Obsessive much?

Guest post by Patty of Pancakes Gone Awry


When my son, Danny was diagnosed with high functioning autism a year and a half ago, the doctor asked if he had any "special interests." I knew what he was asking; I had heard and read plenty about "passions" or "obsessions" or whatever you want to call them. I know they are relatively common among children with autism.

At the time, I couldn't really identify one specific passion of Danny's. And to be honest, I was a bit relieved to know that there was one autism criterion that my son did not meet.

Shortly after that doctor's visit, Danny discovered Legos, and our whole world has been engulfed in a cyclone of those pesky multi-colored blocks. To say that Legos have become Danny's "special interest" would be a gross understatement.

The kid is completely, 100% obsessed.

He talks about them, plays with them, reads about them and surfs the Internet to find more Legos to covet. His face lights up like a Christmas tree when he sees the Legos logo or hears someone talking about them.

One time, while walking home from school on a sunny day, Danny asked me, "Wouldn't it be cool if when it rained, Legos came from the sky instead of rain?" That pretty much sums up his attitude towards Legos.

I'm quite certain that my son thinks about Legos a good portion of the day. In fact, judging from his conversations, I would have to surmise that Danny thinks about Legos at least 80% of the time.

The other 20%? Well, that would be when the kid is sleeping.

Not only can Danny spend a great deal of time talking about the wonders of Legos, he assumes that the rest of the world's population is equally smitten with the things. When someone's birthday is coming up, Danny wants to buy that person Legos. It doesn't matter if we're shopping for his 65-year-old grandma or his 1-year-old baby cousin, Danny is convinced that Legos are the perfect gift.

If he's not playing with Legos, then he's surfing lego.com, looking at all their products and playing one of their many games. Other times, he reads Lego books, including his newest favorite:

The Lego Star Wars Visual Dictionary. My mother thought we were crazy buying that for him. "It's a dictionary, Patty," she said. "Will he really read it?"

Oh, yes, yes he will.

To be honest, I have struggled a bit with how to handle Danny's development of a special interest. Although I speak of his love of all things Legos fondly, I haven't always felt this way. I have worried that this obsession makes him somehow more "autistic" and less social. I have been concerned that it would hamper his ability to fit in.

And I wondered what I should do about it. Should I try to help him branch out more? Limit his access to the Legos, so he plays with other toys or talks about other topics? Should I just encourage it and enjoy the fact that my son can quietly entertain himself for hours with his new interest?

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