Scientists say they have identified the amount of screen time in children that increases the risk of autism

Allowing toddlers to use tablets or watch TV for more than 14 hours a week puts them at a ‘significantly’ higher risk of autism, controversial research has found.

Australian researchers discovered that two-year-olds who spend a large amount of time looking at screens are more likely to exhibit autism-like symptoms at age 12.

Experts have long been sounding the alarm about the impact of screen time on children’s development.

But the researchers, who followed more than 5,000 children, acknowledged that the paper was purely observational and could not prove causality.

Other scientists today also urged the public not to panic, saying the study proves ‘there is no factual evidence’ linking screen time to autism.

It is not yet known exactly what causes autism, but it is sometimes passed on to children through parents.

And research shows that it occurs more often in children of older parents, but also in mothers who are overweight or have pregnancy complications.

About one in fifty young people fall on the spectrum.

Affected children may find it difficult to make eye contact, understand how others are feeling, or take a keen interest in certain topics.

Autistic young people may also take longer to fathom information or repeat things.

Recent studies have discovered a link between the duration of screen time and autistic traits in young people, the team said.

In the new study, researchers surveyed the parents of 5,107 children about how long their child spent in front of a screen each week.

A follow-up questionnaire when their child was 12 then asked the parents if their child had been diagnosed with autism.

They found that 145 children had been diagnosed.

Writing in the diary, JAMA Pediatricssaid autism researchers the risk was “significantly greater in children with more than 14 hours of weekly screen time compared to children with less than 14 hours of weekly screen time over the course of two years.”

They also recommended that doctors inquire about screen time during early childhood as part of a broader assessment of child development.

They added: ‘Screen time can be a useful marker for identifying families who need extra support.’

But scientists, who were not involved in the study, questioned the validity of the results.

Dr. James Findon, senior lecturer in psychology at King’s College London, said: ‘While this study showed a link between screen time before the age of two and a diagnosis of autism before the age of 12, this does not indicate a causal link.

‘This is consistent with our understanding of the development of autism, which is mainly genetic.

‘What the results show us is that autistic children tend to have longer screen time than their neurotypical peers.

‘Screen time often gets bad press, but for many autistic children screen time can be helpful.

‘This may be because screen time helps them regulate their emotions and calms them down during periods of sensory overload.’

Dr. Rachel Moseley, an expert in psychology at Bournemouth University, also said: ‘The findings of this study cannot tell us anything about the direction of the relationship between being autistic and time spent on screens.

‘It is more likely that children who are already autistic but not yet diagnosed, and their parents, may experience particular benefits from screen time.

‘Note that autism is rarely diagnosed before the age of two, but autistic children are still autistic before that point and develop differently.’

It comes as the Children’s Commissioner warned last month that children forced to wait years for autism diagnoses on the NHS are being ‘robbed’ of their childhood.

Data accessed by the independent watchdog shows that one in six children seeking an autism diagnosis had waited more than four years through NHS community services as of March 2024.

Autism is not a disease and people have it from the moment they are born, although it may not be noticed until childhood and sometimes much later.

Autism exists on a spectrum. Some people will be able to live a fully functioning life without additional help. Others may need full-time help.

In September, the Swedish Public Health Agency advised parents not to allow children under the age of two to use smartphones and tablets or watch television.

Children between the ages of two and five should also be limited to a maximum of one hour of screen time per day, new recommendations say.

It follows a similar move by Danish officials who issued their own age-related rules in 2023, only allowing young people under the age of two to use the devices in “very special cases”, such as people with learning disabilities.

Children’s screen time skyrocketed during the Covid pandemic, as lockdowns and school closures forced them to stay indoors.

In Britain, neither the NHS nor the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) have detailed guidelines for screen time in babies and toddlers.

But they do recommend an upper limit of two hours per day for all children.

The UK’s Chief Medical Officer is also suggesting a ‘precautionary approach’ to the use of fencing equipment.