To introduce a tablet to Autistic 5 YO?

I think the TV is better than the tablet.
You can control and have more oversight of what he is watching
He can't get into endless scrolls
You can choose slow paced, less stimulating shows eg 90s TV
No games designed to be addictive
No risk of strangers
It becomes an activity that happens in one place, rather than a take-along distraction

We found significantly less screen time helps. We also have found structured exercise really important squad swimming, gymnastics, long distance running. Gymnastics has been particularly good as it's physically challenging but it's constantly leveling up and so much upside time.

Honestly, I'd be wary. For clarity I work with adults with LD, many of whom have ASD and PDA - and I do come across some people for whom a tablet or phone helps them regulate and join in situations they'd otherwise have completely struggled with, however I also come across many situations where the tablet, seeking the tablet, or wanting to know when the next tablet fix is going to happen have become huge sources of anxiety - leading to disregulation and behaviours that challenge. With the PDA issues, anxiety is sky high anyway - and you're potentially adding in the "demand" of "is it time for the tablet yet... do I have to get off the tablet yet" into the equation. I've seen the problems that can cause and they're not easily sorted.

Also sometimes introducing a "fun" tablet means that any possibility of them entertaining an electronic communication aid later goes out of the window as they just look it it like "what the hell is this - it doesn't play YouTube" in utter disgust!

Plus if you do - make sure you know how to filter stuff to fuckery as well - I also know tales of (particularly during the home-learning era of the pandemic) things like young autistic individuals who have a special interest in WW2 military history being at home, time on their hands and just googling "nazis" and the algorithm leading them down some very undesirable rabbit holes.

My granddaughter is PDA and ASD and uses a tablet to regulate but not for long periods of time. She is ADHD so takes frequent movement breaks and my daughter tries to get her out of the house as much as possible. Luckily she is not violent. If it helps him then you should let him have it supervised of course. I am not sure if many on here know how difficult PDA is to cope with. Maybe post on SEN board. Giving him an element of choice but not too much choice is important. Also pick your battles. Is he very active? Would a trampoline or monkey bars help?

The NHS is now distinguishing between tablets/small screens and TV as the research is all pointing to tablets and phones being significantly more damaging.

Professionals involved never recommend tablet use in EHCP or community care plans as helpful strategies for little children to regulate because they aren't.

They do give parents some extra breathing space and time to get on with things that is a different conversation imo.

If it helps you and your family then do it. There’s always pros and cons but it’s not entirely about 1 child. You have to manage your family and survive and have peace too like every parent does. No parent had no screen time ever and we still all feel guilty about it, but we shouldn’t. If it helps the family then it’s worth it x

I actually don’t agree about regulation — screen time and quiet would get my dysregulated DC calm to the point where he could speak instead of screaming. I know that sitting down for a few minutes and playing a game will actually make my brain go quieter. It can be overused of course but you will find quite a few autistic people say it helps them.

the issue to me is that especially with PDA he will not like having limits on the tablet and it will be a nightmare trying to control his use.

I wouldn’t as once he gets used to it, you are going to have a nightmare trying to get him off it. My nephew is 4, and he kicks and screams when he has to come off his tablet. It’s quite sad to see such a young child addicted to a tablet already. They do take him out a lot, but it’s the first thing he asks for. Mine loved cartoons, so i’m not against screen time at all, but this generation scrolling youtube and selecting videos of things like unboxing and other content creation is terrifying. He is not the only young kids I know who finds their own videos on youtube. What is wrong with Cbeebies these days.

I would be very careful. It's not the end of the world if rationed, but it's harder to ration (1) with a more disabled child and (2) if you are deliberately using it as a "regulation" tool as you'll end up relying on it, as well as him. Our experience is TV is less obsession-causing and in that sense "safer".

Our children did have some tablet time but we used environmental cues to help them understand that it was limited, eg never before lunch, never out of the house, never after dinner. It wasn't really a regulation tool, it was a treat that "the rules" controlled the child's access to. Once you are handing it to them whenever they are dysregulated I think it might start ruling your life. And with a PDA child it might be very counter-productive to introduce a big "prize" that you then put limits on - it introduces a lot of potential points for clashing with him through the day, lots of opportunities for him to get frustrated by you saying "no".

I would certainly try swings, trampoline, sensory diet, whatever else OT recommends first, but you probably already have.

I don't think it would be effective. You'd be best looking at meeting his sensory needs using the tools already suggested and OT assessment if possible. Screens are overstimulating and addictive. They are also breakable and a lot more pricey to replace than jigsaw puzzles.

These are also good ideas, if you are able to get support from an occupational therapist they can be really helpful at identifying any vestibular need that your son might have and give ways of meeting it. I have had children who have needed deep pressure via a weighted blanket or otherwise (I worked with one child that used to lie flat on the floor for me to run a huge yoga ball up and down him and that would calm him down), others that needed swings (my own daughter has hanging hoops that she spins on incredibly fast to calm herself down), there is actually an endless list that I could go through but it's individual to each child and what they need. You could ask the school for an OT referral and they might be able to help identify if there is something your son would benefit from in this capacity.

