Audiovisual Media Content Preferences of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Insights from Parental Interviews.
Kids with autism pick toddler-style, copy-cat, repeatable videos—use those traits to choose better reinforcers.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Martins et al. (2020) talked to parents about what videos their kids with autism pick.
Parents described the shows, clips, and apps their children watched every day.
The team did not test or treat anyone; they simply wrote down what parents said.
What they found
Parents said their kids choose toddler-style shows with simple songs and copy-cat actions.
Kids liked videos they could pause, rewind, and watch again and again.
Most families had never heard of apps made just for children with autism.
How this fits with other research
Antaki et al. (2008) asked similar questions twelve years earlier and heard the same thing: kids love cartoons and copy them.
Chebali et al. (2016) went one step further and proved a quick tablet test can turn those likes into strong classroom reinforcers.
Pan et al. (2025) shows why simple, predictable cartoons feel safe: kids with autism miss the fast social cues, so flat, repeatable scenes fit their eye-gaze style.
Why it matters
Pick therapy videos that look like toddler TV: bright colors, songs, and clear copy-me actions.
Use a 5-minute tablet test to see which exact clips work as rewards for each child.
Skip apps packed with social stories until the child shows they can notice quick face changes.
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Join Free →Run a 5-minute tablet preference test with clips that have simple songs and clear actions; use the top pick as a reinforcer in trials.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Most research on the media use of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) focuses on media device use and less on content preferences of these children. We interviewed parents (N = 31) of children with ASD to examine parental observations of their children's audiovisual media content preferences. Thematic analysis of the in-depth interviews found children with ASD preferred media content with features aimed at younger audiences. Parents also reported that content that fostered imitation was appealing to their children, occasionally with observable benefits (e.g., verbalizing words of favorite characters). Additionally, parents indicated that ease of control (e.g., content repetition) and ease of use (e.g., accessibility) made mainstream appealing to their children. Parents reported limited awareness of apps designed specifically for children with ASD.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2020 · doi:10.1007/s10803-019-03987-1