Is technology a boon or bane? This seems to be the million-dollar unanswered question over which scientists, intellects, parents, and the school community have been incessantly debating. As much as the digital world seems to be an easy workaround for most of our tasks & queries it has posed a new challenge for the parents and caregivers: the rise of virtual autism in kids.
As technology gets integrated into our lives, this tight connectivity brings along a concern called ‘Virtual Autism.’ Virtual autism is a condition with specific behaviours and symptoms in children, which are potentially triggered by excessive screen time & digital immersion. This does not mean every child who enjoys some screen time is at risk, but it definitely is an eye-opener, for the balance we need to aim for in our digital lives.
This blog will brief all about Virtual autism and the techniques used by the best schools in Madurai to tackle this condition, which will specifically help the KG school admission seeking parents, to narrow down on the apt school for their child.
Signs of virtual autism in children.
Some of the best schools in Madurai during their KG class admission interview give fun-based tasks or open-ended questions to understand the cognitive & imagination skills of the child. At this stage, renowned schools like Queen Mira during the KG school admission, go a step further and offer a comprehensive assessment of the child, to help parents better understand the child’s potential & behavioural issues, if any.
- Reduced interest in interacting with real-world people.
- Frustration when gadgets are taken away/ disconnected from the virtual world.
- Prefer to play using gadgets rather than interactive toys.
- Increased signs of sadness/anxiety that arise when screen time is discussed.
- Difficulty to focus on non-screen activities.
- Withdrawal from family & friends, preferring to stay alone with their screens
- Over-dependence on digital forms of communication
- Essential skills like attention span, language development, understanding, and problem-solving will be affected.
Related: How do QMIS’s ‘beyond classroom’ activities facilitate effective learning?
Techniques to fight Virtual Autism by the best schools in Madurai.
When a child is continually exposed to the virtual scenario, their experiences get restricted to visual & auditory senses, making it difficult for them to develop other sensations, like tactile, vestibular, smell, & taste which are equally essential for their growth & development.
However, research has found that this condition can be gradually reversed with proper monitoring. As several of the best schools in Madurai, look forward to welcoming a new batch of KG school admission as part of the Vijayadasami admission, let us also understand some of their techniques that are in place to keep virtual autism at bay, especially for a kg class admission.
When schools with the support of the parents can gradually taper down the screen time exposure for these kids, a significant improvement will be seen in their cognition, irritability levels, and hyperactivity, when their screen exposure is controlled. Depending on the recovery time of wach child, parents should give their children opportunities to explore more & interact socially by following :
- Reducing the screen time: This will allow the child to direct their focus on sharpening skills & engaging in creative activities which will boost their confidence.
- Positive affirmations & reinforcement: Set goals, offer rewards for good behaviour, and keep reinforcing that they are doing better, to bring about significant changes in their routine.
- Engage the child in non-screen activities: School & parents can reiterate physical activities and playtime for kids to better in socialising.
- Initiate quality time: Be at school or at home, parents, teachers, & mentors must spend quality time with the child by engaging in fun-filled games/stories.
- Encourage face-to-face interactions: With peers, family, and others, parents must encourage conversations while maintaining eye contact. which will also improve their communication & peer-bonding skills.
Queen Mira International School has ever since its inception laid more importance in the fitness & physical wellbeing of the entire school community. As a part of its Vijayadasami admission this year, the school has introduced more Kids’ Gym, After-school activities, Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy (coaches who trained Olympic medallists like Saina Nehwal & P.V.Sindhu) as a part of its KG school admission initiatives. Visit the school website to learn more about the Vijayadasami KG school admission fee schemes, offers, and other details. Delay no more, gift your child the right beginning this Vijayadasami.
