How my cartoons help my son deal with life
WHEN I first realised my now threeyear-old son, Caleb, was on the autism spectrum, I typed ‘cartoons for autistic children’ into YouTube. He was different to other children and didn’t enjoy, or follow, typical cartoons. But I found very little for my son online — only cartoons for people to watch that explained autism. Over the following year, I noticed Caleb’s likes and dislikes, how he learned and what he liked to learn about. He loved watching the end credits — something about the black and white on the screen moving from the bottom to the top mesmerised him. He also loved a black background and objects or shapes lining up in rows with a voice-over naming them. I am a graphic designer and illustrator so decided to put my skills to good use to create a channel for other children like Caleb to enjoy and learn from in their own unique way. I realised I could teach children the alphabet, numbers and shapes, and also help them overcome some of their fears. By using the unique style my son enjoys, I can create animations to ease a child’s anxiety about everyday situations, such as going to the doctor, and sensory issues, such as brushing their teeth. My YouTube channel is called Autism Rocks Picturehouse and it is the only one specifically aimed at children on the autism spectrum. It will be launched on World Autism day, April 2, and I hope that it will help and entertain thousands of children around the world.
Katie Taylor, southampton.