Costescu Cristina, Tufar Ioana, Chezan Laura, Șogor Mălina, Confederat Alexandra
Department of Special Education, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Department of Human Movement Studies and Special Education, Darden College of Education and Professional Studies, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA.
Digit Health. 2024 Dec 15;10:20552076241304885. doi: 10.1177/20552076241304885. eCollection 2024 Jan-Dec.
The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and duration of technology use by autistic children, their primary activities when engaging with technology, and the association between technology use and quality of life. We assumed that technology serves as a means of communication with peers, and it is associated with an improved quality of life.
The study sample consisted of 61 parents of autistic children aged 5-10 years old. The Quality of Life for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Scale was used to measure children's quality of life based on parent report, and the Technology Use Scale was used to measure the amount of time spent using technology and its purpose. Data collected were analyzed to identify correlations between technology use and quality of life.
Findings indicate that autistic children primarily use technology for relaxation purposes and a smaller proportion of children in the sample used technology for socialization. A positive correlation was found between technology use for social interactions and higher parental perceptions of quality of life. These findings suggest that while social use of technology is less frequent, it is associated with improved well-being.
We concluded that technology use among autistic children is predominantly for leisure activities; however, when used for socialization, it is linked to a better perceived quality of life. Future research should further explore the specific benefits and potential risks of technology use for communication and socialization in autistic children. Additionally, the efficacy of technology-based interventions in improving social skills and overall well-being should be evaluated.
本研究旨在调查自闭症儿童使用技术的频率和时长、他们使用技术时的主要活动，以及技术使用与生活质量之间的关联。我们假设技术是与同龄人交流的一种方式，并且它与生活质量的提高相关。
研究样本包括61名5至10岁自闭症儿童的家长。基于家长报告，使用自闭症谱系障碍儿童生活质量量表来测量儿童的生活质量，并使用技术使用量表来测量使用技术的时间量及其目的。对收集到的数据进行分析，以确定技术使用与生活质量之间的相关性。
研究结果表明，自闭症儿童主要将技术用于放松目的，样本中较小比例的儿童将技术用于社交。发现用于社交互动的技术使用与家长对生活质量的更高认知之间存在正相关。这些结果表明，虽然技术的社交用途不太频繁，但它与幸福感的提高相关。
我们得出结论，自闭症儿童使用技术主要是用于休闲活动；然而，当用于社交时，它与更高的生活质量认知相关。未来的研究应进一步探索技术使用对自闭症儿童沟通和社交的具体益处和潜在风险。此外，应评估基于技术的干预措施在提高社交技能和整体幸福感方面的效果。
