“If I give it to him for five minutes, he won’t let go.”
“My child gets restless the moment I turn it off.”
“He gets angry, screams, and cries as soon as I take away the tablet. I feel like I’m paying dearly for the few minutes of peace I had while he was using it.”
If you’re raising a neurodivergent child, you know that technology and screen time can be complicated.
And it’s not just about how much screen time they have, it’s about how they experience it. For some kids, a tablet is a tool. For others, it becomes a trap.
Many children with ADHD or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) don’t react to digital stimulation the same way as neurotypical kids. For them, screens can bring pleasure, but also frustration, overstimulation, or even dependency.
We wanted to know: Are there digital tools that truly help children with ADHD or Autism?
In our team, we took the time to really listen to parents. We interviewed 240 families of neurodivergent children, many of them diagnosed with ADHD or Autism.
What stood out the most? 89% of parents told us that Smart Tales had a positive impact on their child.
Even more telling were the reasons they gave.
These parents didn’t just say “we like it.” They compared Smart Tales in detail to other apps and games their children had used. Here’s what they shared:
Parents reported improvements in language, listening, problem-solving, and emotional regulation.
They also noticed that their children were able to self-regulate, did not show compulsive behaviors, and did not get irritated when it was time to stop using the device.
And the remaining 11 percent? Some did not notice major changes, while others had never used other apps before Smart Tales and couldn’t compare. Still, they described the experience as a positive one for their child.
These observations are supported by existing research.
Several studies show that children with ADHD or Autism are more vulnerable to the negative effects of screen time, especially when exposed to fast-paced, chaotic, and unstructured content that lacks a clear educational purpose.
One study published in the Journal of Attention Disorders found that exposure to highly stimulating content can increase irritability and worsen oppositional behavior in children with ADHD¹.
This is why choosing content that is truly designed for them is so important. It needs to have a calm pace, well-balanced visual and audio input, and a clear educational goal.
¹ Becker, S. P., Sidol, C. A., & Van Dyk, T. R. (2019). Predicting Academic and Social Impairment in Adolescents with ADHD: The Role of Screen Media Usage. Journal of Attention Disorders, 23(14), 1727–1737.
🔗 https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054718799936
Smart Tales is not just another educational app. It was created by speech therapists and refined with educators.
It offers interactive, structured activities designed to support cognitive, language, and social-emotional development.
Key features:
It’s used daily by therapists, special education teachers, and clinicians as a safe, structured learning tool.
When we choose what our children watch, we’re not just filling time.
We’re shaping how they see the world.
With Smart Tales, we can do it in the right way.
Especially for those who need just a little more care.
Q1: How does screen time affect children with ADHD and Autism?
Children with ADHD or Autism are more sensitive to overstimulation from screens, which can increase irritability and compulsive behaviors.
Q2: What type of screen content is best for neurodivergent children?
Calm, structured, and educational content with balanced visuals and sound works best.
Q3: Why do some children get upset when screen time ends?
Highly stimulating apps can create dependency and make transitions harder, especially for children with ADHD or Autism.
Q4: How is Smart Tales different from other apps?
Smart Tales is IBCCES-certified, ad-free, and designed by speech therapists for cognitive and emotional development.
Q5: Can educational apps improve language and focus in neurodivergent children?
Yes, parents in our study reported improvements in language, focus, and emotional regulation with structured educational apps like Smart Tales.
