BooSnoo! featured in the UK’s National Autistic Society’s magazine, Autism
BooSnoo!
VERDICT: A soothing, sensory delight for autistic children
BooSnoo! is a Sky Kids show, developed with the support of the National Autistic Society. The show is inspired by elements that engage children, with a particular focus on autistic children and those with learning difficulties.
Autistic children may find it difficult to follow the plot of fast-paced, dialogue-heavy TV shows. But BooSnoo! has no words, no human characters, and there is no complex plot to follow. The star of the show is a simple red ball, which travels through a series of fantastic landscapes and machines filled with music, art, space, water and more, captivating children’s interest from start to finish.
Julian Bashford, the show’s creator, has used his experiences of raising an autistic son to shape BooSnoo!’s content and structure. This is particularly evident in the show’s highly sensory nature: we see and hear the red ball pop bubble wrap, crunch through autumn leaves, and softly chime against marble-run style pipework. The show is highly structured, with a repeated introduction, a consistent main character, and a final recap of the ball’s travels at the end of each episode. The ball’s journey is also heavily dependent on tracks and mechanics – a nod to some autistic children’s interest in trains.
BooSnoo! was originally designed for pre-school children, but can be enjoyed by children – and parents – of any age. It’s unsurprising that BooSnoo! has already received great feedback from autistic children of different ages, as well as children with ADHD and those with learning difficulties.
BooSnoo! is an incredibly rare show: one that is for autistic children, not about them. It is not a show designed to educate others about autism, but a show with autistic children and families at its heart. You can watch BooSnoo! on Sky Kids every day at 6pm. It’s also on Now TV, BT and Virgin Media. You can see the ‘Wheels’ episode on YouTube at bit.ly/BooSnoo Sophie Brown, Copywriter, National Autistic Society.
The original article follows.
