​​The Best TV Shows and Movies for Children With Autism

Learning how to use the media to benefit your autistic child is an ongoing process. The decision on what entertainment to expose him to is even more important when dealing with autism. 

Entertainment is fraught with negative impressions that can damage a child’s ability to establish his own identity. While children need it to get a realistic view of the world around them and how they fit into that mold, parents do well to proceed with caution. They need to see models of themselves in the imaginary world they are entering.

The same is true for any autistic child. Observing others with the same challenges face the world can be a genuinely uplifting experience. So, choices for TV shows and movies can be very empowering for your child. Below are just a few suggestions to help your special needs child find his place in the world.

Should Children With Autism Watch TV?

Before you can choose the best entertainment for your autistic child, it helps to know how to use this form of entertainment to your advantage. 

Yes, autistic children indeed require extensive therapeutic interactions. It is not uncommon for them to have hours of therapy daily. This highly disciplined form of treatment is one of the main reasons parents feel that TV may not be the best choice for their children. 

While TV and movies are not interactive, they can still help a child with autism.

• They are very effective teaching tools. After watching the same movie over and over again, they can pick up on proper emotional responses, learn new skills, and even learn basic life skills like tying their shoes, brushing their teeth, and combing their hair.
• They discover the fundamentals of connecting with others and how to make friends.
• They adopt a unique language that you can use to communicate better with them.
• They expose them to a whole new world and prepare them to explore.
• They help them to get out of their heads and engage in the real world.
• They can generate new ideas that they can use again in their therapy sessions.

Because autistic children learn better through visual and auditory means, watching TV shows and movies can help them build a solid knowledge base that they can use in real life. So, while parents must carefully choose what is on the screen, it can make a significant difference in providing some of the necessary tools needed for them to adapt to real-life situations.

What Makes an Autism-Friendly Movie?

So, how do you choose what is right for your child to watch? You don’t want to plop them down in front of the television and expect miracles to happen. It is essential to exercise great care in what your child is exposed to. Here are a few things you should keep in mind while deciding.

• Make sure that parental controls are always engaged. This practice will keep your child from accidentally viewing something you don’t want him to see.
• Always preview any show before you let your child watch.
• Watch together so you can pause at specific points to ask questions and engage your child so they can get a better grasp of what he needs to learn.
• If he becomes attached to a single show and wants to watch it repeatedly, use that show to reward him for demonstrating positive behavior.
• Look for ways you can extend his interests from the show into the real world.
• Make your own videos that model the behaviors you want him to emulate.

No hard and fast rule tells you which movie is good or bad. It is not just that your child has autism but also other factors you must consider when making a choice. When you are looking at options, try to focus on key factors like:

• Where he falls on the spectrum
• His age
• Learning opportunities
• How much stimulation he can take
• Will it have a calming effect

There are probably more factors that you can also consider when making your choice. Just like with all other children, no two will be alike, even those with autism. You know your child better than anyone, so consider your personal knowledge when deciding if a TV show or movie will work best in your situation.

There is always an escape plan if you find your choices are a good match. If you subscribe to a streaming service like Disney or Netflix, you can simply stop the stream and make another selection. It’s not like the olden days when your child had to watch whatever was on the screen at the time.

Movies For Autistic Children

When it comes to choosing movies, animation is a popular choice. Not only will you find selections that are not controversial, but there are lots of storylines that can provide real education opportunities in the experience.

Animated movies for an autistic child can be very enlightening. The benefits of a sensory-friendly movie show are evident at every turn.

• It gives them a way to observe social skills in non-threatening or confusing ways.
• Even the central figures, while they may be animals or other beings found in nature, exaggerate behaviors they may need to learn, so the world suddenly is not so confusing.
• Seeing repeated behaviors in several situations helps them to hone in on a specific skill set and gives them cues on how to use it.

Some live-action movies can offer the same general benefits for the autistic child that can process it. Here are just a few examples of how they can help.

Finding Nemo: This movie is appropriate for all ages. The story of a clownfish braving the massive sea for his son can strike a chord with anyone. Your autistic child will likely pick up on how he has to adapt to various situations, learn to be flexible, and find ways to work with others while pursuing his goal.

Lilo and Stitch: This show is ideal for children of all ages. Lila, a little Hawaiian girl, makes friends with an alien and makes him her pet. Together, they go through many experiences that require them to meet specific challenges. The whole experience is friendly, engaging, and colorful.

Back to the Future: The young and adventurous Marty is the main character searching for his own adventure in this movie. However, most autistic children will focus on the older Doc Brown. The scientist with eccentric mannerisms doesn’t know how to fit in with society. He becomes successful with his invention of the Time Machine, which sends them both on all sorts of wild and crazy adventures.

TV Shows

The same guidelines that we use for choosing movies can also be applied in TV shows. Choose those where you think your child will be able to relate to some of the characters in a way that may help them to rid themselves of their inhibitions. Something that shows that they can be empowered and become independent without always conforming to the norm.

Boss Baby: This Netflix series places the viewer in a computer-generated cartoon series. It is recommended for children ages five and up. It is full of slapstick comedy as the characters diligently work out the troubles they face while navigating everyday life. This show is perfect because the episodes are all short, so you won’t have to worry about your child not being able to focus for the duration of each episode.

A little note on Boss Baby, though, is that my kids at home started to think they were “the boss” around the house and tried bossing me around! In all honesty, it wasn’t much of a problem, but it’s something to watch out for!

The Magic School Bus Rides Again: This series features Ms. Frizzle as she hands the reins of the bus over to her sister Fiona. Through their adventures, children learn a lot about science and social behaviors in all sorts of situations.

Peppa Pig: Almost every parent young and old has heard about Peppa Pig! Peppa Pig and her family are a polite bunch that teach children manners and other daily living skills such as sharing. Warning: if your kids watch this too much, they might just end up developing a British accent!