By Amber Tucker
Having a child with autism is hard: the everyday struggles with simple tasks that are easy for everyone else; the emotional struggles for the child and parents. The list goes on. But one of the struggles is the high cost of the electronic devices and their “protective” cases. These so-called protective cases vs autism, well obviously the manufacturers need to hire our kids as testers.
My toddler who has the strength of Hulk when upset will tear apart his phone and tablet cases, throw them, step on them and any destructive thing you can think of. We have gone through countless very expensive tablets and phones because we can’t find a case that holds up. Buy an Otterbox ($20-$70), and he rips the rubber casing off in a matter of seconds when he was in meltdown mode. Ok, well at least the hard plastic case is still there. But then the second meltdown happens a few minutes later, and there goes the hard plastic pieces. The case lasted three days. Fine, let’s buy another one. I was not thinking that through. But he destroys the second case the same day he got it.
Next case up is Lifeproof. I love this case when it comes to my own electronic devices because I’m butterfingers when holding a phone. Now I am sure this one will work, spend $30, two weeks go by and then all hell breaks loose. In one of his ABA sessions, he got a new therapist, and it’s end of the world. Mind you that they didn’t get rid of his other therapist, they literally just introduced this person to him and he loses his mind.
Phone goes flying, gets kicked around, stepped on, you name it. Phone and case survive. Hallelujah!!! We let everything calm down and I am talking with the therapists about making a goal for him about this issue. While doing this he is trying to calm down from crying and he has his phone… picking at it. He picks the volume buttons and charge port areas. He then proceeds to get enough leverage on it to rip it apart. And there goes another case.
Next up, military heavy duty!!! Yes, this has to work. It’s waterproof, shockproof, and metal and has gorilla glass. The front and back parts screw together. Perfect!! Toddler will not be able to rip it apart. It only cost $12… wait $12 now I have my doubts. This case is heavy. Everyone at his ABA center learns how to duck and cover, this thing is a brick. Toddler has one of his most explosive meltdowns that I have ever seen and the phone survives. This case seriously survives for a month and a half … that’s right a full month and a half!!!
What causes the downfall the case.... well I don’t know. I went to pick him up one day from ABA and I look at his phone and the glass is shattered. No one knows what happened because he had no meltdowns. From the looks of it, it’s a pressure crack. At the time he was carrying the phone on a lanyard and must have leaned against something that hit the case just right. Not mad at all, for $12 this is one of the best cases. So I order another one. Send the kid off to ABA and at the end of the day pick him up. What in the all holy figures happened!! It’s smashed!! Come to find out he threw it at one of the therapists and it hit the wall and shattered. But good news, even though I went through two cases, the screen on the phone itself was safe and sound.
By the end of two months I spent $126 on phone cases alone. I was lucky he did not break the device. He also has a tablet and, well, that is a completely different review/story, but you should know that cost $500 this past month. The struggle is real.
Amber Tucker is the mother of a young son with autism. They live in Colorado.