Stacey Tessis continues her series on screen time.  This week Stacey helps families consider whether or not screen time is negatively affecting their family life and their ability to build the guided participation relationship with their son or daughter. (Read Part 1 of this post here.)

Is there room for video games, computers and TV when adopting an RDI^® lifestyle? Should we limit screen time or cut it out altogether?

In part two of this blog series, I will provide you with a framework that you can use to assess if your child's screen time is an obstacle to your guided participation relationship and remediation.

The topic of screen time will become a discussion point early on in your RDI^® Family Guided Participation Program as you work on a variety of Parent Objectives that will help you to: 1) identify and address obstacles to developing a guided participation relationship with your child; and 2) create the space and optimal conditions for this relationship to flourish.

One such objective is: You evaluate your current environment to determine necessary modifications: Parents, with their consultant's help, evaluate the child's current environment to look for both opportunities for and obstacles to remediation.

A component of this objective involves evaluating your home environment for existing or potential obstacles. Your RDI^® Program Consultant will help you to identify physical distractions like clutter, pieces of furniture, clocks, toys, a big sunny widow, etc. that might compete for your child's attention when you are trying to engage him.  Your consultant will recommend how to address these distractions and which rooms in your house are most conducive to working on guided participation at this early stage in your RDI^® program.

Sometimes the presence of a TV or computer, even though it is not on, can be a distraction for some children. It may be difficult for them to focus their attention on you and the task at hand when they are reminded of an alternative activity that is entertaining, safe and allows them to feel competent. If this is the case for your child, you may choose to work on guided participation in a room without the unwanted distraction. Another option is to put a sheet or towel over the computer or TV or position your child so it is not directly in his line of sight.

Household routines and activities is another area that you will examine for obstacles and screen time is usually at the top of the list. Here are some questions and thoughts to help you  evaluate the degree to which it is an obstacle for your child:

1.      Following a particular kind of screen time, does your child become angry, aggressive, withdrawn or seem to be locked in another world and takes a long time to come out of it?

If you answered "yes," screen time is having an adverse affect on your child's health and ability to self-regulate. Eliminating this form of or all screen time may be necessary.

2.      Is your child's reaction to screen time inconsistent? Does he reach his breaking point after a specific amount of time of exposure? Is the reaction worse if he is already dysregulated?

As an option, you may want to restrict screen time to shorter periods and specific times of the day when he is regulated and avoid it if he is having a bad day.

3.      Does your child perseverate on topics related to screen time even when he's not engaged with it? If yes, have you noticed any patterns as to when he has a tendency to script, enact or talk about his favored screen time - during moments of anxiety, idle/downtime, all the time? Is he easily redirected?

Sometimes children with ASD perseverate on topics or script as an attempt to create a safe and predictable environment that they can control. It can become difficult to engage them when they are scripting or enacting a scene from their favorite TV show. This behavior tends to increase when they are feeling anxious or have idle time and don't know what to do.

Your consultant can help you to understand your child's need to perseverate and determine whether screen time plays a role in triggering or increasing the frequency of it. They can also share simple techniques and strategies that you can use to respond to and engage your child in these situations.

4.      How much screen time does your child currently receive and what portion of his free time does this represent? Does this infringe on the amount of quality time that he could be spending with you or other family members? Does he neglect his other interests and physical exercise?

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Council on Communications and Media, recent statistics show that "the average American child spends over 1000 hours a year watching TV and playing video games. To put that in perspective, they only spend 900 hours a year in school."

It's been the case for many of the families that I start working with that their children spend too much time in front of screens. And for some parents of children with ASD, it has become a necessary coping strategy. It gives them some much needed downtime and a reprieve from tantrums, meltdowns and power struggles. For one dad in particular, playing video games was the only way that he could engage and connect with his son.

Before you start to limit or restrict your child's screen time, read the third and final installment of this blog series. In it I will address questions like: When should I schedule screen time and how much is appropriate? How do I get my child to respect my new rules around screen time? How do we use this freed-up time effectively?

Stacey Tessis, B.A., A.T.C. is a passionate, insightful and results-oriented Parenting Coach and RDI^® Program Certified Consultant in Toronto, Canada. She empowers and guides parents to effectively drive their child's remediation and bring more joy to their lives. The source of Stacey's greatest joy is the time spent with her young son discovering the universe through his inquisitive eyes. He inspires her to explore her fun side and to radiate possibility into the world.

 Inspire to Shine Autism Remediation Services

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

416-630-7838

stessis@gmail.com