Support internet safety for teens with ASD through simple, frequent conversations and clear rules and limits on internet use¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 2 claims (2 for) · 2 studies (2 theoretical), q1 · 0 of 2 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The brief recommends that adults support adolescents with ASD online by holding "simple and frequent conversations about internet safety" and by "establishing clear rules and limits to internet use." It also suggests enlisting professionals such as a school media specialist or counselor when needed, and setting concrete limits such as timers and adult-supervised computer locations.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Willing adults (parents or school staff) to hold recurring conversations and enforce limits

Constraints¶

• Guidance is asserted by the brief without evaluation data

Target Learners¶

• Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

Target Learning Objectives¶

• Understanding benefits and risks of internet use; safe online habits

Claims¶

• Asd Teens Vulnerable Compulsive Internet Use [+W]
• Adolescents with ASD are described as frequent targets of cyberbullying because they may miss social cues and lack self-advocacy skills [+W]

Related Principles¶

Examples¶

• Use the PLAY IT SAFE acronym to teach internet safety rules to teens with ASD
• Use visual supports, role playing, and social narratives to teach internet safety to adolescents with ASD
• Staff certification processes and flexible rule reevaluation to protect equipment and maintain a safe, productive youth-driven space

Key Sources¶

• Clinard, A. (2016, February). Internet Safety for Teens with ASD (Autism at-a-Glance Brief). Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, CSESA Development Team. https://csesa.fpg.unc.edu/