You’ve had a long day at work, and your child is fidgety and restless. You hand them a tablet to buy yourself a few moments of peace. Instantly, they calm down, completely absorbed in the fast-paced game or show. It feels like a win for the moment, but what about the long-term effects of this screen time?
As working parents of children with developmental delays, managing your child’s well-being while balancing career demands is no easy task. Screens often become a go-to distraction, but the long-term effects of excessive screen time on children with developmental delays, like ADHD, autism, or speech and language delays, can be much more significant than they appear. While technology offers convenience, its overuse can hamper emotional, social, and cognitive development in subtle ways.
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Children with developmental delays often struggle with regulating emotions, attention, and social skills. Excessive screen time can increase these challenges by:
- Reducing Attention Span: If a child is absorbed in a fast-paced cartoon. Their brain is constantly stimulated, which may make it harder for them to focus on slower-paced, real-world tasks, like listening to a story or playing a game that requires patience.
- Delaying Language Skills: Children with speech delays may struggle further to develop communication skills when engaged with passive content rather than interactive human interaction. Watching educational videos might seem like a good idea, but it should be done with a back-and-forth exchange of real-world communication.
- Impacting Socialisation: Screens take away opportunities for children to practice face-to-face interactions. For kids with autism, who might already find reading social cues challenging, too much screen time can limit their chances to engage with others. This can hamper their ability to understand emotions, empathise with others, and build meaningful relationships.
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Given these impacts, working parents need to be mindful of not only how much screen time their children are exposed to, but also the type of content and its effects on development.
- Screen Time “Trade-offs”Â
Instead of viewing screen time as a hard “no,” try introducing a trade-off approach. For every hour of screen time, create a routine that includes a sensory-based activity. Sensory play is especially beneficial for children with developmental delays as it enhances motor skills and cognitive processing.
- Incorporate Digital Detox “Buddy Systems”
Children are more likely to participate in non-screen activities when they feel supported. Introducing a buddy system, either with siblings, family members, or friends, creates opportunities for social interaction and encourages accountability.
- Letting Children Storytell
Children with developmental delays often need help in expressing their emotions, and storytelling can be an excellent way to cater to that. Create personalised storybooks with your child, where they are the hero. These stories can help them navigate emotions while promoting creativity.
While reducing screen time is ideal, it’s not always realistic for busy parents. The key is ensuring that when screens are used, they serve a purpose beyond passive entertainment.
Choose apps that encourage interaction rather than passive viewing. For children with autism or speech delays, apps like Proloquo2Go and Jellow can boost language acquisition and social skills.
Instead of allowing unsupervised screen time, engage in co-watching. Watch content together and use it as an opportunity to start discussions, asking your child open-ended questions about what they see. This encourages critical thinking and social interaction, even during screen time.
Ultimately, screen time doesn’t have to be the enemy—It’s all about balance and intention. For working parents, it’s understandable that screens sometimes play a role in managing the day. However, by introducing alternatives, you can offer your child enriching experiences while decreasing their dependency on screens.