“Something is missing”: Screen Use in the Socio-Familial Daily Life of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Contemporary families are impacted by the digital transformation. More than 80% of households in Brazil have access to the internet and some form of digital equipment (CGI, 2024). In this paper, our objective is to analyze the perception of legal guardians of children with autism, who are followed i...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Santos, Débora Cavalcanti dos, Medeiros, Pollyanna Fausta Pimentel de
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:Brasil
Institución:Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM)
Repositorio:Revista Educação Especial (UFSM)
Idioma:portugués
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs.pkp.sfu.ca:article/87311
Acceso en línea:http://periodicos.ufsm.br/educacaoespecial/article/view/87311
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Child autismo
Screen use
Socio-familial context
Autismo infantil
Uso de pantallas
Contexto sociofamiliar
Uso de internet
Descripción
Sumario:Contemporary families are impacted by the digital transformation. More than 80% of households in Brazil have access to the internet and some form of digital equipment (CGI, 2024). In this paper, our objective is to analyze the perception of legal guardians of children with autism, who are followed in a mental health service in the municipality of Recife/PE, regarding the use of screens in their socio-family routine. This is a qualitative study (Minayo; Deslandes; Gomes, 2011), which employed semi-structured interviews and data analysis based on content analysis theory (Bardin, 2016). The results show that, in the domestic context of families in social vulnerability, the guidance provided by health services regarding screen use in childhood is often considered unfeasible. In these cases, digital screens often assume the role of companions and supervisors for the children, allowing parents to perform certain tasks. We identified that most parents associate screen use with negative consequences, such as ophthalmological problems, mood issues, behavioral difficulties, speech impairments, and social interaction challenges. On the other hand, the reported benefits include the development of specific skills. Regarding the school context, participants report that YouTube is a platform that promotes learning, and it can be used as an educational supplement for better understanding content not assimilated in school. It is concluded that digital screens impact the daily routine of families, but when used responsibly, they can contribute to the children's development.