Although he's at a waterpark hotel, he still thinks about videogames!!!

[BusynMember]

Ok, so I took my kids overnight to a big waterpark in the Wisconsin Dells and I don't know whether to laugh or cry (laughing is winning out).
My son, the Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)-not otherwise specified kid with the videogame obsession, was nowhere near his games and I wouldn't pay for either of the kids to play the games they had at the hotel. It drove him nuts. He walked back and forth around the game room and, when he wasn't doing the water rides, he came up to the hotel room to talk non-stop about one game where you can "win" (yeah, right!) an X-Box 360. I guess he was watching kids play and dropping me hints that he wanted to play too. (I never told him he could--I said he was here to swim or be bored). I think, although he had a calm, pleasant demeanor, 90% of his conversation was about videogames AT A WATER PARK!!!! My daughter had brought a friend and when he spoke to them he talked about the games too! This kid thinks about videogames even when he's not doing them!!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!
On the plus side, he cleaned up the room himself: "I don't want the housekeeper to think we're slobs." He followed all my rules to a "T." And he packed up himself while everyone else was asleep and took everything out to the car. He really has nice manners and a kind heart. For the first time in a long time I thought, "Mabye he CAN live alone when he's an adult." He is certainly almost obsessed with keeping places clean and following rules.
The complicated contradictions of an Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) child are really fascinating. My biggest amazement is that, when he's at home, Lucas talks to himself in a running monologue, but he is very aware that this is not socially acceptable. Since my daughter had a friend with her he didn't talk to himself even once. He acted so "normal."

 

[susiestar]

Well, I think it does show you the power of the obsessions that hold our kids. I know that when my difficult child was taken from one of his obsessions he didn't handle it nearly so well. Congrats to him, even though he HAD to talk about them, he didn't get violent, or start a major conflict. He followed rules, cleaned up, even remembered that his monologues are NOT OK around others.

I think that with help Lucase just might do very well on his own, if things continue to progress.

Glad you had fun at the waterpark!

Susie

 

[CarrieM]

OMG, you are sooo talking about my son!!! He is also Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)-not otherwise specified, not nearly as advanced as you describe your Lucas. Video games are pretty much the only 'age-appropriate' thing he does, so I am so reluctant to keep him away from it....

It's frustrating that at 15, he can say 'mama' 'dada' and not much more, except 'Fire!'. Yet he can make sounds that are easily distinguishable and recognizable as a lightsaber, a starwars blaster, and a Halo style covenent ship! ROFL

 

[BusynMember]

Aw, Carrie.
Yes, Lucas can talk, but he has his Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)-not otherwise specified issues. He is making a lot of progress because of school. Those obsessions are not something I can do anything about. Even when he isn't doing them, he is thinking about them, and you can't change something like that. I don't think medications would help and I"m not interested in medicating him for acting like an Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) kid anyways. He's done medications already and they caused more problems than they helped in his case.
Lucas hasn't been violent or disobedient since toddlerhood, but I think his breaking into speech at four changed his life. If he couldnt' communicate--he may well still get violent. Talking was a big thing for him. I hope your son can learn an effective way of communicating so that he doesn't get so frustrated...(((hugs)))

 

[Wiped Out]

MWM,
It's amazing how kids can obsess over things! I'm glad he did well with the cleaning and packing-now that's something my difficult child would never do!

 

[Jena]

Hi,

I"m glad you got away and went to a waterpark........it's so cold here in new york water parks are only a dream. anyway that's great that he did that stuff and listened though really, and amazing the level of control he showed by not doing what he normally would as you were saying and talk to himself because your daughter's friend was there.

their obsessions can be quite complexing, and the level of control they display at times unnerving in a good way, but still.......

so did you have fun at the water park? i hate the one slide that the kids love that your enclosed and its like a pitch black enclosed ride from hell........LOL........i don't deal well with that stuff.

it's great to have fun with them sometimes like that and just be able to let go a little sorry it was frustrating with the video games. i know from experience they are very engaging. i was so stressed one nite i myself sat up till 1 a.m. i was spiderman trying to break down a wall to get to the other side of a ship. hmmm yup i can obsess too.

Jen

 

[gcvmom]

Can I ask you what medications Lucas takes? -- only because husband has some favorite obessions of his own and I know there's a mood disorder somewhere in there based on how he's responding to Lamictal, and possibly something in the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) spectrum, although these thoughts don't bother him, they just bother ME!

 

[Marguerite]

OH YEAH! That's difficult child 3 as well as difficult child 1.
"It's a hot day, let's go to the beach!"
Nope. They're gaming.

Although to be fair, I can generally get difficult child 3 to come with me these days.

difficult child 3's Nintendo DS lives in his pocket. If we're away from home, the DS use is constant. All through New Zealand, when driving through spectacular scenery, difficult child 3 was playing with his DS. Driving past steam vents - playing DS, head down, not looking. Driving up the side of Mt Ruapehu (fortunately not erupting at the time) - head down, playing his DS. Driving through amazing glacial formations on the way to Milford Sound - playing his DS.

We DID manage to make him pay attention for about half the Milford Sound boat trip, but then - it IS amazing there. And we let him use the camera.

We just accept it. Nothing else we can do, and it DOES calm him to know he has access to it.

Marg

 

[BusynMember]

Lucas is not on medications. He really doesn't need them. His behavior is great now that he's had lots of school interventions and now that he has the RIGHT diagnosis and we know what we are dealing with. Autistic spectrum kids have obsessions. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is part of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). It's part of the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) brain. Unlike somebody who has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), however, their obsessions aren't unpleasant to them. I was told not to try to medicate away his Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which is normal for an Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) kid. I didn't like the effect medication had on him and, frankly, he is happier and far more sharp in school without medication. As for adults, I think they use SSRI antidepressants for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). I take Paxil--it has helped a lot with my most unpleasant "bad" thoughts, as I call them. I used to be unable to get horrible thoughts out of my head, especially thoughts about fatal diseases. I rarely think of that anymore.
By the way, um, Wisconsin is kinda cold right now (yay, it was negative twenty two when we were at the waterpark...lol. Security at the hotel jumped my car the next day...lol. This was an indoor waterpark. It was heavenly to have a little piece of summer for a few days, even though I do like winter and the cold) BUT NOT THAT COLD...brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[SRL]

MM, this doesn't surprise me at all-it's not like they can shut off the obsession with the flip of the switch...and that goes for neurotypical teen boys as well.

We bring the boy's handhelds along. It helps difficult child to participate in whatever we're doing if he at least gets his partial fix. It also is helpful if we go to stressful situations such as museums and he needs an out.

I see obsession for an Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) child as the plane they are used to living on. It's like a medication--too much or too little and they're out of whack, but they function best with a certain level of it in their system.

 

[On_Call]

Our difficult child is exactly the same. We allow the handheld games too - but only in the room - and for a set amount of time.

We even bought difficult child a joke t-shirt a while back - it says something like "Back to Nature" on it - it's a stick figure kind of picture showing a figure sitting on a fallen log - sitting in front of a tv - playing some sort of game system among nature - trees, rocks, etc.

At times as difficult child has grown up, the obsession has been different - Scooby Doo, Pokeman - now video games. It can be frustrating when you are trying to entertain them with something else and their focus continues to be on the obsession of the day - UGH! I hear that.

On the other hand, it sounds like your son really showed some great things on the trip, too.

Silver lining, silver lining, silver lining - lol!