Electronic Babysitter or Social Outlet?

Considering the ongoing argument regarding the acceptability of using media to occupy children, one may be surprised that a group so involved in the upbringing of their child would embrace media in the way they have; however, to understand why, one must also understand the role of such things in the life of these families. The characters on the screen are not fantasies; indeed, they become members of the family, their role being continually acted out by the autistic child. Autistic children have an incredibly finite ability to interact with the outside world, variety and change can only be handled in very small and controlled doses lest there be a meltdown of biblical proportions. Thus, characters in movies become very real friends to those living with Autism--they are always the same and can be depended on. They are able to quote entire movies, using inflection and different voices for different characters. Indeed the television is not a way to idle away time as it would be for most children, instead it provides a vehicle for Autistic kids to interact with others.