Re: Re: limited interests

[Guest guest]

I can tell you how it was for me. I started getting decidedly obsessive about things at the age of 6. First it was Santa Claus: The Movie. Then a few months after, it was Tom and Jerry and Sesame Street. Sesame Street died out after a few months, but Tom and Jerry lasted until I was about 8. Then for the next year and a half, it was DuckTales. At age 9, I was obsessed with the Back to the Future movies. That is the first time I was intensely obsessed with something. Then in the summer that I was 10, it was The Simpsons. Then at age 11-12, it was The Addams Family movie. That was my most intense obsession. I don’t know if age had to do with it or if it was the subject matter. I am still a rabid fan of Back to the Future but The Addams Family, which I’m not really a fan of anymore (though I sometimes do enjoy watching it) was my strongest obsession. At age 13-14 it was The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming! And for a short while The Rocketeer (I liked Alan Arkin movies). Then after that I didn’t get what I would call obsessed with movies, at least not in the “autistic” sense. Having an unreciprocated crush, on the other hand, is another story...

Hope this helps!

On 6/21/10 2:38 PM, " bucksburg " <bucksburg@...> wrote:

In <mailto: %40> , crmurray <ringmurray@...> wrote:

> I wondered if parents of elementary to middle-school aged children with AS could comment on how intense their kids' " limited interests " are. Have your kids' range of interests/obsessons changed over the years?<

Our firstborn was consumed with bird identification. His goal in life was to discover the hitherto unknown winter migration site of some obscure sparrow. His first drawing exercises were range maps. He learned to read using 's Field Guide. But yes, his interests did broaden. He became an expert on chicken breeds and started raising chickens, then ducks. Then he branched out to raising cage birds, and even steers.

He's now 21, and still carries his Field Guide and binoculars on trips but doesn't obsess over it (unless he loses the book somewhere). Unless the topic came up in a conversation, you wouldn't even know he's a bird freak. But his customers benefit from his encyclopedic knowlege of bird breeds.

[Guest guest]

I always had broad interests, although there were always one or two that I was hyperfocused on.

On 6/21/10 4:26 PM, " srba1170 " <sasmrr@...> wrote:

I feel like my son's interests " spiral " . They all start with a period of high intensity and then he might move on after time or simultaneously revisit an old " interest " . He's 11 now and I have noticed a decrease of intensity and some variety. I like this better.

>

> I wondered if parents of elementary to middle-school aged children with AS could comment on how intense their kids' " limited interests " are. Have your kids' range of interests/obsessons changed over the years? My son used to have a one-track conversation with one main interest that he always talked about, but now that he's growing older, I don't see it as much. Since kids with Asperger's vary greatly, I'd like to know if limited interests vary much across the spectrum. Do any kids diagnosed with AS have broad interests?

>

> Thanks for any input!

>

[Guest guest]

my son is 12.5 going into middle school this year. His main interest is sharks - everything sharks. He is quite the little professor, the artist, the scientist on sharks, and has been since 1st grade. We cant get him off of it at all. It is troublesome in school because all he wants to read are shark books, and there is a curriculum, and the teacher actually stated that he no longer was allowed to read shark books. This devastated him to where he stopped reading for school altogether. From: bucksburg <bucksburg@...> Sent: Mon, June 21, 2010 2:38:03 PMSubject: ( ) Re: limited interests

In , crmurray <ringmurray@...> wrote:

> I wondered if parents of elementary to middle-school aged children with AS could comment on how intense their kids' "limited interests" are. Have your kids' range of interests/obsessons changed over the years?<

Our firstborn was consumed with bird identification. His goal in life was to discover the hitherto unknown winter migration site of some obscure sparrow. His first drawing exercises were range maps. He learned to read using 's Field Guide. But yes, his interests did broaden. He became an expert on chicken breeds and started raising chickens, then ducks. Then he branched out to raising cage birds, and even steers.

He's now 21, and still carries his Field Guide and binoculars on trips but doesn't obsess over it (unless he loses the book somewhere). Unless the topic came up in a conversation, you wouldn't even know he's a bird freak. But his customers benefit from his encyclopedic knowlege of bird breeds.

[Guest guest]

My son's interests have changed over time...as he got older...right now he is interested in WWII. But he has always had a wide variety of interests. When he was small it was trains and thomas the tank, then dino., then Batman,Powerrangers,Spiderman and the weather, then Pokemon and racecars. Then came Playstation and Xbox. He is 14 now and is not playing Xbox as much. He is and always was into music. He and his friends have gotten into playing monopoly....wow...what a change. His main interest right now is WWII and it has been for about 2 years. He loves watching the Military channel.

