If DS7 is obsessed with Five Nights at Freddy's...

[anxiouslyanxious]

Ds was asd diagnosed at 2. He was very firmly obsessed with transformers and had no interest in anything else. This led to us watching YouTube videos on how to transform some of the trickier toys he had. While viewing these videos 2 years ago he came across five nights at freddys and has since been obsessed with this. He has clothes, toys, bootleg toys, the game itself, lego FNAF sets as well as minecraft FNAF sets. There is literally no where to turn with this. I bought him a pc and set him up on minecraft in the hopes of moving away from this but now he has discovered that there are lots of fan games of FNAF on minecraft and roblox so that is where he spends all his time. He cannot maintain friendships as his peers are not interested in FNAF. Does anyone have any advice on if i should just go with it and hope it burns out so to speak? Or if i should try to find friends on forums for him (I'm very wary of this btw). Also to add he is aware of other similar genre games such as baldi's basics and bendy and the ink machine but nothing holds his interest like FNAF. His recent birthday presents all sit unopened and unused as there is no more FNAF merchandise I can buy so I bought Minecraft lego and Roblox toys which is my costly mistake. I want him to be happy but also to broaden his horizons, I feel stuck. Sorry for the long post x

[RedCheese]

Hi. Have you ever considered joining a local support group for kids with ASD? I looked into joining one prior to lockdown as I was concerned about my 4 year old's lack of interest in his peers. I thought it might help introduce him to some friends. I understand when you say you bought toys that are sitting in their boxes... I have a bike, trike, board games, art and craft gifts and more... all bought in the hope of sparking an interest.

[anxiouslyanxious]

Hi, thanks for replying! No I haven't thought about doing this, but it's definitely something I will do. Would I just google asd support group in my area?

[RedCheese]

Hi.

I think I looked at www.autismlinks.co.uk

Let us know if it helps your little one.

[lilmishap]

Hi my 7 yr old is the same, it has caused trouble at school. Just be aware if teachers find out what the backstory to FNAF is they will have 'words with you'. I've been called in several times. Last time I pointed out that you can now get FNAF kids school bags ( thanks amazon!) so they seem to have left it, admittedly he is the only one in school who knows FNAF. He is also fixated on the Songs on youtube as well as the gaming and merch
Mine is also becoming obsessed with Siren Head and Trevor Hendorson art--this is a year in though and he went through Bendy, Baldi, the Hindenberg( his first obsession was Titanic) all the while holding FNAF up on a pedestal.

I can't offer any advice but you're not alone, despite feeling it.

[lilmishap]

Oh DO NOT FIND OTHERS. It is dark/adult in nature and it's best if you grit your teeth and be the 'other fnaf fan' in his world rather than letting someone else lead him into darker themed weirdness.

[anxiouslyanxious]

Thank you Redcheese for the link I will have a look.

[anxiouslyanxious]

Hi lilmishap, thanks for responding. It's nice to know I'm not alone in having dealt with this situation. Re school I did hesitantly tell his teacher last year about his interest, she actually has an autistic son herself who was into it a few years prior and so she didn't have any concerns, I'm not sure if she passed this information along to this years teacher though. I am sure that as fed up with fnaf as I am now, when he does move on to another obsession I will be longing for it back, as I did with Transformers haha 😄

[anxiouslyanxious]

Also it's a good shout not to find others, as you said, who might lead him into darker things. Thank you 💐

[anxiouslyanxious]

@lilmishap can I ask what you do about birthdays/Christmas? Or is your ds into other things that make gift buying easier? I feel I have exhausted all avenues of fnaf merch (including the new figures currently on pre-order), thanks

[lilmishap]

This year was a piece of cake, loads of 'younger' fnaf stuff (clothes, stationary, posters) on amazon. Last year there was only adult/teen fnaf stuff.

He keeps on at me to get him a springtrap costume which isnt happening as they only do adult sizes, and they're obscenely priced..

I'm also big on Minecraft, Garrys mod and about every game you can add mods to will have fnaf addons. It's like diluted animatronics I suppose. "Here's Minecraft....with withered animatronics!"
BUT I do tell him I'm not buying him ALL the fnaf and then I soak up the upset and hate he throws out till he gets over it.

Youtube has so many videos on it I use it as a distraction.
"I still haven't found a springtrap six foot robot I am sorry I'll keep looking, but I'm not sure anywhere sells them. But you can have half hour on Youtube"
seems to work....until he comes down and asks me to make a six foot springtrap robot.

He also wants me to build an Airship, Hindenburg size and from time to time he'd like me to dig a full size bloody mine in the garden so he can mine diamonds. Of course Animatronics will work on the airship and in the mine.

It's hard exhausting dealing with the obsessions and their constant disappointment when they want EVERYTHING to be fnaf, but you can't satisfy an obsessed 7 year old. I admit I've given up trying to keep FNAF 'Time limits' as well, his school said to give him an hour of obsessing, then he has to stop, but they don't understand that isn't an option. It is always going on in his head.

The hardest part is getting him into the real world for school, where he's lonely because no one else does FNAF.

I am fed up but I learnt with the Titanic obsession, you just have to ride it out.(Titanic was 3 long years) He has a ton of Titanic stuff that is now ignored, I think that helps me saying No to more FNAF merch.


I'm so glad I'm not the only one in a world of it.

[lilmishap]

Ooh get on youtube for Gmod FNAF. (Gmod Garrys Mod) there are so many videos about GMod FNAF 'MODS'.

There really is so much on Garrys Mod that it may tease him away from JUST FNAF, mine has noticed Trevor Hendersons Siren Head, long horse and yesterday he was on about Tripods (from War of the worlds),, he also found a world with a working subway that you can fill with Fnaf and Xenomorphs and Steves (other characters are available) because of Gmod I now hear words that aren't Freddy, Withered etc several times a day.

Christ I'm gushing over Garrys Mod! But it has so much scope for a new obsession, honestly I think that game was made for AND by obsessive boys.

Mine lost a couple of weeks in lockdown when he found Garrys Mod videos, He only got the game a month ago but he is starting to diversify his flippin FNAF obsession....slowly.

[lilmishap]

Wow! I must have been storing all that up just waiting for another FNAF mum!!

[orinocosfavoritecake]

Forgive me if this is no use, but does your son like the mystery/figuring out what happened aspect of FNAF? If so, I wonder if he might like other unsolved mysteries? Something like what happened to Easter Island, or did Richard III really murder the princes in the tower, or what happened to Amelia Earhart, or why the Marie Celeste was abandoned...

[anxiouslyanxious]

Thanks @lilmishap i had heard him talk about garrys mod from videos he's watched on YouTube but I had no idea you could play. Just knowing there are other parents experiencing the same as me is so reassuring, it can seem so overwhelming, I don't think I know as much about anything that I'm interested in as I do about fnaf haha.
Unfortunately I don't think it is the mystery he likes about the franchise, he can't even explain it himself, he just loves everything about it.

[WoodliceCollection]

OMG, what is it with FNAF? 10yo dd obsessed and has learned/copied down all the songs for the characters despite not being allowed to play the actual game ever. As far as I can see the game is not that interesting even but I guess there's something about it they can relate to?