4 yo son with obsessive behaviours, should i be worried??

[sallyh2000]

my son is 4 and he has always been very obsessed with things, that i would not consider 'normal' for a child. He loves cds/dvds,tools,keys but his favourite is hoovers. he sleeps with them , carries pictures with him asks everyone about theirs, talks to the hoovers, he has two toy ones of his own and still wants another one, his favourite is henry hoover, although he is now quite taken with dysons.sometimes it is so bad it drives me to distaction. Am i worrying about nothing?

what exactly worries you?? is it a problem... for him? for you?

Any other obsessive behaviour? How is he socially? with his peers and adults?

What's he like other than the obsessions?
Does he have friends, does he play imaginatively, do his preschool or nursery have any concerns?

He has one friend he is mates with at school other than that he just sort of knows them, not really friends, does that make sense?
he doesn't play with toys, he likes 'real' things.He doesn't do any imaginative play and won't dress up or pretend.His nursery say he is doin ok at school, so they have no probs?

Am I right in thinking you suspect he is on the autistic spectrum (apologies if you aren't - only going on what you've said)- the natinal autistic society (NAS )have checklists for Aspergers Syndrome and so on on their website which is a good place to start.
If you are still concerned I would ask your gp or health visitor to refer you to a a paediatrician- just take a list of your concerns along.

national not natinal

control freak, i find it a problem sometimes, if he pestering folks to talk about their hoovers, keys, he wants to see them, hold them, find out what each one is for, etc
luckylady,he has started to wash his hands a lot lately, but i dunno if this is habit or just so he can mess about in the bathroom with the water?

yes thanks for that, i have always suspected that there was something, but so far have been unable to convince anyone, there is a problem, everyone i talk to just makes me doubt myself.
could ya let me have web address?

www.nas.org.uk

Do you mean you've talked to friends (ime they always play down your fears because they don't live with your child) or doctor or another professional?

I think that if you have concerns it's best to go with your instincts and ask for a referral to a Paed for an assessment. Pre-schools don't always pick up on things like ASD. Sometimes even when a child has a diagnosis you still get people who will say things like "But I haven't seen any sign of ASD."

Good luck.

i always believe there is maternal instict, if you feel wrong then ask your gp and seek help. good luck

i have talked to HV,School and now he is seen by specialist early years service at school, because he did have SAL probs, but his speech is good now. None of them have taken my concerns seriously, because he doin ok at school they not bothered. they don't have to live with him, sometimes it is a nightmare,but he really is a lovely boy.

I am now waitin for some spare parts for little henry hoover, to arrive because he broke the pipes and was inconsolable, so i had to promise i would try and get some more to keep the peace.

Children at this age are quite obsessional creatures anyway!! I wouldn't worry about it - he just likes hoovers and keys! Unless there are other behaviours worrying you too?

I'd write down the history of sal problems, the lack of social skills, lack of creative play, the obsessions,the behaviour at home that is beyond usual 4yr old upsets and then I'd take it to your gp and beg for a paed referral. Whatever your ds's issues are the fact is you need more professional help than you're getting.

It is very usual for kids with as to cope at school and then be very hard at home.

Someone once said on here that you know in yourself that your child is harder work than other people's children even if their special needs are not diagnosed.

If that fails there is the private diagnosis route. I don't know much about that, but ask on the special needs topic and someone will
help.

Good luck.

Thanks for all you messages, i will give the website a go, see how i go from there.

My little boy is also 4 years old - and also has an obsession with Henry Hoover. He has his own toy one - the same as your little boy - and also has another carpet sweeper which he loves. He knows what hoover all my friends has also. He doesn't use his hoovers quite so much - but he does talk to them and if he sees a henry hoover when we are out he has to talk to them - and even hug them!! He is a very gentle boy and although has 3 or 4 good friends does not mix well with other children - we thought he was shy - but he seems to be very anxious in groups of children etc. We are now waiting for a professional to see him potentially to diagnose. I have read up about Aspergers - maybe you should have a look too? Good luck!