Tv, Toddler and Autisim???

Autism, definition of:
"A pervasive developmental disorder of children, characterized by impaired communication, excessive rigidity, and emotional detachment."

TV causing autism? No.

If that were the case, the entire population of the United States with the possible exception of the Amish would be afflicted.
This has all the earmarks of an urban legend.
There's an increased incidence of autism in children of parents who were elderly when they had kids. There's an increased incidence of autism when certain drugs, such as thalidomide, are taken during the first trimester of pregnancy. Exposure to rubella virus (German Measles) during the first trimester can also affect that developmental window when autism can develop. They think there is a genetic component to autism, like cystic fibrosis or sickle cell disease.
Vaccines do not cause autism.
Thimerasol (a preservative) does not cause autism.
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/spec-grps/parents.htm#myths

Further Comments:
By not immunizing, people are increasing the odds that women will be exposed to rubella during their first trimester and that will increase the chances for that unborn child to have autism. The persistence of this vaccines-causing-autism myth would be laughable if the ignorance were not so dangerous to other people's children.

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This is not true. Both of my kids have watched TV since they were very small, and both are in the gifted spectrum.
But I'd advice to watch what she watches closely , unless its something you want her repeating then don't let her watch it cause pretty soon she will be quoting from what she watches.

Just because it's daddy watching spongebob with her it doesn't mean you can't put limits on what she watches. He's got to learn that there are somethings that aren't appropreate for kids.

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TV does not cause autism. Autism is NOT caused by any action a parent may, or may not, take. You cannot influence whether or not your child has autism -- he (or she) is born with it and it immerges at some point within the first few years. The early warning signs are usually seen between 15-18 months of age. If you haven't seen any of the suspect behaviors, I'll bet you don't have anything to worry about. :)

P.S to Lynn B: There is NO DIRECT LINK between Immunizations and autism!! The one single study that claimed a "direct link" has just recently been completely debunked by not only the worldwide medical community, but also the periodical that originally published the "doctor's" bogus "research." The periodical just issued an apology a few weeks ago for publishing such a piece of trash "research." And that "doctor" who performed the "research" is having his medical licenses revoked. I suggest you take your own advice and "research it!"

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Anyone can produce a commercial and push an agenda they're passionate about. It doesn't mean there's any fact to it.

Look at all the controversy regarding Global Warming - just as many scientists are showing there's no evidence as there are scientists that show there is.

For years, autism has been correlated to vaccines. Now the article that originally made the connection has been retracted by the medical publication (11 years after the fact).

A quick Google search just now yields all kinds of articles. A good question is why this generation of kids has more autism than our generation who likely watched just as much TV.

Before making any rash decisions, talk to your pediatrician and understand as much as possible. Right now, scientists and doctors really don't have any answers as to why the numbers of children with autism are increasing, but one theory is a better understanding of the spectrum of disorders and being able to recognize/diagnose them.

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I agree with the other moms, while there really isn't anything inherently good about TV viewing, it's also not the cause of autism. In moderation and with the right content TV viewing is fine.

As the mom of an autistic boy I will venture a guess that it is POSSIBLE that autistic children are drawn to the TV for stimulation therefore studies may show that autistic children watched more TV but it was not the TV viewing that was the cause of autism. THIS IS ONLY A THEORY :-)

Good luck,
K.

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For goodness sake , there is no proof that what Lynn B says in true. Also TV cannot cause autism. It's not an illness , just kids are wired differently and have different learning styles to other kids , it is something they are born with , just like being born deaf or blind or with a birth mark.

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You've gotten a lot of responses, i'd like to add that perhaps you can suggest some other ways for Daddy to bond and cuddle that doesn't include Spongebob. You'll find some inappropriate content in that show, I thought it was harmless at first but then my preschooler started using words like stupid and other things that were less than ideal. You might try having a basket of toys with you that you bring from room to room while you are cleaning house tht your daughter can play with. That worked for us.

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Television does not equal Autism. As an aunt to a profoundly Autistic nephew I can only shake my head at mis-information. I do believe that too much television is the cause of overweight and sometimes hyperactive children, but certainly not autisic.

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Ditto Beth & Summer, kiddo has also been watching TV since he was small and is also in the gifted spectrum. TV does NOT cause Autism (or giftedness for that matter). It's not recommended by pediatricians and psychologists for a number of reasons, but not because it causes autism.