Jan

"In the Midst of Difficulty lies Opportunity" Albert Einstein

From: srba1170 <sasmrr@...> Sent: Mon, June 21, 2010 4:26:00 PMSubject: ( ) Re: limited interests

I feel like my son's interests "spiral" . They all start with a period of high intensity and then he might move on after time or simultaneously revisit an old "interest". He's 11 now and I have noticed a decrease of intensity and some variety. I like this better. >> I wondered if parents of elementary to middle-school aged children with AS could comment on how intense their kids' "limited interests" are. Have your kids' range of interests/obsessons changed over the years? My son used to have a one-track conversation with one main interest that he always talked about, but now that he's growing older, I don't see it as much. Since kids with Asperger's vary greatly, I'd like to know if limited interests vary much

across the spectrum. Do any kids diagnosed with AS have broad interests?> > Thanks for any input!>

[Guest guest]

I hate it when I hear stories like that. For me, ending an obsession was not an option. It had to go away when it was ready. I think the same is probably true with lots of AS kids. I think the key is to incorporate sharks into his learning whenever possible. Of course he should have to follow the curriculum... But maybe if, say, he has to read a novel for English class, tell him to imagine that the characters are anthropomorphized sharks instead of people. Or for math class when he does his homework, maybe a math problem could be turned into something about sharks. For example, a simple algebra problem: x+3=6. There were three sharks in the water at an aquarium, and some more were put in. Now there are six. How many sharks were added to the aquarium? Solve for x. x=3 sharks.

On 6/21/10 7:20 PM, " Baer " <amandabaer76@...> wrote:

my son is 12.5 going into middle school this year. His main interest is sharks - everything sharks. He is quite the little professor, the artist, the scientist on sharks, and has been since 1st grade. We cant get him off of it at all. It is troublesome in school because all he wants to read are shark books, and there is a curriculum, and the teacher actually stated that he no longer was allowed to read shark books. This devastated him to where he stopped reading for school altogether.

From: bucksburg <bucksburg@...>

Sent: Mon, June 21, 2010 2:38:03 PM

Subject: ( ) Re: limited interests

In <mailto: %40> , crmurray <ringmurray@...> wrote:

> I wondered if parents of elementary to middle-school aged children with AS could comment on how intense their kids' " limited interests " are. Have your kids' range of interests/obsessons changed over the years?<

Our firstborn was consumed with bird identification. His goal in life was to discover the hitherto unknown winter migration site of some obscure sparrow. His first drawing exercises were range maps. He learned to read using 's Field Guide. But yes, his interests did broaden. He became an expert on chicken breeds and started raising chickens, then ducks. Then he branched out to raising cage birds, and even steers.

He's now 21, and still carries his Field Guide and binoculars on trips but doesn't obsess over it (unless he loses the book somewhere). Unless the topic came up in a conversation, you wouldn't even know he's a bird freak. But his customers benefit from his encyclopedic knowlege of bird breeds.

[Guest guest]

My daughter just turned 12 and is into music. She is a leading expert on and his family. The leading expert on the girl band called Girlicious who was on the MTV Video Awards last p.m. I hope her interests does change in future! She is moving to LA when she turns 18 and is going to marry Prince ! : ) Elinor From: rushen janice <jrushen@...>To:

Sent: Mon, June 21, 2010 6:49:06 PMSubject: Re: ( ) Re: limited interests

My son's interests have changed over time...as he got older...right now he is interested in WWII. But he has always had a wide variety of interests. When he was small it was trains and thomas the tank, then dino., then Batman,Powerrangers ,Spiderman and the weather, then Pokemon and racecars. Then came Playstation and Xbox. He is 14 now and is not playing Xbox as much. He is and always was into music. He and his friends have gotten into playing monopoly.... wow...what a change. His main interest right now is WWII and it has been for about 2 years. He loves watching the Military channel.

