Parent–child interaction effects on autism symptoms and EEG relative power in young children with excessive screen-time

Abstract

ABSTRACT Excessive exposure of young children to digital devices replaces their active relationships with parents and environmental experiences, and may be it causes children to be neglected and developed in a simple and repetitive environment with little social interaction that can lead to negative outcomes, such as Post-Digital Nanning Autism Symptom in young children. This study consisted of 12 children with autism symptoms (33,33 ± 9.95 months) and excessive screen time. Parents were trained for intensive interaction with their child for two months. The Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist was administered (pre-, post- and follow-up) to the participating parents. 19-channel EEG data was recorded from children (pre- and post-test). Our result revealed that after the intervention, the severity of autism symptoms (F = 18.40, p < 0.001, η 2 = 0.63) decreased and relative power of delta, theta and beta bands in some channels changed (p ≤ 0.05). These findings highlight the importance of a communicative and high-quality caregiving environment for young children.