Help neurodivergent children browse safely online
Help neurodivergent children and young people browse the internet safely with expert advice and resources.
Quick safety tips
Help your neurodivergent child stay safe while browsing the internet with these top safety tips.
Set parental controls
Manage which sites your child can visit and what they can browse by setting parental controls on the devices and platforms they use.
Check-in regularly
Have regular conversations with your child about their online life and content that is appropriate for them.
Practise critical thinking
Reinforce children's understanding of different online risks to help them recognise and act against potential online harm.
Inside this guide
- Challenges for neurodivergent children
- Benefits and risks
- How to prevent potential harm
- How to deal with harmful issues
- Activities to do together
Challenges for neurodivergent children
Research shows that neurodivergent children are more likely to encounter hate speech and content promoting self-harm and suicide compared to those without vulnerabilities.
Neurodivergent children and young people often struggle to recognise potential harm. As such, they might face greater risk of:
- extremist recruitment;
- falling into echo chambers from online algorithms;
- browsing websites featuring harmful content such as pornography, violence or gambling.
Benefits and risks for neurodivergent children
With a world of information at their fingertips, many neurodivergent children see the online space as positive. It can help them engage with the world, find new passions and improve their knowledge on nearly anything.
While it can be a force for good, it can also expose children to adult and other inappropriate content that can harm their wellbeing.
Explore the benefits and risks of browsing online to help neurodivergent flourish online.
Benefits of browsing online
Removing barriers
Most websites can cater to different accessibility requirements. Children also have access to a wealth of knowledge that can support their special interests and passions.
Supporting learning
Whether for homework, development or just sheer interest, the internet can help neurodivergent children and young people learn and grow in a range of areas.
Igniting passion
Some neurodivergent children might struggle to find a place or passion offline. The internet gives them an easily accessible way to discover a new passion or learn from people similar to them.
Getting support
Assistive technologies and accessibility options can make it easier for some neurodivergent children to experience things online that they might struggle to enjoy or access offline.
Risks of browsing online
As neurodivergent children engage with their online world, they face more risks of harm than neurotypical children.
Content risks
Children who watch videos, use search engines or browse comment sections face content risks. This is content that is violent, sexual or otherwise not appropriate for their age and abilities.
The following content risks are more common for neurodivergent children and young people.
Neurodivergent children and young people are more likely to see content that promotes suicide and self-harm.
Algorithms can lead them to see this content in places they don’t expect. Or, their curiosity might lead them to websites and communities which overwhelmingly focus on such content.
While you can use parental controls to restrict content, no setting is 100% effective at blocking harmful content.
Many teens browse social media and video-sharing platforms. Increasingly, they use these spaces as a source for news. Unfortunately, much of that ‘news’ might be intentionally misleading.
Unfortunately, neurodivergent teens are more likely to struggle when it comes to assessing what is and isn’t real online. As such, they might accidentally spread false information as truth.
Again, children’s curiosity could lead them to a range of websites or content creators. Some of this content could be adult in nature or otherwise dangerous. As soon as a child watches such content, they might start to see similar suggested content due to the platform’s algorithms.
A neurodivergent child might struggle to see the harm associated with a risk, which can lead to physical or mental harm.
Conduct risks
The sites a child visits or the way they engage in online spaces are considered conduct risks. Neurodivergent children might take greater risks online because they don’t recognise the associated harm.
The following are conduct risks that they might face online.
If your child browses social media, they might come across dangerous online challenges. A streamer, influencer or content creator might post a video of themselves doing something and encourage viewers to do the same.
Neurodivergent children might struggle to recognise a challenge as harmful. So, they might not take the appropriate precautions to keep themselves safe.
Neurodivergent children are more likely to visit gambling sites and engage in gambling behaviour. If your child has access to online banking or a parent/carer’s card details, they might be at greater risk of this.
Curiosity might also lead children to seek out pornographic websites or sites which feature violent or shocking content like WorldStarHipHop.
Despite parental controls, children might find ways around restrictions to access this content as well.
Some neurodivergent children might be at greater risk of being scammed online. If they feel that they already know how to identify scams, they might not think critically about new types of scams they face.
