Study Finds No Link Between Screen Time and Language Delays in Autistic Children, Contrasting Neurotypical Findings
A recent U.S. study has found that screen time is not statistically associated with expressive or receptive language skills in autistic children aged two to five. This finding, published in Autism Research, contradicts previous research on neurotypical children, where heavy screen use has frequently been linked to developmental delays. The study, led by Meredith Pecukonis, an assistant professor at Smith College, analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of 1,217 autistic children in the United States, collected between 2018 and 2022 through parent surveys. While screen time showed no association, the research did indicate that higher socioeconomic status and more frequent shared book reading were positively linked to better language skills in autistic children. The study also noted that autistic children from higher-income families tended to engage in more shared reading and less screen time.
