I’m not talking about neglect. I’m talking about the bombardment of data to a developing brain. The quick flashes and constant changing input, with little interaction.
The average segment on Sesame Street is designed to switch every 47 seconds. Most children’s shows are being made on that model and MTV videos were the adult version for the Sesame Street generation. With synapses developing in small brains, it’s an area that we have not studied. How many homes constantly have a tv running? Maybe not even to amuse the child, but to amuse the parent? Children are natually drawn to commercials, IMO for the same reason.
Add to that, the VCR and DVD where the same sequence is run over and over at a whim. I’m not an anti-tv person, it really may have nothing to do with it, but you being a medical person and me, with a Psych background know that the brain is a wonderful and mysterious thing.
And the trend now is not to label kids “ADD” but “Austsm Spectrum” anyway.
ADD and Autism have completely different behaviors...about the only thing they have in common is brain damage, and the fact that some retarded children who are autistic are also hyperactive.
A true autistic doesn’t recognize people as people...they are cold emotionally and often need a very rigid environment to feel comfortable.
An ADD is hell on wheels, and often has sutle learning disabiities and mild incoordination but they are lovable.
Think “Rain Man” vs “Dennis the Menace”.
But I agree about the TV...and a lot of kids have behavior problems that are from not being with a stable caretaker (be it mom, grandmom, or the same babysitter all the time)...