Jan

"In the Midst of Difficulty lies Opportunity" Albert Einstein

From: srba1170 <sasmrrgmail (DOT) com> Sent: Mon, June 21, 2010 4:26:00 PMSubject: ( ) Re: limited interests

I feel like my son's interests "spiral" . They all start with a period of high intensity and then he might move on after time or simultaneously revisit an old "interest". He's 11 now and I have noticed a decrease of intensity and some variety. I like this better. >> I wondered if parents of elementary to middle-school aged children with AS could comment on how intense their kids' "limited interests" are. Have your kids' range of interests/obsessons changed over the years? My son used to have a one-track conversation with one main interest that he always talked about, but now that he's growing older, I don't see it as much. Since kids with Asperger's vary greatly, I'd like to know if limited interests vary much

across the spectrum. Do any kids diagnosed with AS have broad interests?> > Thanks for any input!>

[Guest guest]

exactly - I let him do whatever he wants with sharks - since that gets his brain going - AND going. My dad and his dad are against it.... the teachers are against it (that is why we are going to try ESE in the private school, then if that doesnt work - HOMESCHOOL!). I cant send my son into a society that dictates what he can read, what he can be interested in, and what he thinks is wrong. He needs to be taught the social skills in order to be able to succeed in society, but not taught that what he is learning is wrong. Yes, there are rules in society, which in AS is hard to drill into them. He totally lacks empathy. But he loves sharks.... and his mommy. He may be 12.5, but in reality, his maturity level is not. We all know this and we need to do what is right by these children. Be

their advocates no matter what. My struggles are overwhelming, but you know, he's worth every second!From: julie1013 <julie1013@...> Sent: Mon, June 21, 2010 8:44:15 PMSubject: Re: ( ) Re: limited interests

I hate it when I hear stories like that. For me, ending an obsession was not an option. It had to go away when it was ready. I think the same is probably true with lots of AS kids. I think the key is to incorporate sharks into his learning whenever possible. Of course he should have to follow the curriculum.. . But maybe if, say, he has to read a novel for English class, tell him to imagine that the characters are anthropomorphized sharks instead of people. Or for math class when he does his homework, maybe a math problem could be turned into something about sharks. For example, a simple algebra problem: x+3=6. There were three sharks in the water at an aquarium, and some more were put in. Now there are six. How many sharks were added to the aquarium? Solve for x. x=3 sharks.

On 6/21/10 7:20 PM, " Baer" <amandabaer76> wrote:

my son is 12.5 going into middle school this year. His main interest is sharks - everything sharks. He is quite the little professor, the artist, the scientist on sharks, and has been since 1st grade. We cant get him off of it at all. It is troublesome in school because all he wants to read are shark books, and there is a curriculum, and the teacher actually stated that he no longer was allowed to read shark books. This devastated him to where he stopped reading for school altogether.

From: bucksburg <bucksburg (DOT) com>

Sent: Mon, June 21, 2010 2:38:03 PM

Subject: ( ) Re: limited interests

In <mailto:AspergersSup port%40grou ps.com> , crmurray <ringmurray@. ..> wrote:

> I wondered if parents of elementary to middle-school aged children with AS could comment on how intense their kids' "limited interests" are. Have your kids' range of interests/obsessons changed over the years?<

Our firstborn was consumed with bird identification. His goal in life was to discover the hitherto unknown winter migration site of some obscure sparrow. His first drawing exercises were range maps. He learned to read using 's Field Guide. But yes, his interests did broaden. He became an expert on chicken breeds and started raising chickens, then ducks. Then he branched out to raising cage birds, and even steers.

He's now 21, and still carries his Field Guide and binoculars on trips but doesn't obsess over it (unless he loses the book somewhere). Unless the topic came up in a conversation, you wouldn't even know he's a bird freak. But his customers benefit from his encyclopedic knowlege of bird breeds.

[Guest guest]

Oh I got a chuckle from your last line...gonna marry prince michael. That will change believe me!

"In the Midst of Difficulty lies Opportunity" Albert Einstein

From: Elinor Mullin <elliemullin@...> Sent: Mon, June 21, 2010 11:33:34 PMSubject: Re: ( ) Re: limited interests

My daughter just turned 12 and is into music. She is a leading expert on and his family. The leading expert on the girl band called Girlicious who was on the MTV Video Awards last p.m. I hope her interests does change in future! She is moving to LA when she turns 18 and is going to marry Prince ! : )

Elinor

From: rushen janice <jrushen (DOT) com> Sent: Mon, June 21, 2010 6:49:06 PMSubject: Re: ( ) Re: limited interests

My son's interests have changed over time...as he got older...right now he is interested in WWII. But he has always had a wide variety of interests. When he was small it was trains and thomas the tank, then dino., then Batman,Powerrangers ,Spiderman and the weather, then Pokemon and racecars. Then came Playstation and Xbox. He is 14 now and is not playing Xbox as much. He is and always was into music. He and his friends have gotten into playing monopoly.... wow...what a change. His main interest right now is WWII and it has been for about 2 years. He loves watching the Military channel.

