Kids learn by exploring their environment by touching, smelling, moving, tasting, seeing, and hearing all the different things surrounding them. When constantly exposed to gadgets, kids will not be able to learn things about the real world. Virtual autism is a condition that occurs when young children below the age of two are excessively exposed to screens which leads to ASD-like symptoms.
Symptoms of Virtual Autism:
- Hyperactivity
- Inability to pay attention
- Lack of interest in play activities (apart from the virtual world)
- Speech delay
- Lack of social interaction
- Irritability and mood swings
- Decreased cognition
The symptoms of virtual autism often disappear when screen exposure is stopped. A significant improvement can be observed in the child’s cognition, hyperactivity, and irritability levels. It can be prevented by allowing your child to socially interact, move their bodies, play and explore the world hands-on instead of giving them an iPad or phone to occupy their time.
Do’s:
- Eliminating screen time
- Actively exploring the world around us through a wide range of activities
- Giving opportunities for face-to-face interactions with peers
- Group playtime
- Quality time with parents and adults, such as bedtime stories, playing together, cooking together, etc.
- Introducing physical activities
Ref - https://www.prayatna.co.in/virtual-autism-how-to-deal-with-it/
#autism #autistic #actuallyautistic #neurodiversity #neurodiverse #neurodivergent #autismpride #asd #pride #loveislove #autismawareness #autismacceptance #forabettertomorrow #autismadvocate #spectrum_inspired #specialneeds #staystrong #thanks #life #optionsoflife #lifechoices #choices #working #patience #success #failure #happiness #love #story