what does your asd child spend his time doing?

[beckle2000]

hi, very new here loads of questions to follow but at the moment i am struggling with the fact that if my son (4 in 2 months ) and i are in the house he just wants to watch telly or play on the i pad. i find it so hard to get him to do anything else i feel like he just doesnt enjoy anything else. you name it iv tried it baking painting drawing hiding...the list goes on. i can get involed sometimes at parts of his programmes that he copies, he is really into dinosaurs and anything with david attenborough... and we can roar at eachother or chase each other but its only on his terms and it never lasts long...i feel guilty leaving him to it. we do spend as much time as poss out the house he loves swimming and throwing stones in the river but its not always possible..is anyone dealing with something similar? any suggestions ?

Many thanks

[ouryve]

This evening, DS2 found one of DH's hair elastics. I suggested that he tried to put it in his hair and, amazingly, he understood and tried to do it. He couldn't quite fathom it out, though, so the next half hour consisted of me putting it in his hair and him taking it out again and asking for me to put it in again. He was even trying to say "do it again" - slightly repetitive and tedious for me, but he was lovely and snuggly and chatty, which was well worth it.

I didn't get much sock knitted!

[used2bthin]

Ha ha thanks I will show her both those links tomorrow! And yes awomansworth I actually think it is always German! She used to watch the same scene of toy story over and over too and she switched to German on the DVD player too. Even stranger when she was two to three and had very few words she used to say nine nine nine instead of no no no ! We used to joke that the issue wasn't that she couldn't speak it was us speaking the wrong language to her!

[TheFogsGettingThicker]

My DS is 5, he likes watching clips on Youtube and also goes on the Moshi Monsters and Bin Weevil websites. His elder sister (NT) started him on these but I don't mind as the earning virtual money, saving or spending it, doing the puzzles etc is good for him.

He likes watching certain CBeebies programmes, but, like Noodle's DS, he prefers to watch them on iIPlayer so he can choose which episode to watch when he wants.

He also likes drawing tons of pictures relating to his interests. Because his sis likes drawing too, I feel like I'm drowning in a sea of paper.

He likes playing houses with DD, or on his own, and will line up a street of Fireman Sam buildings and any other house he can find.

He does potter around with other toys but these are really his main interests.

[TheNoodlesIncident]

My DS is 4.

He likes to play CBeebies games on the PC. He doesn't watch so much CBeebies programmes on the TV since he has discovered he can watch whichever ones he likes on iPlayer. He likes logging on to Bug Club and reading the new book they have sent him. He does like books and reading; his comprehension is improving so he is getting more from this.

For toys he really likes his wooden railway and the wooden road set (to a lesser extent). He has tons of vehicles of all descriptions, as he likes to point out road sweepers, bin lorries and other slightly less usual vehicles (while out). He's - cough! - extremely interested in buses and trains, and will google Images of them (he's especially excited by double-deck trains). He really likes Postman Pat, so he's got DVDs of that and all Pat's vehicles and buildings. We tend to only watch the DVDs at times of illness though (shuddering at memory of recent 6-hour stints of Greendale and Pencaster...)

He always loved going out for walks, from when he started walking, and likes nothing better than going different places. He loves playparks, soft play, swimming and the flumes at the swimming pool. If our garden was bigger I would get him a trampoline, as he does like to bounce. He does have a bike with stabilisers, our garden is so small he can really only go round and round, but when he can use the brakes a bit more reliably we'll take him somewhere like the park.

Is your DS in any kind of school setting?

[MareeyaDolores]

Is he trying to save you money on muzzy?

Might it be worth exploiting the German hobby with this?(here's the English site)

[Awomansworth]

used2bthin - No... and we've never even been to spain!

He seems to seek out the foriegn speaking clips on you tube and discounts them straight away if not in spanish, don't ask me how he knows at 4.10.

Perhaps your dd is the same, is it only the german language ones she is drawn too.

Mind boggling really...

[used2bthin]

Awomansworth is your ds Spanish speaking? My dd is forever watching things usually in German, no one speaks German she must like the sound or just not notice!

[devilinside]

Oh yes, endlessly bouncing on the sofa, How could I forget that one!

[Badvoc]

Yes to,dinosaurs and David Attenborough!!
He is older now so although he still loves dinosaurs and nature programmes, his interests have widened.
He enjoys swimming and riding his bike.
He really likes top gear now (sadly) and the bbc farm programmes.
He likes playing games on the iPad and sometimes watches you tube clips.

[Awomansworth]

Another one here who's ds 4.10 loves to hide random objects (once found the liquid hand soap when I got into bed) all over the house... especially behind radiators, in the laundry basket and in the beds.

If left to play by himself, he would be happy just circling rooms "flying" things around. He can be directed to Ipad if only to watch his favourite sonic clips on youtube. (In spanish of course) He will join in games if directed though.

[DisAstrophe]

Autumnsmum - ds loves posting too. He stopped doing it when he was five but has started up again aged 7! - we find knights behind the radiator, mini dinosaurs in the laundry basket and all manner of stuff posted between our bed and the wall.

[YourHandInMyHand]

DS is 8 now.

At 4 he would like:
-spinning things around in front of his eye

• twirling a piece of my hair round and round
  
• lining things up
  
• watching Cbeebies and a few DVDs
  
• reciting the words from Bing stories and Dear Zoo
  
• bouncing (off walls or trampolines)
  

At 8 he likes to:

• play on his innotab
  
• play on his wii (this is a very new one)
  
• looks on youtube and google at the things he likes
  
• watches DVDs
  
• reads captain underpants books and draws comics of him
  
• LEGO
  
• Dr Who Character build (like lego)
  

I think you just have to go with their interests as much as you can. When DS liked Thomas we had Thomas bath toys, colouring in, crayons, a Thomas picture at the top of his timetable, etc - as well as all the Thomas toys. The challenge is getting their attention, holding it, and having a motivating factor - if DS wouldn't get anything out of it personally he wouldn't be interested.

