Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Mumsnet Jury - computer in bedroom at 4?

102 replies

MarioandLuigi · 24/06/2011 07:32

DS2 who has ASD loves the computer. He likes to play a couple of games and watch youtube videos. Its his obsession and he gets alot of comfort out of it. I want to get him one for his bedroom so he doesnt always hog the family computer and so he can use it when he wakes up early in the morning.

I didnt let DS1 get a computer in his room til he was 8 and he wanted to use it for his homework and his animation stuff.

AIBU? I dont think I am but something feels a bit wrong.

OP posts:
littleducks · 24/06/2011 17:13

Does everyone who is screaming "hell no!" fully understand the implications of having a child with ASD? I think that totally changes the parenting approach.

I dont have a SN child, so if mine woke up at 4am, I would just send them back to bed...I might let them read to themselves if they woke at 6 but they would have to entertain themselves silently. These options aren't open to the OP so i think its fair enough to consider other possibilities

Original poster
MarioandLuigi · 24/06/2011 17:13

I dont think thats likely to happen.

OP posts:
Original poster
MarioandLuigi · 24/06/2011 17:14

Thank you Littleducks :)

OP posts:
youarekidding · 24/06/2011 17:23

Great post littleducks

Blatherskite · 24/06/2011 17:49

Good post littleducks

bullet234 · 24/06/2011 17:52

"Does everyone who is screaming "hell no!" fully understand the implications of having a child with ASD? I think that totally changes the parenting approach."

Yes, I do. I have 2 children with ASD. Ds1 is nearly 8 and has moderate to high functioning (for want of a better term) ASD and Ds2 is 5 and a half and has, again for want a better term, severe, low functioning ASD. Boith have very significant difficulties and challenges. Both benefit and enjoy the use of a computer greatly. However, there is absolutely no way that I would want either of them to have a computer in their room at the ages they are. Not least with Ds2 because he'd wreck the bloody thing [hymm].

bullet234 · 24/06/2011 17:53

That should be Hmm, obviously.

Blatherskite · 24/06/2011 17:53

Just reading your last post back MarioandLuigi - do you think a PC is the way to go? By the sounds of it, you'd still need to be there to turn the PC on and find the videos for him and find new ones every 2 or 3 minutes too.

Would you maybe be better off with a DVD player where you can put something on and then go back to bed to get another hour or so's sleep?

Would he watch a DVD? Is it possible to transfer an hours worth of his YouTube videos to a DVD so he could sit and watch them without you having to be around to start them all for him maybe?

superjobeespecs · 24/06/2011 17:55

DD has a pc in her room and is getting a netbook for xmas. she likes playing on funnygames.co.uk or some such rubbish theres thousands of games and they keep her entertained :) and off the family pc which OH and i argue about for the most part anyway let alone DD joining in which is why OH is getting me a laptop for xmas whether he likes it or not Grin

Original poster
MarioandLuigi · 24/06/2011 20:26

I think I might go with a DVD player. If I can get the videos from youtube and download them onto DVD I think DS will love me forever, but I dont know if I can Confused

OP posts:
thegruffalosma · 24/06/2011 20:37

DD doesn't have ASD but if she's up at stupid o'clock and the baby is still asleep (rare) then I will put a dvd on and snuggle up with her and go back to sleep - sometimes she will too/sometimes she won't I'm not bothered as long as I do

I see no harm in a computer so long as it's set up so he can't access anything inappropriate or frightening and he's not on it all day.

There's not been one good reason why people have said no imo - it being isolating or making him inactive aren't issues if he is using it during hours that people normally sleep! And I don't believe for one second that anyone's kids are constantly on the go and do no sedentary activities - reading/painting etc.

If you do decide to go with the dvd option OP I'm sure you can burn youtube clips to disc. I don't know how but I'm certain someone on here will.

LaWeasel · 24/06/2011 20:41

DH says there's a couple of ways you can copy the youtube videos.

I would try having a google of Youtube Rip
or asking in the tech section for advice?

Original poster
MarioandLuigi · 24/06/2011 20:49

Will do that LaWeasel, thanks

OP posts:
Blatherskite · 24/06/2011 22:27

DH is snowed under with his mainframe changeover at work otherwise I'd offer his services for creating a YouTube DVD. I hope you get one sorted for your DS OP.

Original poster
MarioandLuigi · 24/06/2011 22:32

Thats very kind - I am hoping its easy-sh and even a non technical minde dperson can do one (fingers crossed)

OP posts:
TalkinPeace2 · 24/06/2011 22:36

Did ASD exist before laptops?
How did those parents cope?
Can you not do the same
and if it did not, ask even bigger questions

Original poster
MarioandLuigi · 24/06/2011 22:42

Did surgery exist before anaesthetic?
How did those patients cope?

OP posts:
cestlavielife · 24/06/2011 22:45

have you tried touch screen ? you can get all inone touch screen (acer, HP etc)

GGwhinny · 24/06/2011 22:46

go with the "but something feels a bit wrong". Suggested read - Jane Healy "Failure to connect: how computers affect our children's minds - for better and worse"
ASD is on the increase in our evermore technological world.

Original poster
MarioandLuigi · 24/06/2011 22:48

The Technological world has nothing to do with my DS's ASD.

OP posts:
MollyMurphy · 24/06/2011 22:49

The computer(s) and TVs should IMO be in the household's public spaces where viewing and activity can be supervised. Also this allows for occasional interaction between family members as opposed to everyone hermitted away using their own technology.

MollyMurphy · 24/06/2011 22:57

I see Mario, reading more, that your situation is perhaps unique though. Tough one - I am really anti screens in bedrooms but you know your son and your families needs so you need to do what you think will keep you all sane.

VanillaRooibos · 24/06/2011 23:10

No I wouldn't

skybluepearl · 24/06/2011 23:57

i wouldn't have a computer in the room. needs to be in a communal space and used for a limited time each day. an hour? thats my opinion anyway.

PiousPrat · 25/06/2011 09:56

For a NT child, no. For an AS kid, hell whatever works for you Wink

Those mentioning the iPad got me thinking and while there is the concern that they are smaller and more breakable, Apple are also rather fab at fixing them and usually very understanding about how accidents happen with them, so I don't think it would be that much of a concern. I don't know about cueing up YouTube videos but I'm sure there is a way to do it, especially if you use the Dropbox app which you sign into an iTunes account from and can then send stuff to it from any other device that is also signed into iTunes. I use it with DP to send documents and photos while we are still living apart.

You can also get something called Apple TV which is a little box that hooks up to your tv and let's you stream YouTube videos and photos straight to the big screen.

I think it would definitely be worth your time to drop into an apple store and make an appointment at the Genius Bar to see if you can find out some way of making the icons on the iPad larger so that your DS would find it easier to tap them himself. They are a bit small normally so he may have some problems hitting the right one, but I'm sure there must be something in settings or perhaps an accessibility app for those with visual problems that could be used to help your lad out. They could probably talk you through setting something up so that you can have all his favourite YouTube vids there waiting for him as well.

Can't hurt to ask, at least :)