Guest guest Posted September 11, 2005 Report Share Posted September 11, 2005 My son, AS 12 has just discovered “imaginary” play. He has a 4 year old sister who always pretends here baby dolls are real (of course) and it has always driven him NUTS. He would say “when is she going to realize that’s an inanimate object??” WELL, to start, my son has always lived in his “movies” his fantasy world, be it Scooby doo for 3 years or Pooh bear when he was little. BUT he has NEVER interacted with a stuffed animal as though it were “real”. I don’t know whether or not it has been learned through watching his sister or what but suddenly his Stitch doll (from Lilo & Stitch which is his current movie obsession) is “real”. I looked over at the restaurant at lunch yesterday and he had gotten Stitch a plate and food and was having him eat it………… I was not prepared for this and wondered if anyone had any advice on how to handle it!!!!! Obviously I have to curb this type of thing in public right??? He never did this when he was little. I am a little freaked out. -Charlotte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 11, 2005 Report Share Posted September 11, 2005 My son (AS) had no imaginary play for many years. He could not fathom the concept. At around age 7 he started imaginary play with strange objects. I remember once he used a bunch of stems from some grapes to battle a salt shaker and a spoon. The battle raged for more than an hour and was quite thrilling to watch (the grape stems won). He became fascinated with kitchen tools like turkey basters and salad tongs. In fact, he referred to his salad tongs as "Pinchie" the robot claw on the Diesel 10 character from the the Tank Engine movie. Now at age 9 he has developed a strong love of stuffed animals, especially tigers because he wants to be a tiger trainer. We just got back from Disney World and he spent a half day introducing his new stuffed animals to the old ones. They bring him comfort at night and he can often express feeling to them quite easily. My oldest son who is ADHD developed a deep love for pumpkins around age 3. After buying him a small pie pumpkin at the cider mill, he carried it everywhere with him. He called it "kahkie" (his pronunciation of pumpkin). He slept with it, brought it to school, talked to it, to a point where it was beginning to rot and I had to replace it with a fresh one a few months later. I proudly answered the numerous questions from people who saw him with the pumpkin and they thought it was absolutely adorable. He also loved to play with Barbie and had several he carried around with him. He even asked Santa for the Barbie motorhome that he played with almost every day. My advice, be glad he has developed imaginary play, my AS son worried me for the longest time that he would never be able to develop an imagination. He did not dream for many years until within the last year or so. Since developing this imagination his ability to read non-verbal cues is starting to increase and he is demonstrating kindness and love towards animals as having the ability to feel happiness and sadness just like us. Hopefully it will translate one day to people, especially his younger brother that drives him crazy! ------- Weird situation My son, AS 12 has just discovered “imaginary†play. He has a 4 year old sister who always pretends here baby dolls are real (of course) and it has always driven him NUTS. He would say “when is she going to realize that’s an inanimate object??†WELL, to start, my son has always lived in his “movies†his fantasy world, be it Scooby doo for 3 years or Pooh bear when he was little. BUT he has NEVER interacted with a stuffed animal as though it were “realâ€. I don’t know whether or not it has been learned through watching his sister or what but suddenly his Stitch doll (from Lilo & Stitch which is his current movie obsession) is “realâ€. I looked over at the restaurant at lunch yesterday and he had gotten Stitch a plate and food and was having him eat it………… I was not prepared for this and wondered if anyone had any advice on how to handle it!!!!! Obviously I have to curb this type of thing in public right??? He never did this when he was little. I am a little freaked out. -Charlotte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 11, 2005 Report Share Posted September 11, 2005 My son also has an incredible love for his stuffed animals and he seems to be able to express himself to them. I guess it can be a good outlet. No judgement comes from his stuffed Felix The Cat just that same smile no matter what he does. He sleeps with them, talks to them, introduces new ones to the old ones. Sometimes it is a little exasperating when I have just picked them all up and put them away I go into his room and find him covered with about 30 animals, with only his head sticking out..... But if it makes him feel good I guess it is ok...LOL in Lancaster, CaCharlotte <scottdesigns@...> wrote: That is what I was just saying to a friend, that maybe it is actually a “good” thing that he has developed this ability. My son always “appeared” to have an active imagination BUT he was just mimicking the movies he memorized. With his Scooby obsession from about 7-10 years old, he collected Scooby animals but just arranged them on his bed, he never acted like they were “alive”. This was a first and caught me totally off guard. My son has always loved stuffed animals and even been attached to them but never “interacted” with them. I think he actually “learned” this from watching his 4 year old sister. It’s funny that you mention the dreaming thing because this is the first year that my son has really been dreaming too. He has always told me he doesn’t dream and I always thought that was so odd. I think he had 3 dreams during the night terror age and my husband grabbed a throw pillow off our bed, told him it was a “dream pillow” which kept bad dreams away. To this day he sleeps with that pillow and believes in it’s power….its been 8 years since we gave it to him. -Charlotte From: Autism and Aspergers Treatment [mailto:Autism and Aspergers Treatment ] On Behalf Of Zooker66Sent: Sunday, September 11, 2005 10:42 AMAutism and Aspergers Treatment ; Autism and Aspergers Treatment ; CDSG Subject: Re: Weird situation My son (AS) had no imaginary play for many years. He could not fathom the concept. At around age 7 he started