The following resources may help your teens with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (and other family members) cut back on the time they spend gaming and watching videos, and keep them safer online:
- Common Sense Media provides a collection of resources for helping children “thrive in a world of media and technology.” Though not focused on teens with ASD, the section on parent concerns addresses many of the worries that parents of teens with ASD have. They also have an article that discusses parental controls.
- Unplug: Tips for Parents to Help Students with Autism Get off Electronics provides advice from the College Internship Program (CIP) for parents of teens with ASD.
- A family media plan can help you structure media and technology time and allow time for other activities. The American Academy of Pediatrics provides a tool, the Personalized Family Media Use Plan.
- People who attended the webinar mentioned a few tools for helping monitor and control teens’ digital activities. We haven’t tested these products, but you could take a look at Disney’s Circle and Dinnertime Plus.
- Some teens and young adults with ASD may end up in trouble with the law because of their inability to understand what they should and shouldn't be looking at online. The Autism Spectrum, Sexuality and the Law: What every parent and professional needs to know provides a cautionary tale told by a man with autism and leading autism experts.
Read more here on Interactive Autism Network.
