Why is Thomas the Tank Engine so popular with Autistic Children?

[megacomic]

Even though I never liked it it was immensely popular with my classmates growing up and is still popular with autistic children today. What's the appeal?

 

[SunnyDay16]

I never knew Thomas the Tank Engine was an autistic thing. I was never into it really, but I'd assume maybe it's because they're into seeing how the trains work?

 

[Gracey]

My young nephew likes it.

The toy and the programme.

I’m not certain why talking trains appeal,
I have wondered if it was because they all have a role?

All have a purpose and character they stick to ?

Perhaps he can replay what he’s watched on the t.v,
On the track set out on the floor?

(He’s way beyond his peers with recognition and recall in nursery/ kindergarten but isn’t doing so well socially)

Not long after starting nursery he walked passed a hazard warning sign indicating a wet floor and out of nowhere said
“Caution, wet floor”

Those were the only three words written on the sign.

He gets on much better with planets, integers and lately, reading, than he does other children.

Thomas the Tank doesn’t confuse or frustrate him.
I imagine the repetitive noise, rhythm of the battery operated train on the track might do something for him too ?

 

[Graphin]

I only remember that it was fun

 

[Otenba]

I loved Thomas the Tank Engine as a kid.

 

[tree]

Some suppositions:

Thomas the Tank Engine Autism Connection
"My personal belief is that Thomas is especially interesting to kids with autism because (1) the trains do a great deal of falling, crashing, and smashing - something that appeals to our kids and is tough to find on other PBS or Disney programs for preschoolers and (2) the toy trains line up beautifully, and our kids love to line things up. They can even be lined up according to color, something that can be very soothing to kids with autism."

Thomas, Autism & Learning Difficulties
"As someone who struggled, and occasionally, still does, to distinguish between different emotions expressed by other people, Thomas was a great aid in helping me read people’s facial expressions; something that is a great challenge for people with autism. For instance, there is instant clarity when Thomas is angry, or anxious. Something that often, is not on many human faces."


"the appeal of Thomas is possibly in these key areas:

• The facial expressions of Thomas and the other characters.
• The easily identifiable, bold colour scheme.
• Narration.
• The roles of each character."

Do autistic kids especially like Thomas Tank Engine?
"...the action of the shows is readily re-enactable with materials at hand, and when you do, it looks ALMOST EXACTLY like it does on the show."

 

[BrokenBoy]

I used to love Thomas and trains in general until I was like 7 or 8

 

[TinyTownFamily]

My little fellow has his phases with Thomas, like his other interests. For awhile he wanted to watch Misty Island Rescue followed by Day of the Diesels back to back. Then he loved the songs/music videos after the credits, then he loved the sing-along where the cloud bounced on the words...he loves words.

He loves to watch YouTube videos that people have made using Thomas the Train, especially the ones where people line up all of the trains and name each one or describe the differences or variances from train to train.

He also had a phase where he would cry at Flynn the Fire Engine, no idea why.

 

[AGXStarseed]

Yeah, I used to love watching Thomas when I was a kid. The stories were straightforward but entertaining, the Narrator wasn't annoying/didn't have an annoying voice (whenever I read the Thomas books I would always hear Ringo Starr's voice), the characters were easy to recognize and understand in terms of their emotions/personality (I always remember feeling bad when Thomas cried in the episode where he got stuck in the snow) and there was something of a novelty with it been talking trains instead of just another show with people or animals talking. The crashes and funny lines were also moments that stuck out.
Also, the fact it was created using models meant that if you had either the wooden railway or the actual electric model sets, then you could recreate the stories or create new ones yourself. I've actually still got all the Thomas wooden railway toys me and my brother played with as kids in my Dad's loft upstairs.

When I ended up in hospital during my last year of Junior School due to fracturing my femur in an accident, I did anything I could during my 11 weeks in hospital to keep my mind occupied. Sure enough, I ended up even watching some old Thomas episodes on VHS; finding that not only did I enjoy them from a nostalgic perspective but also just for how they told their stories with simplicity and charm despite it just been a narrator talking over train models with faces on. I also truly realized how much time, effort and money it must have taken to not only create the sets but also continually buy replacements for all the trucks, engines and other vehicles that got damaged or destroyed throughout the numerous episodes, which gave me more appreciation of the show in general.
The nurses and my parents thought I was silly for watching the old Thomas episodes, but I'm not ashamed to say that I enjoyed seeing them despite been 11 years old at the time.

Years later when my nephew started watching television, I got him some Thomas DVDs of the old episodes me and my siblings grew up with for him to watch (I'm not fond of the newer series that use CGI and neither are my siblings) and he loved them, to the point that once that original opening theme started he'd be flapping his hands and jumping up and down with a big grin on his face and making squeaking/squawking noises.
(I wish I'd got it on video as it was so funny).

Additionally, I used to like some of the songs they made to accompany the series; they weren't a major factor towards me liking it as a kid but they were a nice touch.

Anywho, that's all I've got to say on the topic.

 

[Fino]

I've always found it disturbing. It's like a creepy scientist made them. That face...and people get INSIDE them? Do they feel that?

 

[Tom]

My son is undiagnosed, but I am sure on the spectrum like me and he loved Thomas thru out his childhood. I recently gave the wooden set of tracks and trains to another diagnosed HFA boy of about 7. He was thrilled. I don't know the reasons why but rather liked watching the show and videos with him myself.

 

[Catana]

Probably for the same reasons it's popular with non-autistic children. (Whatever those are.)

 

[AGXStarseed]

I've always found it disturbing. It's like a creepy scientist made them. That face...and people get INSIDE them? Do they feel that?

Yeah, my brother has that issue regarding the trains having faces; I guess certain people just react differently to certain things.
To give you an example, the Wolf roaring at the beginning of Disney's Peter and the Wolf used to scare me big time and have me running to the toilet in fear, while for my siblings it was never a big deal.

 

[Major Tom]

My son also loves Thomas. I like it too, because it's far less noisy and bright than other shows here. He also likes Shaun the Sheep probably for similar reasons.

 

[Luka]

I remember really liking it when I was younger, I think the fact that the main characters are sort of colour-coded always appealed to me, you knew exactly which train was which

 

[Lemon Zing]

Apart from an ex-Beatle telling the stories, the trains and vehicles are so colourful and funny.

 

[Fino]

Yeah, my brother has that issue regarding the trains having faces; I guess certain people just react differently to certain things.
To give you an example, the Wolf roaring at the beginning of Disney's Peter and the Wolf used to scare me big time and have me running to the toilet in fear, while for my siblings it was never a big deal.

Is your brother autistic?

 

[Ylva]

He's an engine, and engines are things you can understand.

And if I remember correctly, the trains spoke their minds to one another and didn't play Mean Girls mind games.

 

[AGXStarseed]

Is your brother autistic?

Nope.

 

[Progster]

Thomas the Tank Engine wasn't around when I grew up, but I did like to watch things which had had simple, non-complicated plots and characters, TV series or books with more emphasis on action and adventure, as opposed to characterisation. I remember I had a Hannibal the Hamster book that I really loved and wanted to have read to me again and again, a simple story based round an animal, easy to understand and follow, plenty of action.