Online Safety for Children with SEND

The internet is a rich and exciting resource for all children. For some children with autism, it can provide access to a social world which is not available to them in their school or home life. It can provide a forum where their skills are recognised and celebrated, and it may bean eventual source of employment opportunity.

However, we need to be confident that our children can use media to enrich their experience and learning without compromising their safety. Here are some top tips for supporting your child with SEND to use media and the internet safely:

1. Teach ‘TAG’ (tell a grown-up) and encourage honesty early. The CEOP website called Think U Know has some great games to teach this to 4-7 year olds: https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/4_7/
2. We need to be positive about their media use – if they think we don’t understand its benefits they will be unlikely to listen to us when we try to teach them about its dangers. A really good starting point for constructive discussion is mutual understanding – take time to learn from your child about why media is so important to them.