Children with disabilities' views are poorly represented in research. They are growing up in a digital world where their views, rights, and autonomy are underrepresented. This research-funded study examines how child protection and welfare intersect with internet use in the lives of children with disabilities. Three research methods were employed: (1) a documentary analysis, (2) qualitative interviews, and (3) a quantitative survey to answer the primary research question: How does disability intersect with child protection and welfare in the lives of children with disabilities? Children with disabilities (n= 34) expressed their views on their internet use through a bespoke, person-centered approach that captured their lived digital experiences using a combination of semi-structured, problem-centered, dyadic interviews and vignettes. Children with complex communication needs were included in this research. Parents' perspectives (n = 126) were collected via a survey, reflecting the integral role they play in the digital lives of their children with disabilities. The parents' survey provided an interconnected and contrasting lens on their children's digital experiences. Findings reveal the unique person-centered nature of children with disabilities' internet use when it intersects with disability. Findings also uncover how the paradoxical nature of internet use for children with disabilities exposes them to both virtual harm and rich digital opportunities.

A critical realist philosophical approach underpins this study. Margaret Archer's work on `Structure, Culture, and Agency' is applied as an integrated framework to the mixed-methods findings, highlighting structural and cultural forces that shape, enable, and constrain the digital agency of children with disabilities. This study advances a broader conceptualisation of child protection and welfare, one that moves beyond individualised notions of online risk to include the influence of parents, practitioners, and regulators, whose actions can either enhance or restrict children with disabilities' digital agency. Conclusions and recommendations promote the agency and rights of children with disabilities, supporting a person-centered digital agenda that respects their expertise in their digital lives. Furthermore, children with disabilities are recognised as active agents who hold responsibility for their actions online, as well as being entitled to a safe digital experience free from the risk of harmful online content, contact, and conduct. In essence, children with disabilities are collaborators and contributors in a space where safety is achieved with them rather than for or to them. This research calls for a rethinking of child protection and welfare in the digital landscape to ensure that the views, rights, and needs of children with disabilities are not only represented but are heard and authentically acted upon, enabling their full active digital citizenship.