Entrusting a tablet or a phone to any child can be nerve-wracking, but it can be an excellent resource for autistic children. Technology offers social support apps, audible PECs apps, educational games, and videos. Even individualized therapy options are now available online. But what should parents expect? Are there apps and features they should avoid? Let’s find out.
Entrusting Tech Gadgets to Autistic Children
In 2017, around 45% of the technology kids were between 3-4. Parents can choose from countless apps when deciding what to install on their children’s devices.
Specific programs can assist children with autism by increasing learning and communication opportunities. At the same time, unmonitored technology can be problematic for any child.
How does technology harm kids with autism?
Autistic children often have obsessive-repetitive behaviors that can transfer over to technologies. They might compulsively play the same video game on their phones or refuse other activities outside the device.
Prolonged screen use can distract children from learning and mental growth. It can also harm their eyes. Digital addiction can affect children and adults of all ages. It is the fear of missing out that feeds this type of addiction.
Some online sites and video games produce bright lights, violent imagery, loud noises, and other stimuli that cause unpleasant reactions in some children with autism. They may cause unwanted stressors in autistic kids prone to anxiety and stress.
Too much time spent on a screen can trigger the amygdala and alter hormones such as serotonin, worsening anxiety in kids with autism. Autistic kids also fall victim to online bullying and harassment commonly present on social media. Moreover, they find it difficult to communicate it to their parents, exacerbating stress and anxiety.
How does technology help children with autism?
Excessive tech use can be harmful as phone and Internet use can overstimulate kids’ autism symptoms, but technology can prove beneficial, too. Technology may simplify an autistic person’s experience of activities that might otherwise cause sensory overload, such as watching sports on a smartphone rather than at a loud stadium live.
Makes communicating easier
Kids with high anxiety levels may benefit from technology to interact socially or complete specific tasks. Computer engagement can help a youngster cope with the discomfort of face-to-face encounters. Autistic children can frequently find face-to-face communication alarming. Communication gets strengthened and becomes considerably less stressful due to technology.
Digital methods of communication enable social connections to form between autistic children and the outside world. They can communicate via text or use technology that converts text to speech. Autistic kids can use assistive technology to transmit automatic spoken commands (Augmentative and alternative communication; AAC).
Aids in learning
Autism affects how children learn things in a variety of ways. For example, visual stimuli get utilized to help absorb topics better if a child with autism is a visual learner. Online educational platforms, computer activities, software, and even math games here can provide a kid with autism with a more regulated and adjustable learning platform. A customizable learning environment rewards attention and helps reduce the frustration associated with typical mistakes. They allow autistic children to work independently and may be adjusted to cater to specific sensors in the body, such as sight or hearing.
Video games can help teach crucial analytical and problem-solving techniques to kids with autism. When repeating the same actions doesn’t work, figuring out a new approach to complete an objective or win a game can transfer into real-world problem-solving abilities for someone with autism.
Thus, video games are not all bad. They are not just a medium of overt distraction but help train kids having difficulty learning. Video games are more rewarding and apparent progression and success, such as unlocking new skins, rewards, weapons, or achievements. It leads to kids becoming much more confident, expressive, and fulfilled.
Parents can control screen time.
Technology and software advancements help parents control how much time their kids spend on their phones. It prevents overstimulation, anxiety, and stress related to excessive phone use. Parents can use remote monitoring apps, a parental control app for iOS 15.3 and Android devices.
Parents can install these apps on their kids’ phones to monitor their online activity, social media, and Wi-Fi. They can then limit the time their kids spend on their phones accordingly. It is especially beneficial for autistic children who are highly sensitive to excess visual and auditory stimulation. XNSPY is one such app available on both iOS and Android devices. This app’s capabilities protect your child from seeing inappropriate content by blocking websites or apps remotely. This parental control app for iOS 15.3 attracted a large number of users. The best part about this app is its constant evolution since its inception. Upon every update release, it adds some needed functions to its armory. Visit this link for a detailed guide on iOS parental controls provided by XNSPY.
Helps locate kids
A concern for parents of kids with autism is the ever-present threat of wandering off. Wandering is caused by feeling threatened or having impaired risk assessment. Children with ASD are four times more prone than non-autistic kids to wander. Up to half of the autistic children with autism between the ages of four and ten start roaming randomly.
XNSPY parental monitoring software for iPhone helps locate kids lost because of this phenomenon. XNSPY’s geolocation tracking option can assist in preventing a disastrous situation caused by a wandering episode. This app provides parents the peace of mind needed when away from their young ones. Parents have complete control over this app’s on-device activity, messages exchanged, and profile data.
XNSPY is one of the greatest parental control programs because of its sophisticated features and user-friendly controls. The app gets set up with a custom location that allows parents to track their location. Whether at home or school. This feature is known as geofencing. XNSPY’s geofencing alerts parents when their autistic child goes out of bounds by stepping out of the calibrated zones. Using XNSPY, you can create virtual boundaries for your child’s protection.
I can’t trust my Jimmy with these gadgets, especially when he’s overstimulated. My husband and I have both gone through at least 5 iPhones because he ends up destroying them. Help!
One of the biggest things we did with our children is to buy otter box cases and use a screen protector. We also worked with them to develop calming skills and monitored for signs that it may be time to place the device down for a bit (this can be a struggle if it is their form of communication though). The mightier app did wonders for our middle daughter on developing calming techniques when overstimulated as well.