Now, before I begin this blog, I just want to say one thing…that in my 30s, I still watch classic cartoons and educational shows. It’s just a part of who I am as a neurodiverse individual. Although I have grown out of most of them, I still tune in from time to time.
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The reason I bring this blog up is because I have heard parents express a wish for their children to give up shows and other media because they are no longer age appropriate.
Let’s be real here…there are plenty of adults, both neurodiverse and neurotypical that watch cartoons both classic and modern. Take it from me, I was and still is a fan of “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.” For 8 years, I religiously followed the adventures of Twilight Sparkle and her friends in the land of Equestria and took part in several of the many brony conventions that were all over the United States.
Had it not been for being a fan of MLP, I would never have gotten inspired to pursue self-advocacy and public speaking as my primary career goal.
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Now given the look of the situation that my colleague explained to me about, I can see that yes, Sesame Street can be a bit too old for some people, but take a moment and look towards the future here…what if something like Sesame Street ultimately results in the neurodiverse viewer, no matter how old he or she is, to pursue something just because they were inspired by said shows? You take a look at any fandom that is out there such as Batman/Superman, Pokemon, Disney, Anime, etc. and ask yourself, what can someone get out of being involved in something like these activities?
Well, the answer would be a lot….watching something classic, outdated or even childish can result in inspiration to pursue a specific profession.
For example, someone who is big into Batman or Superman or even Power Rangers could be inspired to pursue a career in the military, law enforcement or general law and even something like Disney could inspire someone a career as an artist or actor. Shows can also inspire others to pursue hobbies that get them out of the house and into the community that best suits them such as writing, creating videos or just building friendships.
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Greg Lee, Lynne Thigpen and Rockapella make up the cast of “Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?” (1992-1995)
Another example is back in the 1990s, there was a children’s game show called “Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?” that likely inspired a lot of kids when I was growing up in the 1990s to possibly pursue a career as a teacher in History or Geography. The same could also be said with “Legends of the Hidden Temple,” another children’s reality tv inspired game show that also inspired people to become history teachers:
Kirk Fogg and Olmec on “Legends of the Hidden Temple” (1993-1995)
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Yet another example is that on YouTube, there’s a creator called NickyHelp who creates music videos using characters that many neurodiverse individuals would otherwise watch.
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The problem is that a lot of autism parents just can’t get on the same page as their children because they see something that they view as childish when in reality, it is helping them find their way in life. Denying something that neurodiverse children love watching just because they are too old for it is doing more harm than good. There is something about the classics or children’s programming like Sesame Street that can still be inspiring to others.
The most important factor that comes into focus is the fact that autism parents need to have an open mind in regard to what their autistic children watch. No one should be judging others just because what they love is something their parents don’t like. If autism or neurodiverse parents can understand that, then children shows and interests can bring families together and build relationships with their children. I will discuss more of this further in Part 2 of this blog!!
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Catch you all later!!
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