cell phone for special needs teen?

[Ottakee]

I am considering getting a cell phone for my girls to share. I never thought they would need one but now I am reconsidering.

 

I can add a line for $9.99/month to our plan and they would share the friends and family numbers so almost every call they would make would be free (plus we do have about 200 minutes a month we don't use).

 

I would hold the phone and only hand it out when they might need it. I am thinking they could use it for:

 

13dd when she is out back horseback riding

when we are at the store and I need to tell them it is time to go

when we are out at the park, a festival, etc. just in case we get separated (like when 14dd headed to the bathroom and then to buy more french fries without telling us)

14dd when she goes to a special needs club 2 afternoons a week

when they are out on teen activities with church

 

They are NOT big phone talkers at all and I would program it for speed dial for mom, dad, home, grandma, Uncle Braden, etc. so they wouldn't have to remember the numbers. They would NOT having texting as an option.

 

What do you think? Anyone let their special needs teen carry a phone?

 

My 22ds with fetal alcohol has his own cell phone with texting, etc. but he pays his own bills.

[hsmamainva]

My 16 year old has a cellphone. He has high functioning autism and he feels safer with a phone, if that makes sense.

 

He keeps it in his bedroom and I don't think he's used 2 hours of total air time since we bought it for him a year and a half ago!

 

He doesn't text at all and we've programmed all the phone numbers into it that he would need (mine, my husband's, big sister's, next door neighbor, grandma, etc).

 

He is afraid of thunderstorms and power outages and, when our power goes out, our house phone doesn't work, so this is an added security for him.

 

I'm glad he has one!

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

I would! My teens aren't special needs but have phones with basically the same rules as you laid out. I bought them almost a year ago when they were 14 and 15 to use when they were away from home. They actually didn't want cell phones, and still say they were forced on them:lol: We don't have texting on any of our cell phones (we just aren't texters) and the only time they turn theirs on is when they go somewhere without a parent. I like being able to contact them, and knowing they can contact me.