To introduce a tablet to Autistic 5 YO?

[13MAPARTHELL]

It sort of pains me that I am considering this, but my child has PDA & ASD, simply put, we cannot do activities in the house, due to low frustration tolerance & violence.

He enjoys puzzles, but we cannot do these anymore, they get snapped, and thrown and all sorts.

hes very behind at school, and due to his extreme need for autonomy, essentially wont listen or retain if told directly.

i have a samsung tablet (for uni) he has used it maybe twice? He is not bothered and does not ask for it etc, but i am often alone, with 2 kids the same age, and it’s extremely hard my other child safe.

this could help his PDA, as although i am ultimately in control on what goes on there (no youtube) he gets to select (autonomy)

it may help him to regulate? Tv helps him massively to calm down, distraction and regulation / im in the midst of excessive research and psychological input about how to deal and reframe my parenting, and I need him regulated to even start to bloody consider tactics due to safety

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 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.

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 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 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.

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