We’re not big TV people in general, and don’t intend to let Nyan Thomas watch much TV, for obvious reasons (i.e. much of it is trash). And we haven’t let him see the screen, period, until now, because of research that shows that TV watching early on can mess with the brain’s development and even trigger autism, if other conditions are there.

But while in Colchester, the boy’s grandfather – a trained psychiatrist with many years of experience – checked him out and declared him fine for watching some TV. No music videos or other flashy trash, but nature documentaries or news (and even soccer (aka football), with its long shots and good colors) are okay. And sho’nuff, the kid took to news programs especially; he often talks back to the screen, apparently thinking the news readers are talking to him. Here’s one example.