[bishybashyboshy]

watching TV which he could quite happily do all day so we limit tv time and try to find anything which he can learn from rather than mind numbing rubbish, building then rebuilding with the same few pieces of lego into the same thing over and over, drawing pictures of robots which are usually blowing each other up . Does make you feel bad but when he doesn't want any interaction, or to do anything else, or go anywhere, that's what he wants to do so we just try to find different things for him to make from his lego or introducing other things which he can build with. We do make sure he spends some time during the day doing something with us as a family, and always show an interest in what he is doing any other time.

[devilinside]

Tormenting the guinea pigs, fighting with his sister and spending hours glued to the Moshi Monsters website.

[used2bthin]

Dd is very keen on iPad atm too and its hard to get her to do other stuff but I find it goes in phases so next week it could be train tracks or a particular DVD. Also it's different things for different people,ie always hiding with a particular uncle,always pretend schools with my mum etc.

Memory cards is a good one for her too as she's great with visual stuff. Also we use a visual timetable for things like breakfast then iPad or whatever it is I'm trying to persuade her to do. Sometimes it works!

[gs27]

My DS who is 5 and has just started a medical SN assessment is the same, in the house he needs to be constantly stimulated by either watch TV, Wii, Laptop or Iphone etc etc - he will get me and my DH on the floor playing with hotwheels which is great but you cant help feeling guilty when you need to make tea or do housework and leave them playing on something - there is a website called Gridclub which you can join (Fee) and it is educational and there are also some great apps that teaches rather than gaming all the time. x

[FightingForSurvival]

OP with new stuff, my lo often ignores it for a long time before playing with it. So if its a new puzzle, toy, crafty kit I just put it in the front room and don't mention. This happened with several Xmas pressies, one was a dressing up outfit of one of his favourite characters. He wouldn't go near it, I just left it overthe door in front room, I think it was around about 20th January before he asked to wear it lol. Sometimes it's much quicker, I think I just doesn't want to feel under pressure! There's a good book called More than Words, there's a section in there about joining in with their play rather than trying to lead it. I wish I had had this book when my lo was younger, he's five.

[troutsprout]

I'm guessing you want ideas for a little one?
Ds used to like...
Wooden train set, cars,making 3d paper models, remote controlled cars and aeroplanes, Lego , wooden blocks, trampoline , boomblox, knex, micro machines, runescape, tamagotchies Swings, scooter, science sets, hornby

Now he 15
He likes...
Roblox,Minecraft,raspberry pi, coding, Going to youth club, iPod , visiting anything industrial or museums or heritage railways, rigging up electronic stuff ( over my head) , talking to his sister.

[flowwithit]

My ds is nearly 13 doesn't like going anywhere and would play minecraft 24/7 if he could. It's got more difficult to get him to do anything else now he is older so I am more slack with letting him enjoy minecraft as he has learnt quite a lot through doing it like not cheating or there are penalties and helping others build gives benefits. It's creative too so that makes me feel better about it. Trying to get him into golf for some exercise because he doesn't like other sports.

[Strongecoffeeismydrug]

DS 8 1/2 loves his computer and I pad, he would play on them all day if allowed but I do divert his attention to baking buns, jigsaws and I can get him to try mark making with sand or chalks now and again.
Trampoline in warmer is a big hit and tires him out so that is often encouraged.he also loves going in the car do we do lots of trips as he's very relaxed in the car and talks to us about his day :)

[autumnsmum]

My ds 8yesterday has high functioning autism and he loves Xbox and Lego dd 3 who has autism loves her nabi tablet lining up little people and posting things behind the radiator

[FightingForSurvival]

Sounds a bit like my son. He loves ipad, wii, DS etc. Also likes moonsand, play doh. He will join in activities like cake baking, painting but can lose interest half way through! We take him swimming, soft play, park etc and he likes playing outside when weather is nicer. He also likes going for a drive lol so we do sometimes do that and it's an opportunity for us to chat with him! I am trying to chill out about him using technology, it's great that its something he can do independently and it's a good time filler around other activities. When he was younger he was a nightmare in the house doing all sorts of random stuff, banging doors, climbing furniture, chucking stuff down the loo and I am very grateful we have moved on from that stage!! I tend to do his school learning stuff, reading and practising writing etc after his evening bath and he is very calm at that time.

[ouryve]

Odd Poltergoose? Sounds pretty normal to us.

Then again, we have all that, plus DS2 lining and pairing up socks and gloves, slobbering over mirros (sorry, Clarks, for the mess he left, this morning) playing with his Dinos and KidMiniz (all at once) or playing on his leapster and/or leappad.

[WarmAndFuzzy]

DS1 - reads incessantly, can get through 2-3 chapter books a day easily. DS2 - right now into drawing incredibly detailed pictures, usually of a variety of monsters/people/mythical beasts fighting each other. And pyramids and palm trees (he's learned how to draw those).

Both also love playing with the cat and their hamsters, watching Scooby Doo films, and watching my husband play Starcraft (he does occasionally let them play). I do let them play with my iPad very occasionally but they have to earn it by doing their homework/Mathletics/writing practice. They also love their trampoline but the weather's been so bad they haven't managed to go out much so they're bouncing off the walls today despite trips to the library and pet shop.