ASD and Thomas the Tank

[AmIWhatAndWhy]

My DS is currently going through assesment for ASD.

A lot of people have mentioned that Thomas is very popular with children who have this and I am wondering if you agree or know why?

www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=368&a=2683

More info here.

Thanks that's a really interesting link.

He's never watched the programmes, he will only watch 'boo' or 'balamory'. I might get a dvd and try it.

We do have thomas books though that he absolutely loves, and a brio train set his great gran got for him.

In "second life", the online virtual reality world, there are players who are autistic and who use Thomas the Tank Engine as their avatars as it gives them the best chance of learning which emotion to convey.

I must confess that when son was young and we first got the Thomas the Tank Engine videos, I was probably more interested in them than he was . They really are very simple social stories and the faces on the trains are so easy to follow, rather than having to cope with characters where you have to work out arm movements and body posture too.

Even now, I find very simple character programmes on the tele much, much easier than anything complicated. "Pushing Daisies" is a good example. Very simple plots, time to think about what they said, all the characters are over-acted so easier for me to 'see', and all the actors look different to one another. You'd be amazed how even as adults we struggle to work out who's who in many films where the actors oractresses all look pretty much the same.

Thomas is popular with everyone isn't it?

Was it Henry who got bricked up alive for the crime of vanity? Always felt sorry for him.

My DS has recently discovered Tom & Jerry on Boomerang and goes totally crazy during it - leaping up and down, climbing on the sofa, shrieking, squealing and generally laughing his head off. It's deafening TBH but so nice to see him show that much positive emotional about something.

As a SALT, whenever we used to take case histories and asked parents what their children enjoyed doing/playing with etc, the answer for query ASD kids was always Thomas the Tank Engine..and now I have an ASD boy myself, and he is following exactly that pattern..
I can't bloody stand Thomas the Tank Engine, unfortunately!

Mine used to like T the T Engine when he was 2 but hasn't wanted to watch it since though he did surprise me recently by naming an engine correctly so I suppose it's gone but not forgotten. He likes Helicopter Heroes and Elephant Diaries now.

DS2 seems to have gone off Thomas a bit now too. Curent faves Rosie and Jim and Fun Song Factory. With him I think it was the movement of the Thomas videos - lots of movement across the screen, bang, crashes etc - he's never been that interested in the books or toys.

I am another long suffering mother of an ASD DS with Thomas obsession!

He has gone to his nana's tonight and was buncing off the walls knowing she has a huge TT set!

..off to read link.

Amber I am always learning reading your views and experiences. Thank you.

That's intersting about their faces being set for some time, no moving limbs, and the background being still so less distratcion. DS's other obsession ATM is Cars (lightning mcqueen), which has the same things in common.