Jan

"In the Midst of Difficulty lies Opportunity" Albert Einstein

From: srba1170 <sasmrrgmail (DOT) com> Sent: Mon, June 21, 2010 4:26:00 PMSubject: ( ) Re: limited interests

I feel like my son's interests "spiral" . They all start with a period of high intensity and then he might move on after time or simultaneously revisit an old "interest". He's 11 now and I have noticed a decrease of intensity and some variety. I like this better. >> I wondered if parents of elementary to middle-school aged children with AS could comment on how intense their kids' "limited interests" are. Have your kids' range of interests/obsessons changed over the years? My son used to have a one-track conversation with one main interest that he always talked about, but now that he's growing older, I don't see it as much. Since kids with Asperger's vary greatly, I'd like to know if limited interests vary much

across the spectrum. Do any kids diagnosed with AS have broad interests?> > Thanks for any input!>

[Guest guest]

What’s ESE?

And when you say he lacks empathy, do you mean that he can’t tell what other people are feeling, or that he doesn’t care? Many of us can’t tell (or in my case, I had to learn how to tell), but once I learned someone was upset, I cared.

On 6/22/10 9:08 AM, " Baer " <amandabaer76@...> wrote:

exactly - I let him do whatever he wants with sharks - since that gets his brain going - AND going. My dad and his dad are against it.... the teachers are against it (that is why we are going to try ESE in the private school, then if that doesnt work - HOMESCHOOL!). I cant send my son into a society that dictates what he can read, what he can be interested in, and what he thinks is wrong. He needs to be taught the social skills in order to be able to succeed in society, but not taught that what he is learning is wrong. Yes, there are rules in society, which in AS is hard to drill into them. He totally lacks empathy. But he loves sharks.... and his mommy. He may be 12.5, but in reality, his maturity level is not. We all know this and we need to do what is right by these children. Be their advocates no matter what. My struggles are overwhelming, but you know, he's worth every second!

From: julie1013 <julie1013@...>

Sent: Mon, June 21, 2010 8:44:15 PM

Subject: Re: ( ) Re: limited interests

I hate it when I hear stories like that. For me, ending an obsession was not an option. It had to go away when it was ready. I think the same is probably true with lots of AS kids. I think the key is to incorporate sharks into his learning whenever possible. Of course he should have to follow the curriculum.. . But maybe if, say, he has to read a novel for English class, tell him to imagine that the characters are anthropomorphized sharks instead of people. Or for math class when he does his homework, maybe a math problem could be turned into something about sharks. For example, a simple algebra problem: x+3=6. There were three sharks in the water at an aquarium, and some more were put in. Now there are six. How many sharks were added to the aquarium? Solve for x. x=3 sharks.

On 6/21/10 7:20 PM, " Baer " <amandabaer76> wrote:

my son is 12.5 going into middle school this year. His main interest is sharks - everything sharks. He is quite the little professor, the artist, the scientist on sharks, and has been since 1st grade. We cant get him off of it at all. It is troublesome in school because all he wants to read are shark books, and there is a curriculum, and the teacher actually stated that he no longer was allowed to read shark books. This devastated him to where he stopped reading for school altogether.

From: bucksburg <bucksburg (DOT) com>

Sent: Mon, June 21, 2010 2:38:03 PM

Subject: ( ) Re: limited interests

In <mailto:AspergersSup port%40grou ps.com <mailto: %40> > , crmurray <ringmurray@. ..> wrote:

> I wondered if parents of elementary to middle-school aged children with AS could comment on how intense their kids' " limited interests " are. Have your kids' range of interests/obsessons changed over the years?<

Our firstborn was consumed with bird identification. His goal in life was to discover the hitherto unknown winter migration site of some obscure sparrow. His first drawing exercises were range maps. He learned to read using 's Field Guide. But yes, his interests did broaden. He became an expert on chicken breeds and started raising chickens, then ducks. Then he branched out to raising cage birds, and even steers.

He's now 21, and still carries his Field Guide and binoculars on trips but doesn't obsess over it (unless he loses the book somewhere). Unless the topic came up in a conversation, you wouldn't even know he's a bird freak. But his customers benefit from his encyclopedic knowlege of bird breeds.

[Guest guest]

he cant tell what others are feeling, and then doesnt care about feelings. He doesnt understand. Completely confuses him.ESE is Exceptional Student EducationFrom: julie1013 <julie1013@...> Sent: Tue, June 22, 2010 2:37:42 PMSubject: Re:

( ) Re: limited interests

What’s ESE?

