Objective:

To investigate environmental and family factors associated with daily television watching time among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) children.

Approach:

Key Findings:

• Non-television electronic device usage time (p <.001) and indoor space availability (p =.012) significantly associated with TV watching time.
• Children with ASD watched slightly less TV daily (M = 1.88 h) than TD children (M = 2.03 h).
• Greater family interaction during holidays was associated with lower TV watching time among children with ASD.
• Lower SES and limited indoor play spaces were associated with longer TV watching time.

Interpretation:

The findings suggest the importance of family involvement and environmental factors in shaping TV watching behaviors, particularly among children with ASD.

Limitations:

• The final regression model demonstrated modest explanatory power (adjusted R² =.11).
• The study relies on caregiver-reported data, which may introduce bias.

Conclusion:

The study highlights the potential role of structured family engagement in supporting healthier TV watching habits.

Source

Based on findings from:

Environmental and family correlates of daily TV-watching time in children with autism spectrum disorder and typically developing children

Preeta Rajandran, Sophia Ang, Woonyoung Song, Jaehoon Lee, Shin Ying Chu, Onn Wah Lee, Pui Juan Woi, Ling-Yi Lin, Chien-Ju Chang. Frontiers In Pediatrics, 2026.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2026.1873394/full

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This content is an AI-generated, fully rewritten summary based on a published scholarly article. It does not reproduce the original text and is not a substitute for the original publication. Readers are encouraged to consult the source for full context, data, and methodology.