Internet addiction and attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder symptoms in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.
Autistic teens who show more ADHD signs also show heavier addictive gaming—so measure both early.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Kawabe et al. (2019) looked at autistic teens in a Japanese clinic. They asked who also had signs of internet addiction.
The team compared ADHD symptom scores and daily game hours between the two groups.
What they found
Teens with both autism and internet addiction had much higher ADHD scores. They also played portable games longer each day.
The link stayed strong even after the doctors checked for other factors.
How this fits with other research
So et al. (2019) used the same clinic sample and tracked the same kids for two years. They found that most teens naturally cut back on internet use, which suggests the addiction label can fade even when ADHD symptoms stay.
Bozoglan et al. (2022) saw a similar autism–internet link in younger kids, but parenting stress was the big predictor instead of ADHD. The age gap may explain the switch: teens have more freedom to game, so their own attention problems matter more.
Fine et al. (2008) showed that inattention hurts social skills scores in autism. Kentaro’s team adds that the same inattention also pushes autistic teens toward heavier screen use.
Why it matters
Screen every autistic teen for ADHD symptoms—quick rating scales work. High scores flag extra risk for internet over-use and give you a talking point with parents. Build simple replacement activities that compete with portable gaming: short walks, trading-card breaks, or joint YouTube watching that turns into conversation. Track minutes nightly; even small drops predict the natural remission Ryuhei et al. saw.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
AIM: Several studies have reported that internet addiction (IA) is more prevalent in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the characteristics of ASD adolescents with IA are unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of IA in ASD adolescents, and compare the characteristics between the IA and the non-IA groups in adolescents with ASD. METHODS: The study included 55 participants who were outpatients at Ehime University Hospital and Ehime Rehabilitation Center for Children in Japan, aged 10-19 years, diagnosed with ASD. Patients and their parents answered several questionnaires including the Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale-IV (ADHD-RS). RESULTS: Based on the total IAT score, 25 out of 55 participants were classified as having IA. Although there were no significant differences in AQ and Intelligence Quotient, the higher scores of ADHD symptoms in SDQ and ADHD-RS were observed in the IA group than the non-IA group. The IA group used portable games more often than the non-IA group. CONCLUSION: The ADHD symptoms were strongly associated with IA in ASD adolescents. More intensive prevention and intervention for IA are needed especially for the ASD adolescents with ADHD symptoms.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2019 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2019.03.002