Choosing Media for Neurodiverse Kids

Parents often ask how to find age-appropriate books, movies, and video games for bright, neurodiverse kids. The answer is as complex as the brains that inspire the question. 

Neurodiversity is often characterized by asynchronous development, where chronological age does not always match cognitive capacity. A seven-year-old may think like a twelve-year-old and regulate like a six-year-old. That mismatch can make finding age-appropriate content very challenging!

Here are a few things I like to keep in mind when it comes to finding content that's just right. 

Look Beyond the Rating

Age ratings are designed to flag content concerns such as violence, language, and sexual themes. They are not designed to measure:

• Narrative complexity
• Cognitive challenge
• Moral depth
• Strategic thinking
• Systems-based problem solving

For some children, strictly age-banded material can feel boring and fail to meet their need for cognitive stimulation. Boring does not always mean safe. In some children, it actually leads to dysregulation.