June 02, 2023 12:30 pm | Updated 01:06 pm ISTVirtual autism is a phrase formulated in 2018 by Marius Teodor Zamfir, a Romanian psychologist. He found that children, 0-3 years, who stared at screens for over four hours a day, had “sensory-motor and socio-affective deprivation”. This activated “behaviours and elements similar to those found in children diagnosed with ASD [autism spectrum disorder]”. Autism is a pervasive development disorder, meaning it affects all areas of early childhood development, including speech, sociability, play, and skill development. Zamfir talks about a range, from play therapy and psychomotor stimulation therapy to language stimulation and cognition behaviour therapies.

Source: The Hindu June 02, 2023 19:12 UTC