Screen-Time Predicts Sleep and Feeding Problems in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms Under the Age of Three

Young children's access to digital devices has increased significantly in recent years. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) use these devices extremely because of restricted and repetitive interests. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the use of digital devices with feeding and sleep problems in young children with ASD symptoms.

The present research was a cross-sectional study. 45 young children with ASD symptoms between 16 and 36 months were selected by convenience sampling method. Data were collected using a lifestyle checklist, the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT), the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS-2), and the Feeding Problem Inventory (FPI). Pearson correlation coefficient and enter regression were used to analyze the data.

Pearson correlation coefficient and simultaneous regression analysis showed that children's use of digital devices had a significant relationship with sleeping late (p <05, r = 0.30), limited food interests (p <05, r = 0 / 31), the mother's dissatisfaction with the child's feeding (p <05, r = 0.32) and the total score of feeding problems (p <05, r = 0.31) in young children and explain 0.09, 0.11, 0.10 and 0.13% of the changes related to the above variables, respectively.

More use of digital devices by children with ASD symptoms is associated with the problems in late sleep and limited food interest diversity, maternal dissatisfaction with the child's feeding behavior and feeding problems in general. It seems necessary to provide interventions to manage the use of digital devices in children with autism spectrum disorders symptoms.