Son's obsession with signs

[Sthira]

My son (4.5 years old and recently diagnosed high-functioning ASD) has an obsession with signs. Mostly, road work signs, but some other signs as well. He says he likes them because they provide important information to keep people safe. In any case, I'm not real worried about this obsession other than the fact that it interferes with his social interactions. For example, at school he plays pretty well with other kids in the classroom (where there are no signs available), but when the class goes outside for play time he immediately asks the teacher for the signs stored in the shed and then spends almost all the outside play time moving the signs around without much social interaction with the other kids. I suppose we could ask his teacher not to take out the signs, but we will not always be able to do that. So I'm wondering if there is something that can be done to help him move beyond this obsession. He doesn't have any other obsessions as far as I can tell.

 

[AGXStarseed]

My son (4.5 years old and recently diagnosed high-functioning ASD) has an obsession with signs. Mostly, road work signs, but some other signs as well. He says he likes them because they provide important information to keep people safe. In any case, I'm not real worried about this obsession other than the fact that it interferes with his social interactions. For example, at school he plays pretty well with other kids in the classroom (where there are no signs available), but when the class goes outside for play time he immediately asks the teacher for the signs stored in the shed and then spends almost all the outside play time moving the signs around without much social interaction with the other kids. I suppose we could ask his teacher not to take out the signs, but we will not always be able to do that. So I'm wondering if there is something that can be done to help him move beyond this obsession. He doesn't have any other obsessions as far as I can tell.

Sounds like an interest I had - I once really got into road signs at the time my sister was doing her driving tests, to the point where I was reading the Highway Code and watching her driving test videos.
Like any interest, it may fade with age and be replaced by something else. However, this information may be of interest to you: How to respond to obsessions, repetitive behaviour and routines - | autism | Asperger syndrome |

 

[tree]

My son (4.5 years old and recently diagnosed high-functioning ASD) has an obsession with signs. Mostly, road work signs, but some other signs as well. He says he likes them because they provide important information to keep people safe. In any case, I'm not real worried about this obsession other than the fact that it interferes with his social interactions. For example, at school he plays pretty well with other kids in the classroom (where there are no signs available), but when the class goes outside for play time he immediately asks the teacher for the signs stored in the shed and then spends almost all the outside play time moving the signs around without much social interaction with the other kids. I suppose we could ask his teacher not to take out the signs, but we will not always be able to do that. So I'm wondering if there is something that can be done to help him move beyond this obsession. He doesn't have any other obsessions as far as I can tell.

What sort of signs are they?
Maybe the teacher could incorporate them into a group activity.

If they are like road signs, maybe follow the leader...or some use
with kids interested in parallel play? (setting up a town/road)

 

[watersprite]

Perhaps interest him in Legos? Libraries often have sessions for kids who like to play with Legos. It might be a way to play alone, together.
http://bricker.info/images/sets/6427_brickset.jpg

 

[Datura]

I frankly don't see much a problem with solo play.
When I was little I used to walk around the school yard muttering to myself and shaking strings. I grew up to be fairly social.

 

[Wireless]

Obviously I don't know Your son, but he's is still young and perhaps would benefit from the downtime of playing alone as he wants to. I would perhaps not worry so much about him playing alone during breaks if he's already interacting okay during lessons.

 

[Karin]

I've learned a lot about actual autism by reading the essays of this young man, Website of James Williams He was also absorbed in signs in an early age, has a lot to say about the interests of autists and offers a different way of looking at what appears to be problems. Some of it probably adheres to aspergers as well.

 

[Peeta]

Huh, interesting... I had a road sign phase too. My parents and grandparents had the same 'roads of the country/world' book on the backseat of their car. It had plants, mushrooms and road signs on there. I memorized the signs and pointed them out on our trips. I got bored of it after a while though. I think my next obsession was field hockey.

 

[Judge]

Signs. That's how my parents first began teaching me how to read before going to Kindergarten.

 

[Sthira]

Thanks everyone. I think my wife and I are starting to become less concerned about his sign obsession. He's still pretty into them (when he sees a sign he especially likes he sometimes says "that sign is soooo cute!"), but it seems to have mellowed somewhat from a couple months ago. I plan to take a picture of all the signs I've made for him or with him. There's a fairly huge number of them.

