Why the Term 'Virtual Autism' Warrants Caution.
Drop 'virtual autism' from your vocabulary; it shames parents and muddies the science.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Jg et al. wrote a position paper. They looked at the new label 'virtual autism.'
The authors asked: Does this term help or hurt kids and families?
What they found
The term points fingers at parents. It says screens 'cause' autism.
The team says drop the label. Use 'screen-related developmental delay' instead.
How this fits with other research
Brandsen et al. (2024) found AI tools tag autism words as bad. Both papers show language can wound.
Burrows et al. (2018) showed toddler screens can worry parents. Jg et al. give those parents a better name for the worry.
López (2015) asked for broader autism models. Jg et al. answer by removing a narrow, blaming label.
Why it matters
When you write reports, say 'screen-related developmental delay.' Parents hear hope, not blame. Teams can then focus on teaching skills instead of fighting a label that hints screens alone made the child autistic.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The term virtual autism has recently been used to describe autism-like behaviors in young children following prolonged exposure to screens. The use of the word autism in this context raises conceptual and ethical concerns by reinforcing outdated ideas about parental blame, misrepresenting the nature of autism as we currently understand it, and causing misunderstanding about autism among the general public. We call for more precise and responsible language and advocate for an alternative term that better reflects the environmental basis of the phenomenon, such as screen-related developmental delay.Lay AbstractThe term virtual autism has been used to describe autistic-like behaviors in young children that result from spending a lot of time using screens. Using the word autism in this context can cause confusion. It may lead people to wrongly believe that autism is caused by screen use and bring back outdated ideas that blame parents. We argue that this term can be misleading for parents, teachers, and the general public. Instead, we suggest using a clearer term like screen-related developmental delay to better reflect the environmental causes of these behaviors.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2026 · doi:10.1177/13623613261434478