Smartphones, laptops, digital tablets, Xbox, Playstation and other seemingly endless list of digital devices are the focus of our children many days. I know I am not the only parent of a child or teen with autism and ADHD who struggles with the amount of screen time her child insists on each day. It is an ongoing battle, and one in which I feel like I lose most of the time. That is why I thought it would be good to really look at the pros and cons of screen time for children and teens with autism and ADHD.
Screen time parent debate
We know that we live in a digital world. It has become even more so with the Covid-19 pandemic, where many of us found our families online for most everything – work, school, social interactions and even logistics such as ordering our food from the grocery store and restaurants. Now, we are barreling toward the metaverse.
In this world, we parents struggle with our kids and screen time. What effect does too much screen time have on our children and teens? What positive impact does it provide? How much is too much? If they aren’t on screens, how do we convince our children there truly are other things to do?!?
All of this is an ongoing challenge for me, especially with my son J. I love that he has connected with some new friends via the Xbox because he struggles with friends and relationships. Yet, it bothers me the amount of time he spends on it and how much oversharing he has a tendency to do. (That is a whole other matter that I discussed in this blog post on how to keep our children and teens safe online.)
Pros of screen time for children with autism and ADHD
Because our children and teens do need to use technology for education and will eventually use it for the future careers, screens are not all bad. They also allow us to keep in touch when our kids are at a friend’s home or elsewhere.
So what are the pros of using digital devices for our teens and children with autism and ADHD?
1. Helps our kids connect with others
One pro is that digital devices do help our autistic/ADHD kids connect with others. That can include relatives who live far away, friend group chats outside of school or other people they want to stay in contact with but don’t see in person very often.
2. Improves communication ability
For children with autism who are non-verbal, screens offer an essential way for them to communicate. That is especially important if they are using an augmented and alternative communications (AAC) device or software on a tablet or phone. In addition, there are so many apps and games available to help autistic children improve their communication, including reading and writing technology.
3. Enhances social skills
Some games and apps offer social and emotional learning and can be quite helpful. For example, the Social Cipher game (affiliate link; Code: TAMARA10) is a social-emotional learning platform for neurodivergent children. If your child plays multiplayer games, that can allow them to make friends online and help their social skills as well.
4. Offers a reward system
For children with autism and ADHD, using screen time as a reward for appropriate behavior can be a real incentive.
5. Provides a way to calm your child
When you have a child with autism, they will have meltdowns. As you get through the intense part of it, a favorite video or app can be a way to help fully calm your child. If you are waiting for an appointment, screens can be a way to reduce anxiety for your child.
6. Allows autistic children an alternate way to learn
For some, certain software and apps can enhance the way your autistic child learns. They can complement a teacher’s lessons in the classroom.
7. Teaches the technology skills they need for today’s world
So many of our day-to-day activities now include technology, from banking to grocery shopping to time management. Our children need to be familiar with it as they grow more independent and become adults.
Cons of screen time for children with autism and ADHD
While there are quite a few pros for screen time, there are also a lot of cons for it for our children with autism and ADHD. A big one is the impact it can have on their mental health. So what are the cons?
1. Negatively impacts mental health
Studies have shown over and over that too much time on screens can have a true negative effect on our – and our children’s – mental health. It can increase the risk of or make worse depression, anxiety and other mood disorders.
2. Disturbs their sleep
Kids with autism and ADHD already have a tough time sleeping. When you add too much screen time – especially before bedtime – it just makes things worse. Having them turn off screens at least an hour before bed can help them sleep better.
3. Overstimulates their brain
Too much screen time can overstimulate the brain and cause more stress hormones to be released. This can lead to a lot of negative behaviors such as your child misbehaving, unable to manage sensory issues or even a meltdown (especially when the device is taken away).
4. Causes lower attention spans
Our children and teens with ADHD already struggle with being able to focus and pay attention. Yet, studies show that too much screen time can further lower attention spans for all of us.
5. Decreases social interactions
Spending too much time on screens decreases the amount of time that your child is socially interacting with others in person. It also leads to more loneliness. While some social interactions online can be a pro, too much of it can be a con. Children with autism and ADHD learn social skills most effectively by interacting with others face to face.
6. Contributes to obesity
Kids (and us adults too!) are meant to be active. Children should be spending time outside playing, running and having fun. If they are spending hours in front of screens, they aren’t moving like they need to for their development and proper weight management.
Finding the right time limits
So weighing the pros and cons of screen time for our children with autism and ADHD shows that screen time isn’t all bad or all good. Yet, spending too much time on screens certainly leads to many unfavorable outcomes for our kids.
So what is the right amount of screen time to aim for each day?
While the American Academy of Pediatrics has some specific guidelines for screen time restrictions for kids ages 6 and under, experts suggest setting some limits and guidelines for older kids and teens instead of a specific amount of time.
For your child or teen, you may need to set a specific amount of time and then track it. I know we used to have to do that for our son J because we needed to know just how much time he was spending on his devices.
Therefore, keep these guidelines in mind when working with your child or teen to determine how much screen time is enough each day.
- First, discuss the difference between screen time for entertainment purposes versus educational and transactional purposes. If your teen is using technology for school, doing online banking or other types of activities like those, then that is different. What you should focus on is time engaging on social media, watching videos, playing video games and other ways of entertaining themselves.
- Second, what other activities should your child or teen be engaging in during the day? Are they getting their chores done? Eating meals? Spending some time moving through exercise or a sport?
- Third, are you spending time as a family? That could include family outings, dinners together, hanging out, doing home improvement projects, etc.
- Fourth, encourage other non-device activities like reading, crafts, hobbies, etc. so that your child or teen has something interesting to do outside of being on their devices.
- Fifth, set a good example yourself. It’s hard to tell your child to stay off screens and do other things if you do not.
Resources
Need more information about the pros and cons of screen time or ideas to help your child with autism and ADHD be involved in other activities? Check out some of these suggested resources.
Disconnected: How to Protect Your Kids from the Harmful Effects of Device Dependency (affiliate link)
Bark Home — Parental Controls for Wi-Fi | Manage Screen Time, Block Apps, and Filter Websites for Kids (affiliate link)
Parenting in the Screen Age: A Guide for Calm Conversations (affiliate link)
Do you have any additional pros and cons for screen time for our children autism and ADHD? Do you have any strategies that have help with your child? Leave a comment so that we can share and encourage each other on this journey.
