The Many Faces of Thomas the Tank Engine and Autism
An interesting study about children with Autism and how Thomas the Tank Engine helped them learn social emotions. “Parents of children with ASD have known for years that Thomas and his friends have special value to their children. The report confirms this anecdotal evidence, stating that children with ASD associate far more strongly with Thomas the Tank Engine than with other children’s characters. Some parents of children with ASD have reported leaps of emotion, imagination and symbolic play that were unimaginable before the child’s relationship with Thomas.” Why Thomas the Tank Engine?Children with ASD seem to be particularly fascinated with Thomas. A number of reasons have been proposed to explain … READ MORE >>