The TV-autism theory, again

If my previous post looked ahead to “new research, new books, and new hopes in our understanding of autism, this one takes a step back.

Back in the middle of October of 2006, a hypothesis—I repeat, a hypothesis—about “TV causing autism” was presented by Michael Waldman, a professor in the Johnson Graduate School of Management Cornell University. Professor Waldman’s paper, “Does Television Cause Autism?”, was readily available for downloading here. The study drew on statistics and data from sources ranging from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ American Time Use Survey to county-level autism data for California, Oregon, and Washington to percentages of households that subscribe to cable television—but not on actual observations of autistic children watching TV (and, as I noted in this comment and, more recently, in the post Soap Opera Therapy, my son Charlie watches almost no TV by choice and, when he does, he does not exactly just sit in front of TV and stare at it, but runs all around the room).

Back in October of 2006, this claim that “tv causes autism” appeared (it seemed) in every news source possible; I exchanged some emails with Professor Waldman:

I emailed Professor Michael Waldman concerning his research study on TV as a cause of autism; he wrote back about his use of statistical techniques and about wanting to present the results of his research as soon as he might out of ethical concerns. Below is part of an email that I then sent back to him.

My experience with autism is purely personal, being that of a mother; as an academic, I understand your wish to make the contents of your research study known much more quickly than is the case when one publishes in a peer-reviewed journal.

I am not alone among parents in finding the hypothesis that television might be a “trigger” for autism quite puzzling. My own son was born with autism—he was autistic well before he ever caught sight of a television. I would also note that I do not consider him to be “sick” with autism. ………

I am concerned that your study, with its link between autism and TV, underscores the perception that autism is something to be avoided at all costs; that is is something that parents ought to fear and worry about their child “getting.” While life raising an autistic child is not easy—-my husband and I have given up academic positions and more to provide our son with the best education and services—it need not be terrible and awful. In fact, life with Charlie is always rich and very good, in ways that I could never have imagined had I not known my son.

I would much like to know if, as part of your research and/or perhaps the genesis for your research, you observed any autistic children? ………..

The notion that “TV causes autism” seems to me as good an example as any about why correlation does not equal causation; see Novel Intent for a scientist’s thoughtful critique of the “TV causes autism” theory.

Consequently, it seemed to me to be something of a setback when I found myself today reading articles about A report links children’s TV viewing to autism; Children’s TV ‘is linked to cancer, autism, dementia’; Great health scandal of our time–TV. The latest study causing the “TV causes autism” theory to raise its weary head (antennna?) is by Dr. Aric Sigman, an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society, who “reviewed 35 academic health studies” for his research, which is published in Biologist, Vol. 54 (1).

It seems that Dr. Sigman’s interest in the effects of TV watching extend beyond autistic children and pre-adolescents: A new edition of his book, Remotely Controlled: How Television Is Damaging Our Lives , was published on the 1st of February. The link between TV and autism that Dr. Sigman is being widely quoted about seems, though, more than a little remote and, at a time when real advances are being made in understanding what autism is, irresponsibly presented.