Screen time does NOT cause autism. Autism starts in the womb, caused by nothing other than the fact that we are all created to be who we are for a reason 😊 The world needs neurodiversity! Screen time can actually be therapeutic for those of us who are autistic with ADHD; I find it very mentally stimulating. Being a little kid with next to no imagination because I didn't see a point to pretending something was "the real thing," I was often bored. When I discovered video games, I finally found something that could keep me entertained and engaged for a length of time! The colors, the fast pace (I'm a Sonic fanatic), the challenge to each level...I found it captivating! Video games are a great way for me to unwind, or to take breaks from tedious tasks :)

I don't think it's screen time or all kids today would have it. I think you're right about genetics and environment.

Son rise program or intensive interaction just google or on youtube might help you

If it was genetic they’d know for sure and there wouldn’t be an alarming, exponential increase in autism starting around the 1980’s. Even with awareness about it and appropriate diagnosis it continues to increase. I don’t understand what medical professionals mean by “environmental”. That’s a cop out and they know it. It’s not like all autistic children are living on superfund sites or among toxic waste! To affect the neurotransmitters in the brain so severely it wouldn’t be food they eat or everyday products they are exposed to.

My son had regression which is uncommon. I still can’t accept his condition when he was a happy little boy ahead on every milestone at the pediatrician visits. He was engaged with others, interacting, and even speaking at 14 months. Then at around 18 months he started to change, lost the words he had, stopped responding to us or making eye contact. It’s been a nightmare that I can’t wake up from. But I know I’m not alone in the pain and anguish I feel for my precious child and for our family.

The most accepted answer is that autism is genetic and that environmental factors may influence how autism presents itself. But it’s not the parents fault or the result of bad parenting.