Re: unusual obsession

[Guest guest]

Hi F -

I haven't faced this with commercials because my son only watches

videos and Sesame Street, but he does memorize sections of those and

repeat those back to us. I try to make whatever he is saying either

fit with what we are doing, or use it as a way to get into his world.

If you are familiar with Stanely Greenspan and the Floortime method

you know that you can follow their lead and play along with them in

their obsession, and then turn it around and change the rules. Like

with my son, I will follow along and act out one of the parts of

dialogue he is repeating and then I will throw him a curve and say

something different. He usually laughs and that gets him to do it

again and I keep trying to change it. I am trying to work on

imagination and also to make sure he can handle it when things aren't

always the same.

Maybe with the car commercial you could pick up a toy car and say " I

want to buy this car.... and work in the dialogue from the

commercial, or ask him about the low, low financing - anything to

make the language purposeful. That might help him if he can use that

language to communicate in play - maybe he will generalize it and be

able to use it elsewhere.

Oh yeah, there is also this book about " video modeling " that a couple

of parents wrote. It was cheap to buy off the web - around $8 - but

basically you can video tape stuff you want your child to learn and

show him those videos - that way he will be memorizing things you

want him to say...... I forget the web site where I found this

book... I think it had to do with Ideas about Autism or something

like that. I will try to find it and post it to the list.

Of course I am not a professional, but these are the ways I try to

work with my child.

I hope this helps.

Moira

mom to Vico (4 ASD) and Culzean (almost 1 year old)

[Guest guest]

F -

I was right, it was Ideas about Autism....

http://www.ideasaboutautism.com/

Hope that helps!

Moira

[Guest guest]

> My son has developed a recent obsession with commercialshow do you

handle it short of turning

> the TV off completly? We already moniter all TV time for content

> because he definatly learns from visual. But if I had to do no TV

at

> all I probably would go stir crazy.

,

My kids watch PBS almost exclusively- No commercials! Maybe he'll

start singing Barney songs or the ABC's instead.

Good luck-

Sue

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/17/01 10:46:34 AM Eastern Standard Time,

brettsmomsue@... writes:

> My kids watch PBS almost exclusively- No commercials! Maybe he'll

> start singing Barney songs or the ABC's instead.

> Good luck-

>

My son just walks around saying, " Coming up next on PBS... " :-)

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/18/01 11:42:23 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

whcmccain@... writes:

> > My kids watch PBS almost exclusively- No commercials! Maybe he'll

> > start singing Barney songs or the ABC's instead.

> > Good luck-

> >

>

> My son just walks around saying, " Coming up next on PBS... " :-)

>

You know, I think some of this scripting from TV can be turned into

appropriate language. My is a huge Blues Clues fan...and he loves to

draw (if you will allow me a small brag here, he also writes all his letters

and numbers, and can name them upon request...last week he wrote his name for

the first time - before he would tell me the letters to write). Anyway, he

tends to speak like Steve from Blues Clues. When he is drawing something I

will ask him what it is and he will say something like " and we have a basket "

or " we have a sun " or " we have a house. " The " and we have a... " is directly

lifted from Blues Clues. I have talked to the doctor running our program and

she says that all kids borrow language from time to time and since he is

using it appropriately we should be encouraging him to continue. When we

respond he is so delighted. So we make the connect through a beloved TV

show....so what??? I'LL TAKE IT...considering this kid spoke not one word a

year ago.

Regards,

M

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/18/01 12:33:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time, kweav@...

writes:

> ,

> Way to go!!! When using tv and video for interaction and building

> conversation on it I am all for it...how Greenspan of you! (that was a

> sincere compliment). In our case, Gillian was using tv for no purpose

> except to stay in her world and by " thinking I was making her happy " by

> watching the videos, I was actually not helping in her recovery.

> I commend you on your approach and am a bit jealous about the name writing!!

> *grin* Keep up the great work!! P.S. - are you Greenspan?

>

Oops! Is my Greenspan showing again?? ::grin:: Thanks for the compliment

...we are working with his strengths everyday to promote real

interaction...this has been a boon to our whole family. BTW, for those of

you following this thread that might think we are TV heads, I say NOT SO...I

am very careful about what I let my children watch and how much they watch.

My 4 year old daughter was at a friend's house last year and the mom turned

on the Rugrats...in a very polite voice my daughter told her that she is not

allowed to watch the Rugrats because her mom says they are disrespectful.

was three at the time. I applaud all of you in your individual

approaches to helping your children.

