At Kidoodle.TV®, we’re lending our support to raise awareness of Autism Acceptance this April. If you’re wondering why we’re calling it “Autism Acceptance Month” instead of “Autism Awareness Month,” Christopher Banks, President, and CEO of the Autism Society of America, puts it like this:

“While we will always work to spread awareness, words matter as we strive for autistic individuals to live fully in all areas of life. As many individuals and families affected by autism know, acceptance is often one of the biggest barriers to finding and developing a strong support system.”

Christopher Banks, President, and CEO of the Autism Society of America, 2021.

Word choices and phrases are simple but important ways for us to foster acceptance and inclusion, like using people-first language. 

Entertainment is a useful tool for individuals living with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, of any age. Some of the shows available on Kidoodle.TV offer calming sensory immersion, or help to develop interpersonal and social skills. Join us, in celebrating Autism Acceptance month with your family.

Lil’ Doc: The Autism Spectrum

Lil’ Doc is a series of animated shorts that help explain medical topics to children. Season 01, Episode 07 of Lil’ Doc titled, “The Autism Spectrum” describes how the brain reacts or responds to different messages in people living with an ASD.

Brady Rymer’s “Soft Things”

Brady and Laurie present “Soft Things,” a song made for celebrating Autism. This comforting song reminds us of the reassuring, soothing things that bring stability to our days and peace to our souls: a favorite blanket, our loving pets, beautiful music, best friends, and more.

Max Park: Rubik’s Cube World Champion

Meet Max Park, America’s Champion Rubik’s Cube speedsolver with numerous Guinness World Records titles including the fastest time to solve cube sizes from 4x4x4 through to 7x7x7 and the fastest average time to solve a Rubik’s Cube one-handed. Max has also been diagnosed with autism. In this episode of Guinness World Records Rubik’s Records (S1E02) hear from Max’s parents talk about their son’s love of cubing.

MonsiKids

Monsikids is an animated series about identifying emotions. The show was crafted by a team of child psychologists, designed to help kids understand how they are feeling. Each episode features tips on how to cope with difficult emotions like anger, envy, self-esteem and fear.

Molang

Molang is an adorable show about two kind and affectionate animal best friends, Molang & Piu Piu. Children with ASD often have a harder time reading body language and facial expressions and Parents of kids with ASD have noted this show is perfect for learning to recognize visual cues and read emotional expressions.

Bob the Train

Autism Speaks Developmental pediatrician, Dr. Amanda Bennett, writes about a common interest in trains appealing to individuals of all ages living with ASD. She writes, “trains can appeal to individuals whose sensory interests include watching objects spin. [Trains] can be categorized into different models, types, sizes, etc. For some individuals with ASD, the ability to organize objects into categories is very appealing.” Bob the Train is a short-form musical show that offers bright colors and characters singing along to classic nursery rhymes. 

64 Zoo Lane

Lucy is a little girl who lives at 64 Zoo Lane, right next door to the local zoo. Every night, Lucy meets with the animals who impatiently await their turn to tell her about their colorful adventures. Several ASD parenting bloggers have mentioned this show as a great kid’s show that offers calming visuals and sounds to easily follow along. 

Maurice Sendak’s Little Bear

Little Bear is an animated series based on the popular children’s books, starring a 6-year-old small, curious, and imaginative grizzly bear cub who lives in the forest with his family and friends. This series has been mentioned as a long-time favorite for individuals living with ASD. 

Additional Resources:

Guidelines on talking about Autism

Guidelines on talking about Autism

How to Support Children with Autism with Special Interests

Helping Children with Autism Get the Most out of Digital Media