Beyond the Puzzle...of Autism

This article is based on a 2002 study by the National Autistic Society in the United Kingdom.

According to this study,  Thomas the Tank Engine is helpful in the development of young children that suffer from Asperger syndrome (ASD), more commonly known as autism. Their study found that Thomas the Tank Engine allowed these young children to use their imagination, show their emotions & even play symbolic games that they were never able to play before.

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

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 & the correspondence of the characters' facial expressions with the explanation of those expressions.

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 children seem to be attracted to line-arranged objects, like the cars on a train, & also to round spinning objects like wheels. Others say that the easily recognizable colors play a key role. Some people have said that the short length of the Thomas stories allows these childrento focus on the story without being distracted.

Thomas the Train represents a true friend for those children whose disease doesn't permit them to make & maintain friendly relationships. Parents of autistic children have reported that their child feels comfortable & safe when they have their Thomas toys with them.

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

Lots of parents have noticed a real progress in their children's language & communication abilities by using phrases & expressions from the Thomas the Tank engine show. Autistic children can often memorize entire parts of the speech, & with practice they can eventually associate the phrase to its meaning. Since autistic & ASD-suffering children are not able to create their own expressions to communicate with others, this is  helpful. For instance, an autistic infant 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.

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

In conclusion, Thomas the Tank Engine & his friends are not only great characters for all children, 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.