I'm feeling sensitive and was not impressed by this article in Radio Times

[Saker]

TV at its worst (it's a list of the worst programs made)

"Number 8 Thomas the tank engine and friends

Arguably the single most important factor in Britain's postwar industrial decline is the fact that generations of children have been exposed to Rev W Awdry's insidious stories set on the Island of Sodor, which portray a workplace riven by class envy and where bitching, brown-nosing and backstabbing are the norm. The initial run was narrated by a catatonically depressed-sounding Ringo Starr. And forget MMR - a 2001 study by the National Autistic Society confirmed that children with autism associate with Thomas before any other character. Seriously."

Now I'm not about to defend Ringo Starr or Thomas the tank engine (although I think the actual books are a good deal better than the TV) but I do think that last part is really ignorant and cheap.

I just mailed them. I hope they are deluged with objections.

Not had a reply to my email yet - has anyone else? Also bumping in case anyone else wants to contact the Radio Times re this.

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FFS!

The NAS do a Thomas bookt hat helps kids with autism express emotion, the link is definitely there, but the assumption that kids with autism = bad TV? WTF?

Ds1 btw is sadly obsessed with little Britain (thanks DH)- hardly known for being poor quality?

you know for some people...with children of all abilities, with all different problems etc etc...Thomas tank is a life saver...some children just need that one thing in thier lives to 'connect with' my little boy is just getting into thomas and loves him!
he doesn't have autism but does have delayed speech so we were really chuffed when he said 'poop poop' the other day whilst pointing at thomas!

There was a letter of complaint about this published in the Radio Times this week. Someone with the initials RO - I won't put the whole name in case it's somebody here.

They published a response:
"Many readers complained about the reference to autism in the Thomas the Tank Engine piece. The comment referred to an NAS survey in 2001 that "confirmed our assumption from anecdotal evidence that children with autism spectrum disorders associate far more strongly with Thomas the Tank Engine than with other children's characters", but did not mean to imply that the programme should be criticised for this, or that watching in any way triggers the condition. We apologise for any offence caused."

They don't say what it was supposed to imply if it didn't mean any of those things! Anyway some success - we got an apology.

That is a pathetic apology, imo! Sliomes right out of admitting that it was a cheap shot.

LOL at marina 'odious little engine' though!

Has anyone brought this to the attention of the NAS? I am sure they would want to know about this.

I haven't. I could email them unless you have a contact or anyone else does?