News
Internet Safety Guide for People With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Internet Safety Guide for People With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Introduction
People identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience the world differently compared to people who are not autistic. As a result, people with ASD might use the internet differently, and so might face different risks online compared to others. For example, children in the UK are 12% more likely to be bullied online if they have a special educational need like autism.
Tendencies toward compulsive behavior and social naivety also present different risks online for autistic people compared to others.
However, to say that the internet is inherently more dangerous for autistic people is an oversimplification that can result in incorrect, unhelpful, or even offensive advice. In fact, autistic people are often immensely satisfied with online experiences, and the internet delivers a lot of practical benefits for people with autism.
In this article, I want to celebrate this.
The internet exposes all of us to risk – just like nearly every big, complicated, human activity. But awareness and education can help us to mitigate risks and live safely. This guide is meant to help autistic people (and their parents, family, friends, and caregivers) learn about online risks and how to mitigate them. But it also highlights the positives to show how autistic people can use and enjoy the internet confidently and safely.