And when you say he lacks empathy, do you mean that he can’t tell what other people are feeling, or that he doesn’t care? Many of us can’t tell (or in my case, I had to learn how to tell), but once I learned someone was upset, I cared.

On 6/22/10 9:08 AM, " Baer" <amandabaer76> wrote:

exactly - I let him do whatever he wants with sharks - since that gets his brain going - AND going. My dad and his dad are against it.... the teachers are against it (that is why we are going to try ESE in the private school, then if that doesnt work - HOMESCHOOL!) . I cant send my son into a society that dictates what he can read, what he can be interested in, and what he thinks is wrong. He needs to be taught the social skills in order to be able to succeed in society, but not taught that what he is learning is wrong. Yes, there are rules in society, which in AS is hard to drill into them. He totally lacks empathy. But he loves sharks.... and his mommy. He may be 12.5, but in reality, his maturity level is not. We all know this and we need to do what is right by these children. Be their advocates no matter what. My struggles are overwhelming, but you know, he's worth every

second!

From: julie1013 <julie1013@optonline .net>

Sent: Mon, June 21, 2010 8:44:15 PM

Subject: Re: ( ) Re: limited interests

I hate it when I hear stories like that. For me, ending an obsession was not an option. It had to go away when it was ready. I think the same is probably true with lots of AS kids. I think the key is to incorporate sharks into his learning whenever possible. Of course he should have to follow the curriculum.. . But maybe if, say, he has to read a novel for English class, tell him to imagine that the characters are anthropomorphized sharks instead of people. Or for math class when he does his homework, maybe a math problem could be turned into something about sharks. For example, a simple algebra problem: x+3=6. There were three sharks in the water at an aquarium, and some more were put in. Now there are six. How many sharks were added to the aquarium? Solve for x. x=3 sharks.

On 6/21/10 7:20 PM, " Baer" <amandabaer76> wrote:

my son is 12.5 going into middle school this year. His main interest is sharks - everything sharks. He is quite the little professor, the artist, the scientist on sharks, and has been since 1st grade. We cant get him off of it at all. It is troublesome in school because all he wants to read are shark books, and there is a curriculum, and the teacher actually stated that he no longer was allowed to read shark books. This devastated him to where he stopped reading for school altogether.

From: bucksburg <bucksburg (DOT) com>

Sent: Mon, June 21, 2010 2:38:03 PM

Subject: ( ) Re: limited interests

In <mailto:AspergersSup port%40grou ps.com <mailto:AspergersSup port%40grou ps.com> > , crmurray <ringmurray@. ..> wrote:

> I wondered if parents of elementary to middle-school aged children with AS could comment on how intense their kids' "limited interests" are. Have your kids' range of interests/obsessons changed over the years?<

Our firstborn was consumed with bird identification. His goal in life was to discover the hitherto unknown winter migration site of some obscure sparrow. His first drawing exercises were range maps. He learned to read using 's Field Guide. But yes, his interests did broaden. He became an expert on chicken breeds and started raising chickens, then ducks. Then he branched out to raising cage birds, and even steers.

He's now 21, and still carries his Field Guide and binoculars on trips but doesn't obsess over it (unless he loses the book somewhere). Unless the topic came up in a conversation, you wouldn't even know he's a bird freak. But his customers benefit from his encyclopedic knowlege of bird breeds.

[Guest guest]



Dear All:

I had a friend who had trouble reading about things other than Sail Boats. He Must have been some autistic, Like me who is an undiagnosed Autustic person.

( ) Re: limited interests In <mailto:AspergersSup port%40grou ps.com> , crmurray <ringmurray@. ..> wrote: > I wondered if parents of elementary to middle-school aged children with AS could comment on how intense their kids' "limited interests" are. Have your kids' range of interests/obsessons changed over the years?<Our firstborn was consumed with bird identification. His goal in life was to discover the hitherto unknown winter migration site of some obscure sparrow. His first drawing exercises were range maps. He learned to read using 's Field Guide. But yes, his interests did broaden. He became an expert on chicken breeds and started raising chickens, then ducks. Then he branched out to raising cage birds, and even steers.He's now 21, and still carries his Field Guide and binoculars on trips but doesn't obsess over it (unless he loses the book somewhere). Unless the topic came up in a conversation, you wouldn't even know he's a bird freak. But his customers benefit from his encyclopedic knowlege of bird breeds.