Trains and Autism

October 4, 2018

Working at EnterTRAINment Junction allows me to meet so many amazing families. I was talking to a mom just the other day about her son, who is autistic. We were discussing how much he loves coming to watch the trains and how there is a link between kids with autism and their love for trains.

According to Autism Speaks, three main reasons for their love of trains include:

1. Trains have wheels which appeals to sensory interests. Many people with autism enjoy watching things spin -they find it mesmerizing- and trains are no exception!
2. Trains can be categorized by models such as type, size, etc. I can tell you that some of our guests come in spouting off information about trains that I didn’t even know about!
3. Trains come with schedules which appeals to the need for predictability. I read somewhere that some people with autism will learn and memorize train time tables… which is amazing considering sometimes I can’t even understand the table, much less memorize it!

One of our families that came in recently mentioned that her child loves to line things up and, you must admit, trains line up pretty nicely! EnterTRAINment Junction has become a safe-haven for them and a place where her son can come to relax and feel happy.

Regardless of the person, trains can be used to encourage learning and development -whether it’s starting with the Thomas the Tank series or becoming someone who works on mechanical parts or even an engineer! We are so thankful to be a place where trains can connect people of all walks of life and are thrilled to be someone else’s happiest place on earth.