Parental Play and Screen Time in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Comparative Study in the Indian Context
Contributors
Researcher (5):
- 1. Aakriti Khajuria Post Graduate Student, Dept. Of Psychiatry, Acharya Shri Chander College of Medical Sciences (ASCOMS), Jammu ,J&K
- 2. Sunny Babber (Associate Prof., Dept. Of Community Medicine, ASCOMS) Sandeepa Bailum (Associate Prof., Dept. Of Community Medicine, ASCOMS)
- 3. Urvi Gupta (Clinical Psychology Scholar, Sharda University, Greater Noida)
- 4. Ravinder K. Gupta (Prof & HOD, Dept. Of Pediatrics, ASCOMS) (Corresponding author)
Description
Background : In recent years, a noticeable decline in parental play has coincided
with a significant rise in screen exposure among young children. These evolving
trends may have profound implications for social and communication development,
particularly in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Objective: To assess the impact of screen time and parental play on children
diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and to compare these factors with
typically developing children.
Methodology: This comparative cross-sectional study involved a sample of 70
children aged 2 to 8 years. Thirty- five children diagnosed with ASD, according
to the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) criteria and attending the
Postgraduate Department of Pediatrics, ASCOMS & Hospital were included and 35
children in the same age group without autism were taken as controls. Data was
collected from the primary caregivers of both the groups and was analyzed using
appropriate statistical tests and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: Children with ASD had significantly higher screen time and lower
frequency of parental play compared to typically developing peers (p = 0.001).
Only 14.29% of ASD parents reported daily play, versus 40% in the control group.
Screen exposure was notably higher in the ASD group, with none reporting zero
screen time. A significant negative correlation was found between screen time
and parental play in the ASD group (r = -0.561, p = 0.001). Socio-demographic
factors showed no significant influence (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: The study highlights a significant association between increased
screen time and reduced parental play in children with ASD. These findings
underscore the need for greater awareness and interventions to promote parent-
child interaction, increase human engagement and regulate screen exposure in
this population.
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Additional details
Dates
- Accepted
-
2025-10-31
References
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