So Thomas, trains, and the Titanic... and we are only around age 6 or 7. LOL HistoryBoy amazes me each and every day with his mind and his recall of facts and events. From the Titanic we cross a bridge into other disasters. Did you know the Titanic has two sister ships that both sank? Did you know that the ship, The Carpathia, that rescued the passengers from the Titanic was sunk (I think) two years later? We went through months and months of him looking watching videos and reading stories about Titanic's Sister Ships and other ship disasters. He had to have more and more info on ship disasters.
Then it went to air disasters. He learned all about the Hindenburg, And thanks to a Myth Busters episode, HistoryBoy got even more excited because they showed why they paint helped the dirigible burn and it wasn't just the hydrogen even though the hydrogen was highly flammable. He has watched the history channel videos of the Hindenburg.
Then, since he was only 1 when it had happened, HistoryBoy didn't really know about alot about 9/11, until he came across a video on the history channel and watched it and became obsessed with knowing all about it and all the details of the planes that crashed both into the World Trade Center and into the Pentagon. He became an overnight 9/11 mini-expert.
Then someone gave him a boy about Rome and he learned about Pompeii, and needed to know all about volcanoes. From Pompeii he learned about Mt. St. Helen's and he kept looking up new volcanoes and eruptions to learns new facts. He wanted to learn about any kind of disaster natural or otherwise. He wanted to know about and learn about it.
I have to say this one drove me nuts because I try to avoid listening to death tolls in accidents and disasters. I hate to think about it, and that is what he wanted to talk about. As you know with your Asperger child, if they really want to tell you something, there is no stopping them. It is like a geyser pouring out of them, and they will explode if the information doesn't come out. It's like trying to stop a natural disaster. LOL
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Your son's obsessions, while I am sure are very annoying at times are very wonderful in a different perspective. I know that he probably stuggles with homework and schoolwork now because if he doesn't want to learn it or do it --- he won't. His teachers really need to stress to him the reasoning behind why he needs to learn these things. That might help. But once he gets to college and can pick his path of education. He will soar. If he decides to be an archaeologist analyzing the past. He will delve in head first. If he wants to be an accident investigator about what causes a train, plane, car crash, etc., he will set his mind to it and will notice every slight detail. I think that individuals with aspergers make the greatest scientists, doctors, engineers, anyone who needs to have much attention to detail. Plus, they usually think outside the box. I'm a teacher and work with all sorts of students. Keep focusing on all of the positives. This boy is sure to succeed!!!
ReplyDeleteTake Care,
Amy
Amy,
ReplyDeleteI hope it doesn't come across as annoying. I don't mean it to be so. I mean, yes, sometimes they can be, as with anything. I am just talking about the different things he has been obsessed with. Tomorrow is the last one in this series. I didn't mean to sound as if I was complaining. I am trying to tell his obsessions objectively, because I know at least one friend of mine has a child who has never switched obsessions. So in that way I feel lucky. And I know he will succeed in whatever he chooses to do whether it is to teach history or to build bridges. He amazes me everyday! Thanks Amy!