Digitalization triggers autism!

Stating that the initial symptoms of autism can be measured with various tests, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said that a serious increase in autism has been observed recently with the effect of digitalization. Drawing attention to screen exposure in children, Tarhan expressed that "Especially since the 2000s, autism cases have tripled compared to the previous 10 years and increase threefold every 10 years."

Prof. Tarhan: "The weakening in the family structure causes children who cannot meet their need for attachment to get attached to different things such as television, toys or substances in later ages. Children's development of secure attachment is vital in preventing problems such as autism."

President of Üsküdar, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan discussed digitalization and autism.

Autism is a multi-genetic disease!

Stating that autism is a multifactorial and multi-genetic disease, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said that "In other words, although it is not related to a single gene, it has a genetic dimension. Environmental factors of the disease are also important. The behavior of the mother and other family members is investigated before problematic behaviors occur. Most of these studies show high levels of anxiety, angry moods, lack of social support, and poor coping skills in mothers. In addition, depressive conditions may run in the family. These situations can increase problematic behaviors in children. There are usually genetic predispositions for autism."

The genetic dimension of my autism...

Noting that the genetic dimension of autism can manifest itself in two ways, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that "First, there may be a genetic structure called the 'causal gene'. In this case, no matter what is done, the disease occurs due to this gene. That is, no matter how healthy the parental attitudes are, the child begins to show signs of autism. This is a purely causal genetic condition, and there is a gene that is the direct cause of the disease. The second is individuals with a 'predisposition gene'. In these individuals, symptoms of autism do not occur unless the necessary environmental conditions are met. However, in individuals carrying the susceptibility gene, the brain begins to produce faulty proteins under stress. If this predisposition gene is absent, such faulty protein production does not occur under normal conditions. Therefore, while autism symptoms in individuals with a predisposition gene are triggered by environmental factors, symptoms inevitably occur in individuals with a causal genetic structure."

When does autism appear?

Stating that classical autism usually occurs in early childhood, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said that "Sometimes the child starts to speak, but suddenly closes. This can also be a symptom of autism. However, often the symptoms of autism are noticed by delayed speech. If the child has a delay in speech, this leads to the suspicion of autism. In addition, repetitive behaviors are seen in these children. They may show resistance to new situations or changes. This is called 'adherence to routine'. For example, they may exhibit behaviors such as wanting to sit in the same place in the evenings, always wanting to go the same way to school, always sitting in the same row in the classroom, and arranging the toys in the same way. In addition, behaviors such as repeatedly turning the wheel of a toy car, constantly turning a swivel chair, or showing intense interest in spinning things such as a washing machine are also frequently observed. They may also be attracted to shiny objects and like to collect shiny things such as glass or metal."

What are the symptoms of autism?

Explaining that although these symptoms are observed mildly at first, they may increase over time, Prof. Tarhan continued his remarks as follows:

"Not making eye contact is one of the most distinctive traits of these children. They find it difficult to form an emotional bond. When you hold an autistic child in your arms, the warmth that should be between mother and child is not felt. These children exhibit a cold and distant posture. Emotional transmission is poor in these children because the social and emotional areas of the social brain are not sufficiently developed. The mathematical or visual areas of the brain may be well developed. This condition can even manifest itself as in Asperger's syndrome. For example, a child can make an extraordinary calculation or draw a wonderful picture; however, he may have a hard time conversing with someone or buttoning a button. They may also not be able to laugh at a joke that everyone is laughing at, or they may have difficulty in social interactions. This causes them to lag behind their peers. Autistic children may also have problems with language skills, fine and gross motor skills. Language development, in particular, plays a critical role in understanding the symptoms of autism. Normally, a child is expected to spell around the age of 1.5 and begin to form two-syllable sentences at the age of 2. If a child has not formed a sentence until they are 3 or 4 years old, it can become a more serious problem."

