the desire to learn in my DD (who didn't learn to read in English until around 8 years old) was triggered by playing Zelda which has lots of reading and getting fed up waiting for me to come into the room to read it out to her. And DS uses the tablet to do Duolingo which is fairly beneficial - he's showing an aptitude for language learning. Youtube has been terrible for him though, affects his behaviour immensely so now he is only allowed to use it for origami videos (his current obsession) because he's doing the origami too, or he watches some Minecraft videos with his dad to get ideas for builds they can do, they are both talking about it during the video so its social interaction too. But the rest of his screen time is not good for him and I really need to cut it down (I do from time to time but then the stresses of life build up and I need a break so give him more time again)

@Lyannaa have you got a source for that?

Many parents say their children only regulate with a screen, but that's not evidence.

This. I don’t see what benefits have to do with this topic. This is about whether screens have contributed to the rise in SEMH issues in kids, given they’re proven to have exactly that effect and their usage has shot up. I don’t see anyone saying autism doesn’t exist just whether the effects of too much screen time can mimic autism symptoms, or whether screen time can exacerbate symptoms in ND kids.

I guess the problem comes when Joe public think they can decide a child isn't autistic enough because they think the parents have allowed "too much" screen time.

I suppose I can consider myself lucky that my children are "obviously" autistic because it would just crush me to get the kind of comments that other parents get (on and offline, I've seen it a lot in real life).

I think it’s tricky. DS1 has autism and ADHD and screen time really helps regulate him. He needs that downtime after school especially where he has been masking all day which is exhausting for him, and it can also bring him down from a meltdown quicker than anything else. I do worry he has too much screen time but (ND aside) is communicative, intelligent and functioning when the screens are off.

The problem is his younger brother who is NT. It is difficult to say no to screen time to him when he sees DS1 with it. He definitely gets too much and I worry about how it affects his behaviour. We are on holiday at the moment which is good to get them both away from screens and nice to see them both playing nicely without a screen in sight.

God I’ve just read more of the thread since I posted and can’t believe some of the ignorance surrounding autism. Both my DC have screens and one is very clearly autistic and the other is very clearly not. So to think that screens can somehow cause ASD or similar symptoms is nonsense.

And of course both asd and adhd can be tested for. We went through several rounds of testing before DSs diagnosis .

You're brave OP!

Of course excessive screen use has an impact on children, it doesn't mean autism etc is caused by them or doesn't exist, but you can never discuss screens without the defensive but what about x, y, z.

Isn't this a bit like saying that if you have PCOS taking the pill will regulate your periods? It doesn't really regulate anything, it just masks the problem temporarily.

It's great that your son is enjoying some screen free time on holiday. Is there anything about your current setup which you could replicate at home?

The defences come because a lot of people will have faced "your child doesn't LOOK autistic, have you tried [insert something ridiculously obvious that the parent has obviously tried here]?"

Parents actually get this in the street, in front of their children!

Do you have ND children?

@Peony1897 you're not wrong but I don't know why you're asking for opinions and then telling everyone they're not qualified to comment, seems like a waste of time.

For me, teachers and early years workers are key in all this. Nobody has been keeping records so I think the best places people to say whether there has been a true change in kids behaviour are early years workers and teachers who have been at it 10+ years. Without exception all have said the same as you - that ND or SEMH behaviours have massively increased and this isn’t the same as better diagnosis. My personal suspicions are that screens play a role in this even they’re not the full story.

My children are young so I wouldn't want to assume anything at this stage.

However, if screens were a good way to regulate ND children, I would expect there to be fewer ND children with behavioural issues today, when most children have access to phones and tablets, than there were ten or more years ago. And yet the opposite seems to be true.

I suspect a lot of people just blame poor behaviour caused by their rubbish parenting on self diagnosed neurodiversity, which must make it a lot more difficult for parents whose children really are ND to have their concerns taken seriously.