AD- Features Press Sample
As a family of five with three children, two of which are teenagers, the transition from school holidays to back to school can be a tricky one. This has been heightened over the past couple of years as our daughter is currently awaiting her Autism diagnosis, and finds a change in routine extra challenging. Luckily the school is very understanding and are working with us to put assistance in place to help ease her in as gently as possible. Having been diagnosed myself with ADHD over the summer, I know how challenging it can be as somebody who is navigating their neurodivergence, whether that is in an education or work environment, so I have also been looking at ways to help her feel more independent and confident, especially with her home learning, to ensure that she feels supported and able to work to her best ability.
One of the ways I have been doing this is with her very own laptop, which we sat down and chose together based on her requirements, on the AO website. We were mainly looking for a model with the highest memory for an affordable price, and something which would have hi-resolution and be able to work for both educational homework purposes, and for her range of extra-curricular interests including graphic design and creative writing. She also decompresses and self soothes with her comfort shows on Netflix, so that was a must have to be pinned as soon as we set the laptop up!
We were impressed with the variety of models available on AO.com, especially when you use the filters to work out which are in your budget (essential when searching with a neurodivergent child who can get their heart set on something as soon as they see it). We did a little research online, as well as looking at any reviews on the site, and were confident with our decision of the Asus VivoBook 16″ laptop, with 512 GB SSD and 16GB RAM. The laptop is also a lovely blue colour, something a little different and unique.
Talking of the set-up, it was incredibly simple and straightforward. The laptop needed to be put on charge when it arrived (delivery was fantastic – we were kept updated about when the delivery would be, and we could adapt the day to suit our needs), but it was then able to be powered up right away and I set it up, including adding a Microsoft account for my daughter (her first one outside of school) and then checking the parental controls that could be put in place to monitor screen time and ban anything unsuitable for her age. As she is about to turn 13, I am happy for her to be on social media, with supervision, especially as it helps with her independence.
The VivoBook can be personalised, which was something my daughter really enjoyed. She has turned everything purple, her favourite colour and really liked choosing which websites she would like to have pinned to her screen. We will most likely set her up with Microsoft Office for Word and Excel, it was nice to be able to have a tester of this free of charge right away, so she could get right on with her homework, and a story that she is keen to start writing.
I am impressed with the battery life of the laptop, which means that it can be used away from the power outlet often, something that is great news for a girl who loves to chill on her bed watching shows. Overall we were really happy with how easy it was to find, choose and set up the laptop from AO. Having a laptop is sure to make a big difference for our daughter as she continues into year eight at secondary school. Not only will she be able to complete her homework in the comfort of her own room, but she also feels independent to have a device all of her own that she can use for work and play. As a parent, I feel confident that I have been able to put some restrictions and monitors in place, so that I can keep an eye on her usage from afar, which further allows her to feel grown up, without all the risks that can come with social media usage.
This post features an item sent for the purpose of review, however all words and images are my own.
