iPad
My son, Aiden, is 10 years old and nonverbal. He attended ABA until this year, but we recently transitioned him to our public school because I felt he wasn't being challenged enough. Much of his day seemed to revolve around matching activities and skills he had been practicing for years.
At ABA, he attended from 9:00–3:00 every day without access to an iPad or tablet. When he started public school, they let him have iPad because the transition was difficult for him and he was displaying aggressive behaviors. The iPad seemed to help calm him and make the adjustment easier.
The problem is that now he has become extremely attached to it. At home, he used to take breaks from his iPad without much issue, but after having access to it throughout the school day, things have changed dramatically. If I try to limit it, he becomes very aggressive. I currently have bite marks and scratches up and down my arms from trying to manage these battles.
I honestly don't know what the right answer is anymore. Do we go cold turkey? Do we gradually reduce access and hope things improve over time? Has anyone been through something similar, and if so, what worked for your child? When I say he is extremely aggressive, I have bite marks and scratches up and down my arms, so I just give in to what he wants. Please help and don't judge, I do that enough on my own.