Lets Talk Obsessions!

Part of Autism is that when they find something they like, they become obsessed with it. At least this has been evident in our son Matthew. It's almost like getting stuck. They can't get the object or thing off their mind. Early on, Matthew found that he enjoyed Thomas the Tank Engine. We could not go anywhere without a train. When he attended the Special Needs Preschool he had to have a train in his hand to ride the bus. The train would help him calm down and distract him so he could transition to the next thing. 

Two years in a row we went to the Day Out With Thomas in Indiana. Now I have to tell you that we had every video, every train, toys, clothes, dinnerware and bedding. This lasted till 5th grade. 

He really had a hard time letting go of the comfort of Thomas. In elementary school he would watch his movies and shows and would slip in a Thomas to watch. Early on in middle school he decided he wanted to give his video collection to family friends of ours that had little ones that enjoyed Thomas. 
    
He also liked The Wiggles. At one point I read an article about how The Wiggles were good for the Autism community. They were consistent in their show. Each of the four men had a different colored t-shirt and they never changed their shirts. The colors were red, blue, yellow and purple.

Matthew also knew who each man was by the color of the shirt. It taught him some colors too. Matthew loves music and when he was little he would jump up and down and dance to their music. This is another group that we had every video and CD. We had toys, clothes and even saw them in concert. The Wiggles were great but nothing compared to Thomas the Tank Engine!
     
As he got older he became obsessed with Star Wars. He had every movie and would watch so much he knew it by heart. Then he switched to Harry Potter movies, then Marvel movies. Nowadays its sports. He watches soccer, NFL football, college football, hockey, baseball, NBA basketball and college basketball. You name it, he likes it and memorizes the players. Right now he really likes LeBron James and wants to get some of his tennis shoes.
     
I wonder what obsession will come next! :)