What is your child's obsession? - Autism Spectrum Message Board

MrsMantis · 06-28-2007, 05:12 AM

It seems that most kids with autism are very, very interested in certain things. What's your child's interest?

My son started being obsessed with car logos when he was two and memorized all the various car companies. We would walk through countless parking lots so he could identify all the various car makes and sometimes models. He memorized in the neighborhood of 65 different logos.

Then he was obsessed at various times with brick walls, the moon, broken windows, movie credits and the one that's lasted the longest has been THX Tex from the THX production clips before movies.

Pick almost any kids movie and he can tell you who is was produced by (Disney Pixar, Dreamworks, Paramount, 20th Century Fox, etc.)

His obsession with the moon was very strong until he had a bad dream that the moon had a maniacal grin and now I've had to hang thicker curtains in his room, he has to have the light on, he CANNOT see even the slightest bit of sky at night when he's trying to sleep.

Remember the movie "The Shining" when Wendy finds the pile of papers that Jack typed "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." about a million times? Well I found a similar pile like that with drawings of the 20th Century Fox logo with spotlights. I flipped through them with the similar scared and concerned look that Wendy did.

Things always get worse over the summer when there is little structure to his day. During the school year, his obsessions were much milder and almost not even noticeable. I'm trying hard to figure out a schedule we can follow in hopes we can tone down the obsessions.

Does anyone have stories to share? I notice there are always a lot of views, but few replies. I hope that you feel free to share your stories.....and how you may have got your child to back away from his/her obsessions and focus on more day-to-day living.

meechieny · 06-28-2007, 12:47 PM

Hi again.
Our son had a big obsession with cars, Match Box to be exact. He like to lay on the floor and watch the wheels. We actually embraced it. It was a socially accepted one and he eventually outgrew it. We have always thought that our son was going to do something wonderful with that passion-like redesigned the wheel

He would get obsessed with a toy for a week or two. If it got too much we would re-direct him. It seems like they replace one thing with another. I have heard of one child (I think it was on here,) who was obsessed with pulling his hair out. The parents shaved his hair off and he exchanged it with shredding paper. That seems to be the case with a lot of kids....exchanging.
Maybe having a schedule for the day with break periods to play or do the obsessed thing at a specific time and place might help control it a little better?
Hey you never know......a obsession now might ease into a passion and become a career for them later.

dralja · 06-29-2007, 05:55 AM

[Our 3½ year old grandson has an obsession with spinning objects especially fans in air conditioners. He runs to any he sees no matter what obstacles - traffic, fences and so on. If not allowed to do so he "collapses" on the ground and refuses to get up. This obsession has become dangerous for him. Any advice?

vinnysmum · 06-29-2007, 06:29 AM

hi all my son who's nearly 4 is obsesed with cars and anything with wheels but his big obsesion is buses. he also love to line these up and goes mad if u disturb his line. i remeber 1 day we was in a/e and they had a box of toys in a little waitin room we was in and the doctor came in (vinny hurt his foot) the doctor knocked vinnys car line with his foot (the doctor foreign) and vinny went mad screamin flapping on the floor and this poor doctor who could barely speak english was horrified. and at this i wanted the ground to open up and swallow me up. and i remeber thinking that his obbsession was gettin to much for us all . but we just left him to it and he is alot better now . he is still obsesed with these things but it is manageble now. so i think you should just ride them out (unless there a danger to the child) coz the more of an issue we made over the obsession the more he semed to obses over them.hope this is of sum help bye 4 now

meechieny · 06-29-2007, 07:12 AM

dralja, Maybe if you got him one of those hand held, little personal fans. I have seen them at drug stores and novelty shops, especially this time of year. They are very small, made of soft plastic-so it wouldn't hurt him. You could give it to him when you are out in public and it would keep him from running away from you and his attention direct towards that. It could be used as a reward also?