That's how my parents first began teaching me how to read before going to Kindergarten.

Yeah, we've done that too. He can read a lot of words. The longer words (e.g. pedestrian, intersection, solicitation, etc.) he has memorized, but he's also developed some skill at sounding out shorter words by reading signs.

 

[Sthira]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but it seems right now that my son's interest is moving away from signs towards electronics and robots. Please, please, please, let it be so. I am so tired of signs; I don't think I can handle drawing another "Private -- Valet Parking Only" sign. Electronics on the other hand, is something I've had an interest in since I was a small boy. And unlike signs, I think this is a hobby that he could develop some social relationships (with other nerdy kids) around.

 

[tree]

Sthira

Have you been showing him how to make the signs himself, too?

One batch of my cousins, father & his 3 sons, all worked as sign makers
and are artists, besides, giving shows in galleries.
Making signs or having an interest in sign making is not necessarily an
odd fixation or something that dooms a person to a
non-social existence.

Useful skills are necessary to make signs.

 

[Beverly]

Were he my son, and he were happy playing with the signs, I'd let it go. later in life, knowing how to entertain yourself and be alone without being lonely is a great skill to have and, he's learning that young because of his interest in signs. I see that as a good thing.

 

[Sthira]

Sthira

Have you been showing him how to make the signs himself, too?

One batch of my cousins, father & his 3 sons, all worked as sign makers
and are artists, besides, giving shows in galleries.
Making signs or having an interest in sign making is not necessarily an
odd fixation or something that dooms a person to a
non-social existence.

Useful skills are necessary to make signs.

Yes, we have. But sometimes he's not satisfied with his writing so he asks me to make it. But yeah, we try to get him involved with the making of the sign as much as possible.

Here's the circuit he showed me when I got home from work yesterday. He's not quite 5 and was just introduced to bread boards yesterday, so give him time. Oh, notice the arrow -- that's a bit of his (hopefully diminishing) sign obsession manifesting.

 

[Sthira]

Were he my son, and he were happy playing with the signs, I'd let it go. later in life, knowing how to entertain yourself and be alone without being lonely is a great skill to have and, he's learning that young because of his interest in signs. I see that as a good thing.

Yeah, well, it gets old after a couple dozen times of him waking up at 3am and wanting, for example, to make 5 identical signs saying "Road closed due to construction 8am to 6pm" and not taking no for an answer. Anyway, we did let it go, but he's been into them for probably over 2 years, so I'm happy to see him starting to move on.

 

[Tom]

My son (4.5 years old and recently diagnosed high-functioning ASD) has an obsession with signs. Mostly, road work signs, but some other signs as well. He says he likes them because they provide important information to keep people safe. In any case, I'm not real worried about this obsession other than the fact that it interferes with his social interactions. For example, at school he plays pretty well with other kids in the classroom (where there are no signs available), but when the class goes outside for play time he immediately asks the teacher for the signs stored in the shed and then spends almost all the outside play time moving the signs around without much social interaction with the other kids. I suppose we could ask his teacher not to take out the signs, but we will not always be able to do that. So I'm wondering if there is something that can be done to help him move beyond this obsession. He doesn't have any other obsessions as far as I can tell.

Its a pretty normal kind of subject and many boys that age are fascinated by construction and construction vehicles, etc. The signs part is very Aspie.

The main thing I would say is not to indulge his obsessions when it conflicts with family or social rules. So waking up at 3am and asking for signs is not to be allowed. At school giving him signs is a way of keeping him happy, but takes away from his socializing skills, so I wouldn't allow it. Many Aspie problems later on develop from giving in to unreasonable and insistent Aspie demands. You have to win those fights early on and stick to it and his integrating with society will go smoother later.

 

[Nick12]

I THINK IT VERRRY GOOD THAT HE LIKES SIGNS BECUSE IF HE DRIVE A CAR SOME DAY HE WILL BE A VERRY VERRY GODD CAR DRIVER AND OBAY THE SIGNS AND THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS