Panicking about DD, ASD and TV

[AliCanTea]

Put up another thread a few days ago wondering about 15 month old DD and her delayed speech but now I’m really worrying and not sleeping (even when she lets me!)

DD started babbling ‘mum mum’ around 6 months but hasn’t done that for some time. Lots of shared attention but no words, mostly humming. Flaps and tenses a lot... eye contact decreasing rapidly.

We held off on letting her watch TV for maybe her first 10 months and then relaxed it a little. She watched it during nappy changes to stop her crawling away... Now I’ve read that it might cause ASD and I feel deeply guilty and panicked.

Not sure what I’m asking for really. Just an ear I guess.

ASD is a different brain wiring. I honestly don't believe a small amount of TV can make a material difference.

FWIW our DD (first child) is autistic, and never watched any TV to speak of before she was 3 (and has never been obsessed with it - enjoys watching but is generally happy to switch off and do something else after 30 minutes even now at 6).

DS is our second child, had TV basically from birth (because his sister is watching so he ends up watching too), and at 3 I'm as confident as I can be he's neurotypical. He does tiptoe walk sometimes (DD heel walked), and is as capable of completely ignoring me as his autistic sister is (very capable ). Pretty much all the autistic traits are just typical childhood behaviours - but to an atypical degree, or in atypical circumstances.

I have never seen any evidence to suggest that even extreme amounts of TV watching can cause ASC (or even autistic type traits). From what I've read the concerns about TV watching are more about what it might push out (in terms of exploring the world and human interactions) if kids spend all their time in front of a screen - rather than the TV being harmful in itself. Both mine have learned lots from TV and enjoy it in moderation. Also very useful when you're trying to get tea on or take a work call!

watching TV causes autism?...... now I heard it all.