It has increased since the 2000s

Stating that the initial symptoms of autism can be measured with various tests, Prof. Tarhan said that "Around the age of 2, skills such as arranging cubes properly and forming two-syllable sentences are evaluated. However, with the effect of digitalization, a serious increase in autism is observed. Especially since the 2000s, autism cases have tripled compared to the previous 10 years and increase threefold every 10 years. In 2023, the official announcement was made in the United States. "One in 36 kids started to have autism."

The main thing is screen exposure!

Noting that the main issue is screen exposure, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said that "This situation has a very critical effect, especially in children between the ages of 0-3. Normally, children in this age group feel the need to speak and communicate. But when you put a screen in a child's hands, that need is met in an unpredictable and easily accessible environment. Screens present a colorful, moving, and attractive world. In this remarkable environment, the child only takes on the role of a spectator, does not feel the need to produce words. However, when the child communicates with his mother or friends, he has to speak and produce words. In this way, the areas in the brain that produce words, add meaning and emotion to words, and express them become active. However, since he is only a listener in front of the screen, only the areas related to listening work in the brain. The connections between these sections do not develop because other areas are not active. If these critical connections in the brain are not formed until the age of 4, it becomes a very laborious and long-term process to achieve this development. It is necessary to try to compensate for these deficiencies with speech and language therapies. For this reason, the 0-3 age period is an extremely critical period in terms of brain development."

No screens for children between the ages of 0-2 in Sweden

Explaining that the Swedish government recently made a statement emphasizing that children between the ages of 0-2 should never be given a screen, that screen time should be limited to 1 hour a day between the ages of 2-5, that screen time should not exceed 3 hours after the age of 5, especially at school age, and that attention should be paid to this time until adolescence, Prof. Tarhan said that "We understand how important these restrictions are from the treatment processes. When screen exposure is reduced in children diagnosed with autism, it is observed that autism symptoms regress rapidly. This is an important finding that screen use increases the symptoms of autism. Also, when children are removed from screens, they begin to develop quickly. These observations clearly reveal the causal link between screen exposure and developmental problems. The human brain is an organ that continues to develop after birth."

The human brain is programmed to learn in a social environment

Stating that the human baby is born neuropsychologically premature, Prof. Tarhan expressed that "Children walk at the age of about one year and reach full maturity only when they are 14-15 years old. The human brain is programmed to learn in a social environment and therefore needs a suitable environment for healthy communication, speech and social interaction in the early period."

There is also learned autism!

Noting that there is also learned autism such as learned helplessness and learned optimism, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said, "If it is detected early, it can be treated. However, in advanced age, if there is constant screen exposure, if there is excessive computer screen exposure, and also in people who have digital addiction, when we make autism scales, they come out as autistic. It happens a lot in adolescents. His only interest is computers and digital, and they are becoming autistic. They fail socially. They become hackers and even do a great job, but they cannot sit down and chat with a friend. I mean, they have this weird outlier. There are behaviors that contradict everyone. They look funny. This time, they are starting to be alone. They cannot get married or make the marriage work.”

There are also individuals with very mild autism

Stating that autism is a spectrum disorder and that there may be very mild autistic individuals, Prof. Tarhan said that "It is claimed that Einstein was autistic, and this seems to coincide with some of his behaviors. He is an outlier, that is, he does not like to sit and chat, take care of the child, take care of his wife, chat. However, he is excellent at one area. In other words, his logical intelligence is superb. His social and emotional intelligence is crawling on the floor. However, one can change it if one wants. In fact, we do not call it autism anymore, but we call it social communication disorder."

