Childhood Obsessions
Our friends with autism often carry around familiar object to help them relax and to prevent explosive behavior triggered by unfamiliar surroundings or events. It is helpful to remember that a person with autism may latch on to an object for a very long time, so let’s take a look at some ways for teens to transition from their tattered teddy bears and baby toys to something more portable and age-appropriate.
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For many years, a teenager with autism loved holding five large, plastic cards from one of her favorite childhood toys. The cards were bulky and noisy and inappropriate for her age, so her parents were searching for an appropriate substitute. We took pictures of the front and back of each card, glued the matching cards together, then laminated the cards. The young lady was rather amazed to see such realistic likenesses of her treasured cards. She adopted the quieter and more portable versions of the cards, and did not notice that her parents stored the originals in the attic.
The transition from a real object to a symbolic object was a bit more challenging for a young teen who had carted around a stuffed monkey since he was 2 years old. During the summer prior to his first year at junior high school, the parents realized that the monkey was too tattered and too smelly and too age-inappropriate to take to his new school. They took pictures of the youngster with his monkey during summer travels as well as in their own home and community. The youngster still clung to his monkey while he helped put together a pocket-sized photo album featuring his beloved monkey. His older sister had the idea to send the monkey on a trip around the world. She helped her brother pack a little suitcase, “buy” the ticket on line, then drop the monkey off with one of her high school teachers posing as the “tour-guide” The youngster enjoyed carrying around his small photo album and receiving occasional postcards from his monkey friend. Over the school year, he developed new interests and no longer asked about his monkey.
We hope you will join the conversation. Share challenges and ideas based on your experiences or intuition. Just click on the comments button or send an e-mail to talk@FAQautism.com.
NOTE TO READERS AND LISTENERS: I am Cathy Knoll, a board certified music therapist and long-time friend of many folks with autism. At FAQautism.com we are committed to providing free, practical, everyday tips for making life better for people with autism. Feel free to send me an email with your thoughts or challenging situations or innovative solution. Send email to talk@FAQautism.com And don’t forget to check out our website for a wealth of ideas and a glimpse into the world of autism. http://FAQautism.com
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