Laying the tracks: Investigating the potential benefits for autistic children of a model railway initiative

Abstract

This study described a model railway programme in terms of its benefits for autistic children and their families/communities. A non-experimental mixed-method design was conducted, in which an observation schedule was designed to determine whether behaviours which are associated with language development were facilitated by the programme. Interviews with parents/caregivers were conducted to collect qualitative data about the programme, to better understand how it is perceived by visitors and what draws them to attend. Individual case studies with children and their parents/caregivers were done to build a clearer picture of what can be seen at an individual level. Finally, a focus group was arranged with members of the railway modeller’s club to find out their point of view and broaden the qualitative scope of the data. Findings suggest potential utility in this programme for autistic children and future research implications are discussed.