Behavior in Asd Kid

Updated on June 16, 2014
S.S. asks from Harrison, NJ
3 answers

Hi all,
My elder son who is on ASD and is 6 yrs old seems to be fascinated by violent images in stories. For eg from the movie Finding Nemo the only thind he talks abt is how whale had gulped Dory and Nemos dad.

There was a story abt lion hunting a deer . He talks only abt the part where lion kills the deer and tears his tummy.
I am getting anxious abt this sort of thing.
Even while playing with some soft toys he likes to pretend play animal biting mommy finger.
Also when we are reading stories and there are words like hitting and died etc I try to avoid or skip these words.

Thanks

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thanks moms. I m feeling much better and relaxed.

More Answers

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M.P.

answers from Portland on

I suggest this is normal for most kids even those without an asd diagnosis.
He's focusing on the most exciting part of the story. We all go for action movies. He is also trying out different ways that people relate to each other.  Once he's mastered this he'll move on to a different interest.

The incidents you decribe are harmless. Even having the alligator get your finger. I've had dozens of kids play that game with me. He's using his imagination. Thats a good thing.

Not reading certain words is not helpful. He will hear them with other people. He also likely knows you're skipping them. Best to read them and be open to ttalking about the action. A part of the conversation can be a reminder that this is not real. It's just s story. You can talk about how we don't treat people this way. It is fun to imagine such things but not to do them. Be casual. Allow him his fantasy and then enlarge on it. It's great fun to use imagination. Ask him questions about other parts of the story.

If this continues to concern you talk to your son's professional team. I suggest reading about child development will help.

2 moms found this helpful

J.S.

answers from Richland on

They are odd creatures yet seeing the world through my son's eyes is fascinating and generally amusing once I understand the logic.

At six my son couldn't really articulate what was going on in his mind. That he completely misses social norms made that a bit scary.

What I have learned over time is all they are doing is trying to understand things but are going about understanding it in a way that is foreign to most of us. Think about how you go about explaining things to children. Death makes us sad. But this is a child that can understand when he is sad but not pick up or feel when other's are sad. They have to artificially make that connection and then they can actually feel the way we do, actually my son at 15 feels other people's pain more so than his own because he feels everyone else's pain is the worst pain he has ever felt! He hasn't learned level of trauma and that some feel more or less in the same situation.... I mean when you think about it we are complicated creatures and to learn all that, well that is lot for a child to learn on top of everything else!

So I am saying he is not having bad thoughts, he is just trying to understand the emotion he should be having. Instead of avoiding the discussion put it in terms he can understand. What makes him sad, what makes him cry? Say he drops his ice cream on the floor. That sad feeling of loss, that is what people feel in a greater level when they lose someone they love. They feel sadness/loss just like an ice cream, when they accidentally hit an animal with their car, see one attacked.

He has to be taught these connections. Until he has been taught you can't make any judgement about how he sees them.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.O.

answers from New York on

A lot of kids are drawn mildly violent imagery -- imaging violence gives them the same "frisson" that people get from roller coasters, things like that.

For a kid on the spectrum, this could also be a form of sensory seeking -- there are kids who hit themselves when they're stressed, who seek out super-spicy foods, etc. Imagining violence is, strangely, a way to manage and contain the sensory overload that overwhelms many people with ASD.

In other words, I wouldn't worry! You don't want to fill his world with violent imagery, but an interest or an awareness of violence isn't a predictor that someone will *commit* acts of violence, at all.

1 mom found this helpful
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