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Electronic Screen Media for Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Results of a Survey

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Abstract

Social and anecdotal reports suggest a predilection for visual media among individuals on the autism spectrum, yet no formal investigation has explored the extent of that use. Using a distributed questionnaire design, parents and caregivers report on time allotted toward media, including observable behaviors and communicative responses. More time was spent engaged with electronic screen media (ESM) than any other leisure activity. Television and movie viewing was more popular than computer usage. Across media platforms, animated programs were more highly preferred. Prevalent verbal and physical imitation was reported to occur during and following exposure to ESM. Clinical implications to strategically incorporate ESM into learning approaches for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are provided.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the insightful comments by our reviewers and the graduate students who assisted in data collection. We also sincerely thank the families who participated in this project. This study was supported in part by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Communication Enhancement and based on a grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), of the US Department of Education under Grant # H133E030018.

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Correspondence to Patti Ducoff Albert.

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Shane, H.C., Albert, P.D. Electronic Screen Media for Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Results of a Survey. J Autism Dev Disord 38, 1499–1508 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-007-0527-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-007-0527-5

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