What can be difficult for autistic children is not seeing themselves portrayed in media. But the good news is with more education around autism, more characters are being captured in movies, books, tv shows, etc. Here are some recommendations for you to explore!
Books
Some books that have been useful for children I’ve worked with in the past are:
- All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome: this book uses a cat as a metaphor for an Asperger Syndrome person. Cats are sensitive to certain common triggers and beat to their own drum. Overall, the book highlights both strengths and difficulties but shows children it’s fantastic to be themselves, just as they are.
- All My Stripes: Here, the main character, Zane, has a different stripe to everyone else and fears only be acknowledged for this stripe. By the end of the book, Zane can accept all of his stripes for creating the unique person that is him.
- My Brother Charlie: This book features a young girl who talks about all of her brother’s achievements, which is based on real-life experiences of a mother and her daughter. This story encompasses a family member’s perspective of love and tolerance to teach children about autism’s unique features.
TV Shows
Both Sesame Street and Thomas the Tank Engine host autistic characters now. Sesame Street has a character named “Julia” that all of the other characters accept and accommodate. “Bruno” the brake car is now a featured train on a show that many autistic children adore. Though I have yet to see this one in action, “Pablo” appears to be an excellent resource for children. “Pablo” processes the world through drawing other characters. Beautifully, the main cast and many of the writers have been identified as autistic.
Movies
Although I’ve seen many Disney movies, unfortunately, none seem to feature an autistic character. Through completing a search on the subject, most recommendations lead to “Inside Out” which is an excellent movie for opening up discussions on emotions and emotional regulation. The sequel “Finding Dory” also features “Dory” as a great source for teaching acceptance around differences, where her memory is different to others.
These are all of our current recommendations, and hopefully as more media is developed, there will be more autistic characters featured. If you have any good resources, please drop us a line! We’re always on the lookout for more to share with our kiddies.
I'm just going to quickly add a little kudos to our very own Jodie Adams, who works at Collaborative Partnerships which is a sister-company to Kindred Kids, for the creation of the book "My Friend Manny." Although this book is not specifically about Autism, it does feature the neurodivergent Manny, a boy with ADHD, and the love and acceptance that is gained through a beautiful friendship.
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