Thomas the Tank Engine and Autistic Children

For most children Thomas the Tank Engine is a fun character and learning partner, however for children with autistic spectrum disorders Thomas the Tank Engine represents so much more.

According to a study performed in 2002 by the UK's National Autistic Society, Thomas the Tank Engine is helpful in the development of children that suffer from Asperger syndrome (ASD), more commonly known as autism. Their study found that Thomas the Tank Engine allowed these children to use their imagination, show their emotions and even play symbolic games that they were never able to play before.

Many reasons have been suggested as to why autistic children prefer Thomas the Tank Engine over other children's characters. Some people think that autistic kids seem to be attracted to line-arranged objects, like the cars on a train, and also to round spinning objects like wheels. Others say that the easily recognizable colors play a key role. Some people have said that short length of the Thomas stories allows these special children to focus on the story without being distracted.

Other possible reasons for autistic children being so fond of Thomas the Tank Engine are the predictability of each character's role, the calm narration on the videos and the correspondence of the characters' facial expressions with the explanation of those expressions.

Thomas the Train represents a true friend for kids whose disease doesn't allow them to make and maintain friendly relationships. Parents of autistic children have reported that their kids feel comfortable and safe when they have their Thomas toys with them.

Thomas the Tank Engine has proven to be highly beneficial in the process of learning numbers, colors and language skills. Thomas the Train computer games are useful for children with ASD to help them learn computer skills.

The exaggerated facial expressions of Thomas the Tank Engine and the other characters, along with the long time during which those expressions are shown on screen, and also the verbal description (i.e. "Thomas is happy") allows a special child to be able to associate feelings and emotions with the correspondent expression. This helps children who have difficulties understanding other people's feelings and thoughts.

Many parents have noticed a real progress in their children's language and communication abilities by using phrases and expressions from the Thomas the Tank engine show. Autistic children can often memorize entire parts of the speech, and with practice they can eventually associate the phrase to its meaning. Since autistic and ASD-suffering children are not able to create their own expressions to communicate with others, this is particularly helpful. For instance, an autistic kid may not be able to recognize the word "stop," but they can successfully react properly to the phrase "Stop, the signal is up!" from the Thomas the Train show.

In conclusion, Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends are not only great characters for all kids, but they also play a key role in the improvement of the life style of children with special needs. Therefore, Thomas the Tank Engine is an important part of their lives.

The above text is based on a real 2002 study by the National Autistic Society in the United Kingdom.

Copyright Kayla Berringer, 2006. All Rights Reserved.