Meet Bruno the Brake Car, Thomas the Tank Engine’s autistic friend

London (CNN)Children’s TV show “Thomas & Friends” is introducing its first autistic character, in a bid to diversify on-screen representation.

Bruno, a “joyful, pun-making brake car,” will make his debut this month, US toy giant Mattel said in a press release.

Bruno the Brake Car likes puns and rail schedules.

The new series regular will be voiced by autistic actors Chuck Smith, 10, and Elliot Garcia, 9, in the US and the UK, respectively, the company said.

Garcia, from Reading, England, expressed his delight at winning the role, adding that he was “really excited and happy” about autistic characters being represented in the beloved animated series.

“He (Bruno) is funny, smart, and he’s a very relaxed character. He can get really overwhelmed, he can get worried, and he uses comedy to get past situations,” Garcia said of the character.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People with autism can have social and communication difficulties as well as repetitive behaviors or restricted interests.
In a 2017 report, the Centers for Disease Controland Prevention estimated that over 2% of US adults have autism.

Elliott Garcia, 9, from Reading, Berks
Voice of Bruno the Brake Car in Thomas & Friends

Mattel developed the character of Bruno with the help of autistic writers and organizations in the United States and Europe, including the Autism Self Advocacy Network and the UK’s National Autistic Society.

Christopher Keenan, Senior VP President & Executive Producer at Mattel, said the move “organically embraces a global audience that is underrepresented and deserves to be celebrated in children’s programming.”

He added that “care and thought” went into creating an accurate fictional representation of an autistic child.

Bruno’s characteristics include a lantern to indicate his emotional state and ear defenders that can puff steam if he feels sensitive to loud noises, Mattel said. “He also knows where all the tracks lead on Sodor and has a preference for schedules and routines.”

Garcia said he can relate to Bruno’s ear defenders “because if there’s a really loud noise, I can’t cope. I have to think of new strategies, same as Bruno.”

Tom Purser, from the National Autistic Society, hailed Bruno’s introduction as a “real moment for autism”.

“It’s so important everyone sees autistic characters on our screens because there are 160,000 school-age autistic children in the UK and they want to see their stories told,” he said.

“It’s also important that non-autistic children get insight and understanding into what it can be like to be autistic.”

Zoe Gross, Director of Advocacy at Autism Self Advocacy Network, said she hoped Bruno will “provide viewers with meaningful examples of inclusion in everyday life.”

Season 26 of “Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go” premieres on September 12 in the US and September 21 in the UK.

Source: CNN

Thomas and Friends introduces first neurodiverse character Bruno the Brake Car who enjoys ‘schedules and routine’ and will be voiced by a nine-year-old boy with autism

By Eve Tawfick For Mailonline

Thomas and Friends is introducing first autistic character, Bruno the Brake Car
Elliot Garcia, 9, from Reading, Berkshire, who has autism, will voice Bruno
Detail-oriented Bruno enjoys schedules, routine and knows where tracks lead

Thomas and Friends is introducing its first autistic character, the show’s creators have announced.

Bruno the Brake Car will be voiced by Elliot Garcia, nine, from Reading, Berkshire, who is also neurodiverse.

Detail-oriented Bruno enjoys schedules, routine, and knows where all the tracks lead. Bruno has stairs and a lantern on his bright, red exterior that indicate his emotional state, moving when he is excited or cautious.

Bruno’s best day is one spent with his friends, who love and respect him for who he is, just as he loves them back.

Through his on-screen presence, Bruno’s rich friendships and important work introduces audiences to a positive, neurodivergent role model.

Elliot said: ‘Bruno is a Brake Car, and he is a new friend for Thomas and his friends, and he’s also autistic, like me. He is funny, smart, and he’s a very relaxed character.

‘He can get really overwhelmed, he can get worried, and he uses comedy to get past situations. Bruno loves schedules and timetables and when everything goes to plan.

Bruno with Percy and Thomas, two characters who have been in the show since the start when it was called Thomas the Tank Engine in 1984

‘He can flap his ladders to tell you if he’s upset or if he’s really excited, so he can use his items to show you how he’s feeling.

‘His ear defenders, I do relate to, because if there’s a really loud noise, I can’t cope. I can get quite worried about things, I have to think of new strategies, same as Bruno.

Bruno is seen in this artist’s still wearing ear defenders – a nod to the realism of autism, which means that loud noises can sometimes be very overwhelming and ear defenders are often used by the parents of autistic children

‘When I won the role of Bruno, I imagined that it was a dream, but it wasn’t! I felt really excited and happy.’

‘It’s great that they are representing autistic characters because I watch the Thomas and Friends series and for there to be an autistic character makes me feel very happy and excited to be a part of.’

Bruno the Brake Car was developed in collaboration with the Autism Self Advocacy Network in the US, as well as autistic writers and spokespeople.

Mattel says that together with key partners, they have ‘carefully curated Bruno’s character to ensure an accurate fictional representation of autism.

‘To create something the brand has never done before.’

Tom Purser, Head of Guidance, Volunteering & Campaigns at the National Autistic Society in the UK, was part of the casting process and chose Elliott for his role as Bruno.

He heralded the arrival of the new character as ‘an amazing moment for autistic people’.

Tom said: ‘It’s important that everyone sees autistic characters on our screens because there are 160,000 school-age autistic children in the UK and they want to see their stories told, but it’s also important that non-autistic children get insight and understanding into what it can be like to have the condition.

‘What Elliot brings to this role is his joy and enthusiasm, his autistic experiences and he just brings the character to life.

‘This is a real moment for autism because the history of children with the disorder and their relationship with the Thomas and Friends brand has been massive and I think to really recognise the importance of reflecting that in the show itself is an amazing moment for the brand.’

Bruno is described as a joyful, pun-making brake car.

Bruno the Brake Car is a red engine who is described as ‘relaxed and happy and sees the world in a different way’

He is great at his job and keeps big, heavy cargo steady with his strong brakes—a vital role in the show.

Bruno rolls in reverse at the end of the train, which gives him a unique perspective on the world-something that is align with autism spectrum disorder.

The new character will make his debut on Channel 5 Milkshake! from Wednesday 21 September at 7.00am.

The beloved British show was first brought to screens in 1984 as Thomas the Tank Engine,the little blue anthropomorphized train that won hearts of children across the nation.

Well known characters from the show include Edward, Henry, Gordon, James, Percy, Emily, Molly, Lady,Rosie, Diesel and Toby.

The original show from the 80’s was based on a series of books called The Railway Series by Reverend W Awdry and his son Christopher Awdry.

It was then re-branded as Thomas The Tank Engine and Friends and in 2021 was changed to Thomas and Friends.

The series is currently owned by HIIT entertainment, which is under the Mattel umbrella – who also owns Barbie.

What is autism and what are the signs of autism?

Autism or ASD affects thousands of people in the UK.

The NAS or National Autistic Society has branches in each area to support autistic people and their families.

Autism is a developmental disability that affects how autistic people experience the world around them. There are at least 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK.

Autism is a spectrum condition, which means it affects everyone differently including how autistic people think, communicate and interact with the world.

Although everyone is different, people on the autism spectrum may: be under or oversensitive to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light or colours, which can make everyday life difficult; be unable to or find it harder to speak, face delays processing information or find it hard to hold conversations.

They can experience intense anxiety around unexpected change and social situations; or become so overwhelmed that they experience debilitating physical and emotional ‘meltdowns’ or ‘shutdowns’

Source: Daily Mail