How PBS KIDS Shows Benefit My Son With Autism

April is Autism Awareness Month, but, in our house, autism awareness is every day. As a mother of a child on the spectrum, we live with the struggles and celebrations daily. April presents an opportunity for families like ours to talk to others about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

We tend to fear the unknown. When a child has not had the opportunity to be around a child on the spectrum, it is unfamiliar, and some stereotypical ASD behavior can be off-putting. As a parent with a child on the spectrum, all I want is for his peers to accept him for who he is. By exposing children to different people, this will increase their empathy and compassion for other people.

I grew up watching “Sesame Street.” So when I became a parent, it was the first show I shared with my children. And when the character Julia, who has autism, was introduced, I was ecstatic! My favorite thing about Julia is that she raises awareness in children, not just adults. “Sesame Street” shows that sometimes Julia does things differently, but that’s OK. And Elmo and Abby are quick to accept Julia, and show the other kids that she is just one of the gang! I loved seeing my son represented in children’s media by a character similar to him. And this was just the first example of how children’s media has helped my son.

Autism affects each individual differently. ASD characteristically presents itself in early childhood marked with struggles in communication, sensory and social interactions. However, autistic children do not all show the same symptoms, and some symptoms may manifest themselves differently.

For example, some children on the spectrum speak well and appear to have no issues; however, a communication issue is not the same as having a speech issue. While the child may not have a deficit in speaking, understanding verbal and non-verbal communication with pragmatic speech is different. Some kids will continue to have struggled with speech and may not develop verbal communication skills but can learn to communicate with devices and other outlets. My son’s main way of communication is called Interactive Echolalia, which means he repeats what he hears in an attempt to get his point across and to process audio information.

Children with ASD are developmentally delayed, which means they may not function at chronological age. However, PBS KIDS shows are an excellent fit for these developmental needs. I have seen the progression of my son's interests with the shows on the PBS KIDS Video app. When he was younger, the only thing that would sustain his attention was “Martha Speaks.” He would play the episodes over and over again because it had a calming effect on him.

My son, Jake, is 10 now, and is still very much a huge PBS KIDS viewer. Initially, when Jake started to watch his current favorite show, “Odd Squad,” I didn’t really think anything of it. I was confident that anything on PBS KIDS is safe, developmentally enriching, and interactively engaging. One day, I heard Jake speaking back to the tablet. I was immediately concerned. Who was he communicating with?! Since my son is limited verbal, my interest was piqued. Turns out, he was trying to interact with the kids in the show to the best of his ability. He kept saying, "My name is Agent Olive," just like the characters do at the beginning of each episode. I was able to teach him to say, “My name is Agent Jake.”

I decided to watch some episodes with him, and I quickly saw why he was so engaged in it. Some of the benefits I saw immediately were:

• Each episode is about 11 minutes. For children with short attention spans it is the perfect amount of time to get your point across without losing your audience.
• A child with a communication disorder can have a hard time listening because most of the words being used are not necessarily processed. One of my favorite episodes we watched together included a song called “Take Away Four.” It is an incredibly catchy song talking about the concept of subtracting. More importantly, music can help with early language skills — the rhythm and repetition of music can help us retain and memorize words.
• The show is visually captivating. The special effects keep him engaged with each scene transition, but also throughout the episode.
• Information is given by peers. The main characters of “Odd Squad” are kids who are his age, and peer-to-peer learning can increase self-confidence with the subject matter.

Autism contributes to struggles with social interactions and engagement throughout the lifespan, not just in childhood. However, you can learn to manage your child’s symptoms and appropriate coping techniques with proper early intervention. You can learn more with your child by visiting Sesame Street and Autism, which includes many resources like interactive games, parent videos, and storybooks.