There are various treatment methods that can be applied after diagnosis

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that it is of great importance to diagnose autism first and continued his remarks as follows:

"There are various treatment methods that can be applied after diagnosis. Especially when it is noticed at an early age, positive results can be obtained with intervention. In some cases, a condition called clip syndrome is observed. The child is brought in at the age of 3-4 years with signs of autism, in particular, with complaints of delayed speech. However, when examined, it is seen that the child is constantly exposed to a screen. In the past, televisions and now tablets can be the source of this situation. The child does not need to talk from watching clips for hours. Meanwhile, parents see it as an advantage for the child to remain calm and focus on their own business. However, this negatively affects the child's brain development and development slows down. When screen exposure is reduced, especially if intervened before the age of 4, the child can recover quickly. In this process, the conscious attitude of parents is critical. During the treatment, first of all, digital screen exposure is reduced. Then, digital tools begin to be used for purpose. The child is directed to use digital for useful purposes such as education, learning and socialization instead of entertainment purposes. Digital tools can provide positive effects when they serve a purpose. But when it is used randomly, only for entertainment, the child becomes a prisoner of social media or the digital world."

Only certain areas of the brain appear to be active in individuals on the autism spectrum

Explaining that during the developmental periods of children, especially between the ages of 0-3, there is a "booming" in the brain, and in this process, it is similar to the rapid blooming of flowers in spring; synapses (pathways in the brain) develop at a great pace, Prof. Tarhan said that "During this period, the brain learns and develops many abilities such as fine motor, gross motor skills, language, social and emotional skills. More than 50 percent of brain development takes place during this period. During adolescence, synaptic explosions occur in a similar way. This is the biological basis for the erratic behaviors seen in adolescence. In this period, the attitudes of the environment play an important role in the individual's search for his identity. In individuals on the autism spectrum, it is seen that only certain areas of the brain are active. Treatments are applied from an early age to activate unused areas. Emotion integration therapies (emo-sensory integration therapy) are one of these methods. It is determined which areas of the brain are not used and special exercises are performed to activate these areas."

Treatment and education between the ages of 0-3 make a big difference in the development of the child

Noting that technologies such as magnetic stimulation therapy are also used in the treatment of autism today, Prof. Tarhan said that "Cells and connections are stimulated by giving magnetic stimuli to the brain, thus encouraging development. The treatment method called Theta Burst is applied with magnetic stimulations that last only 2-3 minutes. After the warnings, the child is supported to learn by giving special training. Autism treatment is not limited to technological approaches. Trace elements, amino acids and genetic screenings are also carried out. However, early intervention is the most critical factor. Treatment and training, especially between the ages of 0-3 and 0-6, can make a big difference in the development of the child. Activating unused areas of the brain is done through a similar approach to building muscle. Language and speaking skills can be gained in this way."

Parental attitude is of great importance

Stating that today's unruly use of social media and digitalization can have negative effects, especially on children, Prof. Tarhan said that "At this point, the attitude of parents is of great importance. Parents' competence and awareness have a direct impact on the development of children. If parents can teach their children problem-solving and stress coping skills, these genes will not be activated, even if they have autism susceptibility genes. Such genes are called 'silent genes' or 'dormant genes' and are only activated in stressful environments. Strengthening families is a key factor in the prevention and treatment process of autism. It is possible for children who grow up in a healthy social environment to reduce the risk of autism."

It is very important for children to develop secure attachment

Stating that it is not right to upload everything to social media or digital media, Prof. Tarhan concluded his remarks as follows: "The weakening of the family structure causes children who cannot meet the need for attachment to become attached to different things such as television, toys or substances in later ages. Children's development of secure attachment is vital in preventing problems such as autism. Secure attachment should be taught from an early age. However, today's modern life disrupts this attachment, leading to problems such as anxious attachment or avoidant attachment. These attachment problems pave the way for children to be anxious and sick. Being able to teach attachment is one of the most important elements of parenting. The hormone oxytocin, which plays an important role in the attachment process, supports healthy attachment. However, it is known that this hormone is not secreted enough in children on the autism spectrum. Therefore, a family environment that supports secure attachment and conscious parenting have a critical role in reducing the risk of autism and ensuring healthy development."

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)