Recently, there has been an increase in the diagnosis of stimulus deficiency. Parents also have doubts about whether this situation is autism or not. There are two important narratives in the increasingly frequent occurrence of sensory deprivation, especially in children born during the pandemic:

1. A significant decrease in the interest of family members, especially the mother, towards the child, and a reduction in the time spent together.

2. An attempt to compensate for the emotional and social communication gap caused by the mother’s decreased interest by increasingly exposing the child to digital screens (TV, computer monitor, laptop, tablet, mobile phone) for prolonged periods.

In fact, prolonged digital exposure can trigger regression and deficiencies in cognitive, social, and even language and speech skills in children due to sensory and social deprivation. This situation can be perceived as autism.

Distinguishing between stimulus deprivation and true autism requires attention and diligence, and it is possible to differentiate them.