TV Turn-Off Week

This week is TV Turn-Off Week. Did you know? Are you participating? While I should participate myself, there is no way I could make Caleb get rid of TV for the week. That would induce meltdowns galore and take away some of his best learning opportunities of the day.

I found an excellent list from autism.about.com that lists some good reasons for allowing kids with autism to watch television and videos. I can't believe how well this matches up with how Caleb learns.

Here are the reasons. Any bold-type print in the explanations are my own additions.

1) Research Shows that Autistic Children Learn From Videos

Researchers have looked into the power of video modeling for children with autism. They've discovered that videos, which can be viewed over and over again, are actually powerful tools for teaching skills, concepts, and even emotional responses. Some video modeling has been shown to effectively teach life skills like tooth brushing, shoe tying and more! There is a Sesame Street episode that we have on tape that Caleb likes to watch over and over. It has a section on brushing your teeth. Every time he brushes his teeth he repeats the steps that were given on the show.

2) Carefully Selected TV Shows Can Help Your Child Connect to His Peers

Children with autism are idiosyncratic enough without being denied the common cultural language of television. Even if your child with autism doesn't fully grasp the humor of Spongebob, his knowledge of the characters and settings will provide him with better tools for connecting with his peers. This isn't really an issue with Caleb yet and I don't totally agree with this one. There are plenty of ways to connect with peers without having tv show characters in common.

3) TV and Video Can Provide Parent and Child with a Common Language

As you and your child watch videos or TV together, you can establish a common symbolic language. That language can provide the basis for shared imaginative play. Our son became fascinated with one particular Pooh video, and it has led to really meaningful conversation, role play, drawing, even puppet shows. I've seen this time and time again with Caleb. When I watch shows with him I know what he's talking about when he says things he's learned from there. We are able to have conversations based on what we've watched.

4) TV and Videos Can Open the World to Your Child

Many children on the autism spectrum are fascinated by animals, trains, or other aspects of the real world. Selected TV and videos, such as Animal Planet and the Eye Witness videos can build on those interests. Next step: a trip to the real zoo to see real crocodiles, a real-life train ride, or just a visit to the pet store. Yep.

5) TV and Videos can Create a Link Between the Internal and External Worlds

At age three, our son's language consisted largely of memorized scripts. Some of those scripts came from a Canadian TV show called Theodore Tugboat which featured talking boats in a harbor. We had no idea how much he'd learned from the show until we went to a real harbor, where our three-year-old correctly pointed out real research vessels, container ships, tugs and more! This describes Caleb very well.

6) TV Provides a Much-Needed Respite for Parents

It's easy to feel guilty for plopping your autistic child in front of the TV. The truth is, though, that no one can be physically and emotionally available all day, every day. Even parents of special needs kids need a break. And carefully selected TV or videos, offered in a structured and limited manner, can be a sanity-saver. Amen. I usually have Caleb pick one of his shows to watch while Eva is taking a nap so I can get some down time.

7) TV and Videos Can Build Parent-Child Relationships

Even if you're not actively engaging with each other in a therapeutic manner, you can cuddle together on the couch. Those quiet, physically intimate moments together may be just as signficant to your child's development as high energy interactive play. It is so rare when Caleb wants to cuddle with me. He is always on the go. But, there are times when he will sit with me and let me hold him if we are watching something he really likes.

8) TV and Videos Can Stimulate Ideas for Therapy

If you are a parent who practices developmental therapies like floortime, RDI or Sonshine, you may simply run out of creative ideas. And very often, children with autism are not much help in that department. TV and Videos can stimulate your imagination with new images, ideas and scenarios. We don't practice these particular therapies but I agree that I can get good ideas from TV. I saw that there was a Blue's Clues show on feelings so I decided to DVR it to check it out. Caleb is working on learning facial expressions and we talk about how people look on the TV. For example, when Curious George (his latest TV "obsession") gets taken by animal control Caleb will always say "George is sad".

9) Autistic Children Relate Intensely to TV-Related Merchandise and Games

Typical children may tire quickly of Sesame Street toys. Children on the autism spectrum, however, are more likely to find real comfort and pleasure in toys that relate to their favorite videos. And those toys can become a wonderful source for therapeutic play. So can some of the video games related to PBS television program. In fact, the Arthur website includes a game which asks kids to connect facial expressions to story events! Caleb loves playing the games on pbskids.org, nickjr.com, and playhousedisney.com. He gets good practice from what he's been learning at school (shapes, letters, turn taking, etc...). This is something that he has a hard time "learning" directly from me.

10) Auditory and Visual Teaching Is Ideal for Autistic Children

Autistic people often learn best with their eyes and ears, while words may not sink in. Our son plays the clarinet, but it was tough to get him to play anything new. That is, until the Disney show Little Einsteins introduced the Mozart piece Eine Kleine Nacht Musik. Now, he plays like a whiz! The same goes for Pink Panther: we showed him the animation from the beginning of the Pink Panther movie; now he can play the piece with proper rhythm and intonation. It should be no surprise to most of you that Caleb learns this way. He started out talking by imitating conversations he memorized from TV. Right now we are able to limit his tv viewing and the shows he has access to but I can see in the future how this can be something we'll really have to watch out for. He is so impressionable and prone to memorization that I don't want him watching shows that teach him things he doesn't need to know.

TV Turn-Off Week

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2007/04/tv-turn-off-week.html