imaginary play with strange objects. I remember once he used a bunch of stems from some grapes to battle a salt shaker and a spoon. The battle raged for more than an hour and was quite thrilling to watch (the grape stems won). He became fascinated with kitchen tools like turkey basters and salad tongs. In fact, he referred to his salad tongs as "Pinchie" the robot claw on the Diesel 10 character from the the Tank Engine movie. Now at age 9 he has developed a strong love of stuffed animals, especially tigers because he wants to be a tiger trainer. We just got back from Disney World and he spent a half day introducing his new stuffed animals to the old ones. They bring him comfort at night and he can often express feeling to them quite easily. My oldest son who is ADHD developed a deep love for pumpkins around age 3. After buying him a small pie pumpkin at the cider mill, he carried it everywhere with him. He called it "kahkie" (his pronunciation of pumpkin). He slept with it, brought it to school, talked to it, to a point where it was beginning to rot and I had to replace it with a fresh one a few months later. I proudly answered the numerous questions from people who saw him with the pumpkin and they thought it was absolutely adorable. He also loved to play with Barbie and had several he carried around with him. He even asked Santa for the Barbie motorhome that he played with almost every day. My advice, be glad he has developed imaginary play, my AS son worried me for the longest time that he would never be able to develop an imagination. He did not dream for many years until within the last year or so. Since developing this imagination his ability to read non-verbal cues is starting to increase and he is demonstrating kindness and love towards animals as having the ability to feel happiness and sadness just like us. Hopefully it will translate one day to people, especially his younger brother that drives him crazy! ------- Weird situation My son, AS 12 has just discovered “imaginary” play. He has a 4 year old sister who always pretends here baby dolls are real (of course) and it has always driven him NUTS. He would say “when is she going to realize that’s an inanimate object??” WELL, to start, my son has always lived in his “movies” his fantasy world, be it Scooby doo for 3 years or Pooh bear when he was little. BUT he has NEVER interacted with a stuffed animal as though it were “real”. I don’t know whether or not it has been learned through watching his sister or what but suddenly his Stitch doll (from Lilo & Stitch which is his current movie obsession) is “real”. I looked over at the restaurant at lunch yesterday and he had gotten Stitch a plate and food and was having him eat it………… I was not prepared for this and wondered if anyone had any advice on how to handle it!!!!! Obviously I have to curb this type of thing in public right??? He never did this when he was little. I am a little freaked out. -Charlotte for Good Watch the Hurricane Katrina Shelter From The Storm concert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 13, 2005 Report Share Posted September 13, 2005 LOL I hope you washed that pillow since charlotte! LOL that’s to cute and sounds something like I would do and before you know it, created something that you wouldn’t have dreamed of. Weird situation My son, AS 12 has just discovered “imaginary” play. He has a 4 year old sister who always pretends here baby dolls are real (of course) and it has always driven him NUTS. He would say “when is she going to realize that’s an inanimate object??” WELL, to start, my son has always lived in his “movies” his fantasy world, be it Scooby doo for 3 years or Pooh bear when he was little. BUT he has NEVER interacted with a stuffed animal as though it were “real”. I don’t know whether or not it has been learned through watching his sister or what but suddenly his Stitch doll (from Lilo & Stitch which is his current movie obsession) is “real”. I looked over at the restaurant at lunch yesterday and he had gotten Stitch a plate and food and was having him eat it………… I was not prepared for this and wondered if anyone had any advice on how to handle it!!!!! Obviously I have to curb this type of thing in public right??? He never did this when he was little. I am a little freaked out. -Charlotte -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.10.21/96 - Release Date: 9/10/2005 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.10.21/96 - Release Date: 9/10/2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 13, 2005 Report Share Posted September 13, 2005 Yes, it’s been washed a few times lol, and I try to keep it in a pillow case because it’s SO ugly!!!!! lol From: Autism and Aspergers Treatment [mailto:Autism and Aspergers Treatment ] On Behalf Of Barry Hitchcock Sent: Monday, September 12, 2005 7:33 PM Autism and Aspergers Treatment Subject: RE: Weird situation LOL I hope you washed that pillow since charlotte! LOL that’s to cute and sounds something like I would do and before you know it, created something that you wouldn’t have dreamed of. Weird situation My son, AS 12 has just discovered “imaginary” play. He has a 4 year old sister who always pretends here baby dolls are real (of course) and it has always driven him NUTS. He would say “when is she going to realize that’s an inanimate object??” WELL, to start, my son has always lived in his “movies” his fantasy world, be it Scooby doo for 3 years or Pooh bear when he was little. BUT he has NEVER interacted with a stuffed animal as though it were “real”. I don’t know whether or not it has been learned through watching his sister or what but suddenly his Stitch doll (from Lilo & Stitch which is his current movie obsession) is “real”. I looked over at the restaurant at lunch yesterday and he had gotten Stitch a plate and food and was having him eat it………… I was not prepared for this and wondered if anyone had any advice on how to handle it!!!!! Obviously I have to curb this type of thing in public right??? He never did this when he was little. I am a little freaked out. -Charlotte -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.10.21/96 - Release Date: 9/10/2005 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.10.21/96 - Release Date: 9/10/2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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