Obsessions

[KarenT]

This might have been discussed before, if so can someone post up the link and I'll find out from there.

 

Where do you draw the lines between obsessions and interests? J's just been introduced to Star Wars and I'm sure in some (particularly NT) eyes it could be regarded as obsessional, but there's a subtle difference that I can't quite put my finger on that makes me think it's not. Previous obsessions (Robot Wars, Harry Potter, Thomas the Tank Engine when he was little) were all-encompassing, affecting every area area of his life all the time - video, books, computer games, endless talking, and of course the toys. But here in the midst of a new-found interest he's still monologuing about the creatures from HP, reading the Beano, other stuff.

 

Could it be that for the first time J has a 'normal' interest? It's beginning to look that way.

 

Would be interesting to hear others' views on this and their children's interests/obsessions.

 

Karen

x

[allure]

Karen,

One of Wade's obsession is and always has been dinosaurs. He reads everything he can get his hands on, when he looks at the clouds in the sky rather than seeing "a fluffy oval cloud", he will says, "hey mom, that looks like an allosaurus!".. my viewpoint, and this may be the wrong way to think, is that there are worse things he could be obsessed with.

At one point I was his obsession. No one could even get close to me without him throwing a fit and clinging tighter to me. His sister, (who is 2 years older) would try to sit next to me on the sofa and wade would crowd in between us. He even at one point began to do things to try to harm her because he felt that she was a threat to him in regards to the fact that she was my child too. Thank god my parents were supportive and helped to take her places etc. That, I viewed, was a dangerous obsession.

We've always encouraged wade's obsession with dinosaurs. He wants to be a paleantologist when he grows up. The way we feel about it is, if it's his obsession anyway he may very well become successful in that career if he uses his obsession in a productive way.

There was an article a few years back about the silicon valley (near San Francisco) rate of diagnosis of kids with asperger's. The experts were speculating that the kids parents who worked in the computer industry, some of them were asperger's as well and they were using thier obsession with computers as a career. Hence the boom in the rate of asperger's dx in that area.

I think if an obsession can be used for the positive then wonderful! They are going to have the obsession anyway, as long as it isn't anything dangerous (for example "fire") why not capitalize on it and turn it into something that will impact them in a positive way?

*wondering if that makes sense*

as for the fine line between interests and obsessions, with wade anyway, He has other things he is mad about, robot wars, his gameboy, the simpsons *rolling my eyes*, and most recently this girl at school

 

although the girl at school has turned into more of an obsession and that's a whole other topic! *sigh*

I guess the way I feel, we all have things that we are overly interested in, mine is my computer, my dad's is Nascar racing, my daughters is "boys" some could classify these as obsessions, others may think they are just phases we go through. I think it's different for each person.

hope this sorta answered your question

[justamom]

My son's obession at the moment well for a good year is Charmed the television series, he loves anything to do with magic - he loves Harry Potter too... He was so upset the other day when he learnt that they are ending the series this June - his world fell apart... I don't particularly like this obession, its not really a programme he should be watching...

 

I think the difference between his interest like the computer and charmed are that he HAS to watch his dvd's every day but if he does not have a chance to go on the computer than its not life or death for him, its a need for the charmed not necessarily and must IUKWIM.

[lil_me]

Mikey's has been fish and other sea life for a long time now, we just work on expanding it, no point trying to stop him. Got him into dinosaurs as we found a book on dinosaurs in the sea.

[DaisyFulkirk]

Is there a serious difference between obsessions and interests for someone who is autistic?

 

It like seems for me that either I like something (or someone... which creates its own problems) really a lot and it/they is very very important to me or I'm really not interested at all.

 

The new series of Doctor Who is a biggie for me and I like the fact that I can talk about it with my college friends - it is obvious for me and them that I like it in a different way to how they like it, but I can tell them things and they can tell me things about it.

[lil_me]

I think there is a major difference between obsession and interest, Mikey has many other interests, but Sealife and anything to do with it is definately an obsession for him. Its his life.

[Lucas]

My last post in this thread was lost! I can't remember what it said now.

[Canopus]

I seem to be missing a post as well. I think it was something about schools and obsessions vs school subjects and popular culture.

[Lucas]

I said something about the difference between interest and hyper-interest for Autistics is that hyper-interest is a learning experience which is why it is often intense.

[Canopus]

The educational community rarely see obsessions as a learning experience if they happen to be outside of the school curriculum. Prodigies are defined as kids who are experts in a school subject and a few other areas such as music and chess. Kids who are experts at anything else are considered obsessives.

 

When I was at primary school I was an expert at computers and electronics. They were not school subjects, so the teachers and EP considered me as an obsessive rather than someone of high intellect. I was also bad at certain things including handwriting, bike riding, football, and relating well to other kids of my age which I was expected to be good at by default. If I happened to be brilliant at sports or music then the teachers and EP would almost certainly have viewed me differently.