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there has never been any proof of tv watching causing autism. i have a child with autism, i could tell when he was 4 months old, so obviously tv watching didn't cause his...

and to Lynn B - please stop spreading the "vaccines causes autism" ignorance. that's what it is - IGNORANCE. there was ONE study a few years ago that associated a WEAK link, the dr that did that study has since ADMITTED that he SKEWED THE NUMBERS and that there was NO LINK. we are seeing a resurgance in this country of diseases that were irradicated many many years ago, largely b/c parents STILL believe this ignorance. if you personally don't want to vaccinate your children, have at it, but please don't spread lies to other people.

Independent of autism concern, pediatricians recommend no TV before 2 yrs. Here are some additional info on TV and children:

http://blogs.goddardsystems.com/Cedar-Park-TX/2010/02/09/...
http://blogs.goddardsystems.com/Cedar-Park-TX/2010/02/06/...

I'm pretty confident that you don't need to worry. You can't believe everything you read, and you should use your own judgment and make sure you daughter has alternative activities to watching television. BUT, a few shows per day--especially educational ones like on NickJR and Sprout--are not going to hurt her.

That sounds like the old "Bobby watches TV. Bobby has Autism. Therefore TV causes autism" reasoning. I wouldn't worry so much about it. If you interact with your child and she interacts with you it is a good thing. I am sure there were autistic children before there was TV.

Lots of things can trigger autism, but TV is not one of them! It can be attributed to learning disorders and other issues, but autism is not one of them.

I disagree with it. But keep reading and informing yourself. I have heard this, but I think autism has more than one factor. Or we just don't know the factor. There are more hormones in the food/meat we eat now-adays. There's more tv watching now-adays (true). More vaccines now-adays. More pollutants, etc. The list goes on.

that is such poo! if that were the case baby instein and my baby can read all those made for baby tv movies would be in trouble. from what i understand autisim is either from the persirvitives in shots or they are born with it. seems very silly to me!

If you dont want your baby to autism then DONT immunize!! That is the direct link. Research it :)

I see that you have gotten a lot of responses but there are studies that show an Autism link with TV watching as the brain is developing. There is no exact known CAUSE for Autism but there are genetic markers for it and lots of "we thinks", etc. about Autism. As other people have said - a babies developing brain IS affected by TV watching and if the Autism markers are already present then it can help the illness turn that corner! Just because people say they let their kids watch TV and they are fine is also NOT proof that TV doesn't help Autism develop just like saying "I drank wine during my pregnancy and my baby is fine" - the Dr.s don't know how much is too much, so they recommend NONE.

There is a LINK between early childhood development, watching TV and Autism. But is watching Dora one day going to turn your child Autistic - NO.

The American Association of Pediatrics recommends ZERO TV until children are 2 years old and then says to limit it to a maximum of 30 minutes a day!

Even if you don't want to "take back" what you already let her watch - then limit the "background noise" shows and let her have Dora and Sponge Bob with Dad (although, I agree that Sponge isn't the greatest show).

I read your update and I don't want you to think that my comments are getting down on you as a young mom! I had my first at 39 years of age and I still get things wrong and seek advice from others! Bravo for you for reading information and asking questions.

Good luck with your little one!
blessings,
stacy

All I can tell you is that the tv has nothing to do with autism. It is a condition that is not acquired or contagious, babies are born with it.

I have never heard of a TV/Austism link, but it has been shown to cause developmental and language delays plus a whole host of possible problems. TV as background noise has also been studied and has been shown to affect language development. Experts also worry about the quickly changing images of a TV show disrupting an infants way of learning, which is through slow, repetitive movements, and affecting the ability to concentrate. Studies on children who have been exposed to a lot of TV have shown that they have a harder time concentrating and focusing on tasks. The American Academy of Pediatrics asks that your child watch no TV before the age of two. That may seem like a difficult feat at this point, but I would say you should probably keep it to thirty minutes or less per day.There is a ton of info avail. online about TV and small children.
p.s. Also, please immunize. No legitimate research shows a link. There were though, 9 children at my daughter's school this winter with whooping cough (a potentially fatal illness that is immunizable) because of ppl. who don't immunize, and it was very scary for us.

as the mother of an autistic (asperger's syndrome) child I can honestly say that I don't believe TV has had anything to do with it. The only time he sits still long enough to actually watch tv is if there's a race on. otherwise he might listen to tv while reading a book or playing a game. Asperger's is a high functioning form of autism however he's 18 in years but about 9 to 12 most days in development of social skills and behavior

I have a son with an autism spectrum disorder, saying that and telling you that I don't know everything about autism, I am almost positive that tv does not cause autism. It is hereditary and can come from certain things the child is exposed to. Now, saying that, I have heard it can cause an atttention problem if they watch too much. Hope this helps!!