I think tablets are vastly worse than tv. They are typically used to deliver much more stimulating content/experience, it damages children's attention spans and trains them to seek out more and more of that dopamine hit.

Small screens are extremely addictive. Tablets are often used for games, gamification is very addictive. There's also a whole lot of highly stimulating content produced for tablets that is designed to be..... addictive.

In terms of ways to help your son regulate have you consider meeting sensory needs that can help calm:

• showers & baths /water play
• sensory toys like playdo
• weighted blankets
• classical music, stuff with lots of different instruments and a wide range of pitches and sounds
• physical activity: trampolines, climbing frames
• swings

Your local council might have services that can help. Maybe ask another school if needed for help finding them.

In all honesty what I do in school is far easier to do in a school setting than it is at home, but it could be done with planning and support.

When I work with children with ASD who are violent and get a dopamine response from violence I work out their triggers and I try to remove as many of these as possible. I also get to know the child's stress cues and watch really carefully for these. I'm not the best at putting it into writing (particularly not at this time of night) but basically the more they carry out that behaviour, the more it builds a pathway in their brain that makes that behaviour the automatic go-to response. I spend a long time and go to great lengths trying to avoid those triggers for an extended period of time.

Some children with ASD who I have worked with have been in a constant state of stress because they have constantly been surrounded by so many triggers for so long but have never developed coping mechanisms for those triggers and they can't develop those coping mechanisms while they are in a high-stress state. It is really really hard to remove them all and it is really draining as you are on high alert all the time for so long which is why I think it is far harder to recreate at home- I could go home at the end of the day and switch off and I wasn't trying to do it while cooking the dinner or doing the washing. But if you are able to do that then the child can come down to their baseline state where they are emotionally regulated without those triggers. Then you can start to create coping strategies, this ranges from child to child but I have had children who have needed to run away if they are stressed, so we find a safe way to do this like giving them a place to run to, or who need a dark space with no sensory stimulation and so we set that up for them. We would do social stories to support them in understanding how to respond in those situations and use these spaces. Then I would gradually start to reintroduce the triggers, very slowly and making sure that the child has an out that they are able to take as soon as they need to.

It can be particularly difficult with non-verbal children to identify the triggers and it needs a lot of observation. I worked with one child who started coming into school really upset and aggressive each day and we had no idea what the trigger was, it was ages before we realised that his taxi was going past a park each day that he had once hurt himself in but once we knew that the taxi took a different route to school and so the outbursts stopped after that.

I'm under no illusion as to how much harder it is at home to in school, hence why I would never judge a parent for putting on the TV or giving their child an iPad if the parent feels they need a moment to breathe, but I just think it's important to be aware that it is more helpful for the parent's emotional regulation than the child's (but don't feel guilty about that because they need you to be emotionally regulated and functioning more than anything).

He needs medicating, not screens.
Honestly just don’t OP. The tantrum that will inevitably happen when you have to take it off him will be so violent. They are dangerously addictive.

I think that you should move thus to the SEND board. From reading some of these responses, I imagine that most of the people that have responded will have absolutely no idea of how exhausted you are and of the challenges you face.

I ended up caving and giving a tablet to my then 9 year old just do that I could get some rest. This was after being up until 1am every morning for a year when they simply could not settle for bed, no matter what I tried.

I had tried scores of other eats to get them to settle but these tactics only worked for a few days before they ended up staying up late again. The only thing that worked was Melatonin. The tablet made zero difference to how long they stayed awake for (that blue screen still doesn't affect my child in the same way that it affects NTs) but it sure as hell gave me a fighting chance of at least getting some respite when I was also trying to work 30 hours/week and raise two kids with SEND.

I've never limited time on the tablets either. I left them to self-regulate which worked. My kids are out of the house every day, are well behaved and doing well in school. Then, they come home to their screens to switch off from a world that doesn't work for them.

The two rules that we had on introducing the tablet were no social media and part of the privilege of having a tablet, is that Mummy can check it any time she likes. They are mid teens now and those rules are still in place.

I hope you don't have animals if your DC attacks and hurts them.

What events lead to violence?

You say he enjoys puzzles but can't do these now as they get broken and snapped- would ones like this be an option that would be very difficult to break?

https://jackies-kids.uk/products/stacki?currency=GBP&country=GB&variant=50719222563158&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&stkn=4e17088206f7&gc_id=22618462747&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22608525324&gbraid=0AAAAApBOiCt3F921hTKW73AbLU8aI9MKf&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_vnQBhCxARIsADcZyxLSNivjSSfDmGOEYnFAWHXbjGsMPvnY8hMnPzcOERj7___sZB4aOsMaAmayEALw_wcB

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sensory-Autism-Tetris-Silicone-Puzzle/dp/B0B4ZV6BLW/ref=asc_df_B0B4ZV6BLW?mcid=0b04dcaa664b33afb96589c32bf4e878&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=697323600425&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8684174937574714031&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9180949&hvtargid=pla-1875844874319&psc=1&hvocijid=8684174937574714031-B0B4ZV6BLW-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1

When he does the free play at his afterschool club, what aspects of it does he enjoy? Can any of those be recreated at home for him?

Does he/you not have support form SENCO?