Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, Online Harms, and Stakeholder Responses

In the real world, I’m a coward. When I’m online I’m a hero

The above quote is paraphrased from a conversation with a young man with autism spectrum disorder, discussed in more detail in chapter 8. In this conversation he was expressing frustration about his teachers’ worries about what he does online, and how he felt they were overly cautious and protectionist about his use of technology. In his view, digital technology afforded him positive outcomes that did not manifest naturally in the “real” world around him. He was extremely positive about his online gaming and the communities around that.

The digital world is now deeply woven into the fabric of young people’s lives. For those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), technology can be an invaluable tool—offering communication, independence, social connection, and access to education in ways that were previously unimaginable. However, alongside these opportunities lie significant risks. The online experiences of young people with SEND are shaped not only by their own digital engagement but also by the responses of those around them—parents, educators, social workers, and policymakers—who play a vital role in safeguarding and supporting them.

A dearth of literature (Griffin, 2014, Katz and Amin 2018) highlights how children with SEND have been largely ignored in relation to online risk and opportunities (safeguarding), with the focus predominantly on children within mainstream schools without a learning need or disability. There are some unique challenges for children with SEND that can potentially place them at a greater risk than mainstream children and which can have a significant and long-lasting effect on mental health, self-esteem and development.