M

[Guest guest]

My 2 cents on the video thing...we are on a huge video diet. we do a 1/2

hour tv show and 1 short video a day... and most of the time I watch them

with my sweetie to keep the interaction going. ALL our therapists and our

DAN have expressed their concerns to me that tv, computer and videos do

very little to help our kids come " out " . It is one way communication, no

interaction that is purposful...the biggest chunk of our kids problems is

inability to be social and although tv is a great stress reliever, it gives

them minimal opportunity for growth. It usually is a visual stim thing too.

I know for us it was almost more challenging than going GFCF!! After all,

that is ALL gillian found pleasure in. She was happy, quiet, " entertained " ,

and learned to recognize all the characters...but her communication was only

video dropping. We made the decision to really get rid of the videos and it

has forced us to spend time together, interacting, building glances, sharing

experiences. And although I don't think her video diet has played a huge

part in her steps toward recovery, I do feel the amount of time I have spent

with her instead of her watching the amount of tv she used to, has made a

huge difference! I used to joke that if I could link a few teletubby videos

together I could go out for the day, knowing she wouldn't move for hours.

Hear my heart as I share what has worked for us...I am not anti video... I

just feel that the advice I 've gotten about video diets has been so

beneficial, I wanted to pass it along to you all. Wishing you a great day

from sunny Chicago...

Re: Re: unusual obsession

>In a message dated 4/17/01 10:46:34 AM Eastern Standard Time,

>brettsmomsue@... writes:

>

>

>> My kids watch PBS almost exclusively- No commercials! Maybe he'll

>> start singing Barney songs or the ABC's instead.

>> Good luck-

>>

>

>My son just walks around saying, " Coming up next on PBS... " :-)

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

Way to go!!! When using tv and video for interaction and building

conversation on it I am all for it...how Greenspan of you! (that was a

sincere compliment). In our case, Gillian was using tv for no purpose

except to stay in her world and by " thinking I was making her happy " by

watching the videos, I was actually not helping in her recovery.

I commend you on your approach and am a bit jealous about the name writing!!

*grin* Keep up the great work!! P.S. - are you Greenspan?

Re: Re: unusual obsession

>In a message dated 4/18/01 11:42:23 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

>whcmccain@... writes:

>

>

>> > My kids watch PBS almost exclusively- No commercials! Maybe he'll

>> > start singing Barney songs or the ABC's instead.

>> > Good luck-

>> >

>>

>> My son just walks around saying, " Coming up next on PBS... " :-)

>>

>

>You know, I think some of this scripting from TV can be turned into

>appropriate language. My is a huge Blues Clues fan...and he loves

to

>draw (if you will allow me a small brag here, he also writes all his

letters

>and numbers, and can name them upon request...last week he wrote his name

for

>the first time - before he would tell me the letters to write). Anyway, he

>tends to speak like Steve from Blues Clues. When he is drawing something I

>will ask him what it is and he will say something like " and we have a

basket "

>or " we have a sun " or " we have a house. " The " and we have a... " is

directly

>lifted from Blues Clues. I have talked to the doctor running our program

and

>she says that all kids borrow language from time to time and since he is

>using it appropriately we should be encouraging him to continue. When we

>respond he is so delighted. So we make the connect through a beloved TV

>show....so what??? I'LL TAKE IT...considering this kid spoke not one word a

>year ago.

>

>Regards,

> M

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

M,

Please contact me privately...I'd love another Greenspan buddy!!!

Thanks,

kweav@...

Re: Re: unusual obsession

>In a message dated 4/18/01 12:33:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time, kweav@...

>writes:

>

>

>> ,

>> Way to go!!! When using tv and video for interaction and building

>> conversation on it I am all for it...how Greenspan of you! (that was a

>> sincere compliment). In our case, Gillian was using tv for no purpose

>> except to stay in her world and by " thinking I was making her happy " by

>> watching the videos, I was actually not helping in her recovery.

>> I commend you on your approach and am a bit jealous about the name

writing!!

>> *grin* Keep up the great work!! P.S. - are you Greenspan?

>>

>

>Oops! Is my Greenspan showing again?? ::grin:: Thanks for the compliment

>...we are working with his strengths everyday to promote real

>interaction...this has been a boon to our whole family. BTW, for those of

>you following this thread that might think we are TV heads, I say NOT

SO...I

>am very careful about what I let my children watch and how much they watch.

>My 4 year old daughter was at a friend's house last year and the mom turned

>on the Rugrats...in a very polite voice my daughter told her that she is

not

>allowed to watch the Rugrats because her mom says they are disrespectful.

> was three at the time. I applaud all of you in your individual

>approaches to helping your children.

>

> M

>

>

>