Managing Screen Time and Food Habits of special needs children

Published By: Aulixo® Clinic

Written By: Dr. Pravin Dhole

Mobile phones are deteriorating for your child’s growth”, says every doctor we ever visit. But how often do parents really pay heed to this simple yet very important piece of advice. In fact, mobile has become a ‘go-to’ tool for almost every parent so that “at least he/she will remain quiet.” Upbringing of a child seems to have become such a tedious activity that parents resort to any means available only to see their child remain quiet and co-operative. So, be it food-eating or remaining calm at a social gathering, mobile phones or any screen has become the most efficient way of ‘getting things done’. Apparently phrases such as “He won’t eat food without mobile screen” or “He needs his favourite tune before sleeping” don’t help the case either. So, why is it so important to refrain your child from use of mobile or laptop screens? What is it that’s so bad about the screens? Let us find out.

 

Effects of the screen time:

1] Sleep disturbances are one of the foremost points in effects of screen on a kid. Yes, the child may sleep listening to his/her favourite tunes; but that does impact their system. Excessive screen time depresses melatonin which is very important for sleep regulation. This disruptive sleep can cause a child to be agitated and lead to erratic behaviour if he/she is not provided with a mobile screen.

2] A child’s stimuli are also hampered due to exposure of screen. This may lead to mental aggravations such as acute and chronic stress, mental dysregulation and impact on neural activity of brain. This affects the cognitive, receptive and psychological abilities of the brain. This leads to serious damage to a child’s development of brain since it is at the most delicate age.

3] Language development is an important aspect for a growing child. The two main factors in language development are vocabulary and phonetics. What develops these characteristics is a child’s regular interaction with people close to him/her, especially parents. However, excessive screen time limits a child’s day-to-day interaction and restricts his development. This may lead to speech impairment, stuttering or lack of grasping power.

Are special needs children more affected by screen time?

Yes! They most certainly are affected more by excessive screen time as compared to regular kids. Children with autism are uniquely affected by screen time with effects such as hyper-arousal and dysregulation of mental activities. Children with autism have inherent characteristics which are exacerbated due to screen time. This is due to the sensitive part of the brain that is more susceptible than a regular kid’s brain.

 Also, children with autism are more prone to the negative effects of any mental disorder and take more time to recover from it. Imagine your car going down a slope with speed and instead of applying brakes, you are just pushing the accelerator. Excessive screen time for a special kid increases the speed at which the child’s brain is affected. This happens due to low melatonin which results in sleep disturbances. Melatonin regulates hormones and brain chemistry which balances the immune system.

How should parents manage screen time?

If your kid has already become habitual of using mobile screen, then its important to reduce the screen time slowly and gradually. Depriving the kid completely will only agitate the child’s mind and may result in erratic behaviour. So, start with reducing the total time the child spends on the screen. This may be done by engaging the kid in some other fun activities like board games, toys or other play activities. Television cartoons are another way of distracting the kid from mobile screen. As television is much easy to control compared to taking away the mobile phone from a kid.

As for new parents, don’t introduce your kids to mobile phones from a young age. The most important thing to remember is not to use mobile as a tool to stop your kid from crying or acting erratic. In a long calculation of things, you may notice that it is better to let the kid cry for some time than letting the kid become mobile addict. Also, avoid screens while the kid is eating or going to sleep. What may start as a source of making the kid eat or sleep will soon become mechanical psychology i.e. the kid won’t eat or sleep without the use of mobile screen.

Of course the avoiding the mobile phones in day-to-day life is impossible especially when you have to manage your work-life. But, try to avoid unnecessary mobile use like social media in front of the kids. Again, depriving the screen is not the goal, it’s about controlling and managing the screen time.

How to manage food habits of special needs children?

Special kids do need extra-care and attention during their growing age especially in basic aspects of day-to-day activities like eating. A child can be agitated and maybe unresponsive to your teachings, but it is important to be patient. Here are some tips for managing food habits of special needs kids:

1)     Don’t force food that your kid dislikes even if it is healthy vegetables. Nutrition is important but it is better to start with food items that the kid likes and then slowly shift towards healthier options. Forcing a salad or a broccoli just because it is healthy won’t help your cause and it will only make the kid crankier.

2)      Don’t use a mobile or television screen while eating just to motivate the kid to eat. Many parents end up giving to their child’s demand of mobile screen while eating only so that the kid will finish the job. This is wrong on many levels since it develops a wrong psychology at an early age in the kid. Instead of a mobile screen try telling stories and or having regular conversations.

3)     Help the kid with his/her food by assisting them. It is important that the child cultivates the habit of eating his/her own food. So, let the kid start practicing while the parent can assist and guide the child. This small activity also acts like a mental exercise for the kid’s brain.

4)     Use utensils that are easy to use for the kid. Cups, plates, glasses, etc. that are used should be comfortable for the kid to use. This reduces the effort and the kid can focus on eating his food. Also, teach the kid to use his/her sensory abilities like touch, feel, smell, etc. to identify the items and use them. This can be done with help of a professional who can guide the parents properly.