TPP 356: Supporting Healthy Digital Media Use for Neurodivergent Kids
episode
Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
42 min
2 speakers
8 chapters
transcribed 14 hours ago
Transcript
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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Why is screen time a complex issue for neurodivergent children?
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Any parent who you talk to would always say of a neurodivergent kid that even if they had really great programs for their kid to do after school or over the summers, they had to do so much work to make that happen. Or they had to put a lot of money into that to make that happen. So thinking about just time spent, you know, we talk about screen time, time spent with media. Time spent doing other things, that's not always so readily available for these kids and families.
I'm Debbie Reber, and welcome to Tilt Parenting, a podcast featuring interviews and conversations aimed at inspiring, supporting, and informing parents raising differently wired kids. Many of our kids spend a lot of time engaging on screens and with technology. And I don't know about you, but for me, it feels like this is an ever changing and fast changing landscape, and one that can be hard to stay on top of. Whether we're talking about assistive technology, Technology, videos, games, or social media, these forms of media continue to offer new ways of interacting, developing relationships, and even exploring identity. And this has added to the complexity of raising neurodivergent kids. So I invited Dr.
Mara Alper, a researcher on the social and cultural implications of communication technologies with a focus on disability, digital media, and children. And families tech use to join me to talk about how we should be thinking about our kids' relationship with screens and tech. I reached out to Merrill after reading her new book, Kids Across the Spectrums: Growing Up Autistic in the Digital Age, which explores the often misunderstood technology practices of young autistic people as well as what it means to be social in a hyper-mediated society. So that is what What we get into the factors that influence a child's relationship to media, how digital media is creating spaces for kids to develop their identities online, and what we, parents, schools, should be doing to better educate kids on safely interacting with online communities.
We also talked about fandoms and how they have become a part of identity and belonging development, and why every parent needs to spend time understanding how their kids are using and consuming media. A little bit more about my guest, Dr. Merrill Alper, is an associate professor of communication studies at Northeastern University. In addition to the book we're talking about today, she's also the author of Digital Youth with Disabilities and the award-winning Giving Voice: Mobile Communication, Disability and Inequality. Merrill draws on nearly 20 years of professional experience in the children's media industry as a researcher, strategist, and consultant with organizations such as Sesame Workshop, PBS Kids, Nickelodeon, and Disney.
If your child, autistic or otherwise neurodivergent, regularly engages with screens and tech, you will get a lot out of this episode. Oh, and as Merrill shared at the end of the interview, her publisher, Emma, Press has made a digital version of her book, Kids Across the Spectrums, available as a free download. They really just want to get this book into the hands of parents and educators who would benefit from it. I have a link to Merrill's site where you can grab the book on the show notes page for this episode, which you'll find at tiltparenting.com/slash session 356. All right, here is my conversation with Meryl.
Hey Mara, welcome to the podcast. Thank you. Excited to be here. Yeah, I'm excited to have this conversation. This is super interesting. I think it ties so many things that we talk about in this parenting community. And you are an expert in such a unique way.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why is screen time a complex issue for neurodivergent children?
0:00–5:31
2
How did Dr. Meryl Alper’s career in children’s media shape her research on digital tech and disability?
5:31–10:48
3
What factors influence a neurodivergent child’s relationship with digital media?
10:48–15:48
4
How does online media help autistic kids develop identity and belonging?
15:48–21:25
5
Why are fandoms and community spaces important for identity formation in neurodivergent youth?
21:25–27:08
6
Is technology isolating autistic children, or can it foster connection?
27:08–32:46
7
What are the risks and benefits of gaming platforms like Roblox for neurodivergent kids?
32:46–38:02
8
How can parents and schools support media‑literacy and safe tech use for neurodivergent children?
38:02–42:17
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
TPP 266a: A Conversation with Poet and Advocate LeDerick Horne
TPP 522: A Whole Child Approach to ADHD with Phil Boucher, M.D.
TPP 091a: A Conversation With Steve Silberman About His Book “Neurotribes”
TPP 521: A Conversation with Dr. Peter Gray About Restoring Childhood
TPP 253a: Advocate and Author Jonathan Mooney on Why Normal Sucks
TPP 520: Dr. Özgür Bolat on Why Rewards Backfire and the Real Science of Motivating Kids