Language
  • English
  • French
  • German
  • Italian
  • Portuguese
  • Spanish
  • Swedish

Insurance Funding Request

Did you know Firefly products may be funded by your insurance?

Learn More
Back to Firefly Blog

Thoughts on screen-time for special needs kids

Thoughts on screen-time for special needs kids

Up until recently, the TV or a video held absolutely NO attention for our daughter Brielle.

She is 8, with very limited vision in her left eye only, is deaf with cochlear implants and has other health needs/disabilities relating to her extreme prematurity.

She has LOVED listening to music, especially nursery rhymes for quite a few years now and will go through phases of a favourite song (in which the rest of us are pulling our hair out as she requests the same song all the time and we invariably comply!)

Before when we would try Mr Tumble or Barney or anything like that on TV and sit her close, she’d quickly lose interest.

We put this down to her very limited vision. Like naturally she loves to listen rather than watch.

Until very recently, the last several months, she has discovered Cocomelon cartoons and nursery rhymes on her iPad, on the screen on my desk, and youtube on the TV. OBSESSED!

She has a new little armchair her size she got for Christmas and she’ll happily watch Cocomelon for quite some time (Wheels on the bus is the favourite at the minute).

She does all the signs and gets really excited. We find ourselves using her iPad more and more for this.

Strangely, we’ve noticed her little temper flare up more that usual recently too and wondering if there’s any correlation to her watching more videos/increased screen-time?

Does anyone else have any thoughts or experience with screen-time/devices and their special needs child and their behavior?

Also I’m not sure we should be letting her watch/listen to Wheels on the bus everytime she asks but we usually do if we can ie. if it’s not smack in the middle of dinner or something like that.

I just feel I don’t want to pander to her every want but at the same time I want to acknowledge that we know what she’s signing and asking for, and give her what makes her happy!

Any thoughts from other parents would be welcome… and here’s a picture of the madam herself with her pink iPad 

Firefly Blog

Real life stories, issues and experiences of day to day life by special needs parents and
healthcare professionals.

Rebecca Toal

Meet Our Blogger

Blessed, busy mum to four beautiful girls, the youngest with complex special needs due to extreme prematurity. We are always looking for ways to make Brielle happy and help her live life to the full! I love being a mum, getting outdoors with my family, baking, blogging and crafting

View Rebecca’s Profile

Become a Firefly Blogger

Would you like to write for Firefly? Join our blogger network of parents, therapists and professionals.

Get In Touch

Become a subscriber today

Join over 40,000 subscribers to our weekly newsletter with insightful articles just when you need them.

Join Mailing List

By using our site you agree to our use of cookies. Click here for more info.

Accept & Close

No Interest if paid in full in 6 months on

Purchases on $99+

US Customers only. Subject to credit approval. See terms below

Paypal Credit

Pay now or pay over time with PayPal Credit. Just use PayPal Credit in PayPal checkout.

Subject to credit approval.

Purchases of $99+:

No Interest if paid in full in 6 months on purchases of $99 or more.

  • A minimum monthly payment is required and may or may not pay off the promotional purchase by the end of the 6 month period.
  • No interest will be charged on the purchase if you pay it off in full within 6 months. If you do not, interest will be charged on the purchase from the purchase date at the Purchase APR applicable to your account.
  • For New Accounts: Variable Purchase APR is 25.49%. The APR is accurate as of 6/1/2018 and will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate (as defined in your credit card agreement). Minimum interest charge is $2.00.
  • Individual items that are less than $99 qualify for special financing when combined for a total of $99 or more in a single transaction.
  • Multiple separate transactions of less than $99 per transaction cannot be combined to meet the minimum purchase amount.

Purchases of $98.99 or less:

Buy now and pay over time with PayPal Credit when you spend $98.99 or less.

  • If you pay your balance in full each month by the payment due date that is on your statement, you can avoid paying interest.
  • Or, make minimum monthly payments, or any additional amount of your choosing, until you've paid off your balance according to your standard account terms. Please note, interest charges may apply.
  • We'll send you email reminders when your payments are due. You can also keep track of your account and view your statements online at any time.

About PayPal Credit

  • PayPal Credit is a reusable credit line available on purchases at thousands of stores that accept PayPal. It's also available for purchases on eBay and exclusively at thousands of other online stores. Plus, it comes with the same security and flexibility you trust from PayPal.
  • If approved, we start you off with a minimum credit line of at least $250. See FAQs for more info.
  • For New Accounts: Variable Purchase APR is 25.49%. The APR is accurate as of 6/1/2018 and will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate (as defined in your credit card agreement). Minimum interest charge is $2.00. See Terms and Conditions tab for more info.
  • If you miss a payment your late fee could be up to $38, even less if it's your first time. See FAQs for more info.

Please wait...