Common scams like phishing might be detectable. However, as they become more sophisticated, children might struggle to really tell what is real and what’s a scam.
They might click on ads or posts that lead to malware downloads or require personal details to claim prizes. Or, they might respond to friend requests or messages from strangers without realising the impact.
Not all scams are financial. Sextortion scams, for example, can exploit nude images from a child through manipulation or promises of a reward. Neurodivergent children are at greater risk of these scams than neurotypical children.
How to prevent potential harm
Going online can help neurodivergent children develop skills and learn about the world. To help enhance these benefits and minimise the risk, consider doing the following.
Actions to take
If your child browses the internet, you can use the following tools and strategies to support them.
Create an agreement
Work together to decide on clear digital boundaries around the websites and apps they can browse online. You might set screen time limits as well to avoid too much passive scrolling.
Set parental controls
Use apps similar to Google Family Link to set parental controls across devices and apps. You can set content restrictions to limit what kind of content they can access and when.
Teach how to report
With your child, review the apps and platforms they use to browse online. Explore the reporting tools and encourage them to report content that breaks the platform's rules.
Have regular chats
Talk with your child about their online life like you would with their offline life. This creates an open space for communication, which can make it easier for children to come to you for help.
Conversations to have
Regular conversations can make online safety a normal part of dinner, walks or drives. Incorporate chats into everyday activities to avoid causing anxiety or stress for children.
Talking with them about their lives online is one of the best ways to build coping strategies. It can also help you recognise when they need additional support.
Keep your child informed about the content they might see online. Whether it’s pornographic, violent, gambling or otherwise adult content, neurodivergent children benefit from clear instruction.
Give them signs to watch out for and steps to take if they come across these signs. For example, if they open a website and see naked people, they should close the browser and tell you right away.
The more directive and clear you are, the better.
Digital resilience is the ability to deal with issues that come up. Neurodivergent children might struggle with understanding the steps to take. However, you can help them build their resilience by discussing ways to cope.
- Discuss what to do when they see unexpected pop-ups or ads about their favourite games. Tell them to avoid clicking on them and to get you for help.
- Review the Community Guidelines or Terms of Service with them for the platforms they use. If they see content or a user breaking those rules, encourage your child to report it. Even if they’re wrong, it’s a good habit to get into. The moderators can decide if it breaks the rules or not and no one will know your child has reported them.
Explain that some people online might try to mislead people. So, they might share content that seems true but actually tells a lie. This can be really hard to spot, so they can always ask you if they’re not sure.
You can also give them tools to check information for themselves.
- Search for other sources of the information. Do other sites say the same thing or something different? If they haven’t heard of the websites before, they should ask you to check if they’re trustworthy.
- Fact-check with sites like Snopes and Full Fact. If they see something making the rounds online, encourage them to use fact-checking websites to confirm something is true before believing and sharing it.
- Find other points of view. If some people are saying the opposite is true, explore their sources. Seeing both points of view can help you and your child make a more educated decision.
Above all else, reinforce that they should come to you if they come across information that they see is shocking or angering people. Together, you can make a decision on what to do next.
How to deal with harmful issues
If your child does experience a harm while browsing online, there are things you can do to help them deal with it:
- Report content. If your child thinks content breaks the Terms of Service or Community Guidelines, encourage them to report it. No one will know they’ve made the report, and they might be protecting others, which is really important. If they continue to see content that they think breaks the rules, they can report it again.
- Talk it through. Make space for them to talk while you listen. If something has happened, avoid interrupting them and panicking. Ask questions where necessary and make a note if you need to. Once they’ve been able to share, you can take any next steps to support them.
- Provide alternatives. Suggest helpful online communities like Childline or Ditch the Label where your child can speak to others with similar needs or experiences. These are safe and heavily-moderated spaces, which make them better alternatives to online spaces designed for adults.
Activities to do with your neurodivergent child
Help your child develop safe online browsing habits with these activities that you can do together.

Get personalised advice and ongoing support
The first step to ensure your child’s online safety is getting the right guidance. We’ve made it easy with our ‘My Family’s Digital Toolkit.’