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How long will this obsession last?

ParentingAutism

Hiya, hope you're alright? My daughter, 14, has an obsession with bandages at the moment and I don't know how long it'll last and why it's bandages. I understand that people on the spectrum can have unusual interests but she takes them so far. 

I can recall that when she was younger she would make a cast out of toilet paper, tape, socks and paper. She would make them for her teddies as well. She would also put herself into situations just so that she could have a bandage. Yesterday, she went to the shop to buy some nails but also came home with a bandage she bought, which she is keeping next to her bed. She doesn't know what she wants to be when she grows up, but I suggested being a paramedic (or something like that) just like her dad, because she loves to help people and she wishes there was a car accident (or emergency) outside our house so she could help. 

I'm only asking how long it'll last because she had another interest of police and she put herself into situations where she required police assistance as well as paramedics. She loves first responders but at the same time doesn't and I'm trying to figure out what part she likes. 

What do I do? Do I leave her to it? 

Parents

  • Obsessions with things can apparently be short lived or life long and are mostly harmless, pleasurable and can be converted into a meaningful career.  But, there are a couple of things in your description which would worry me a tad and may need a little bit of work to get her to add some appropriate perspective to her interest.  Those are the putting herself into situations where she needs a bandage or police assistance and the wishing the accident would happen outside.... sounds like you need some professional advice to keep her just the right side of the line on that one.  If she can do that, maybe one day she'll a darn good first responder.

    Peter's idea about St John's Ambulance is a good one.  Maybe if she can actually help, she won't need to create a situation in which help is required.

Reply

  • Obsessions with things can apparently be short lived or life long and are mostly harmless, pleasurable and can be converted into a meaningful career.  But, there are a couple of things in your description which would worry me a tad and may need a little bit of work to get her to add some appropriate perspective to her interest.  Those are the putting herself into situations where she needs a bandage or police assistance and the wishing the accident would happen outside.... sounds like you need some professional advice to keep her just the right side of the line on that one.  If she can do that, maybe one day she'll a darn good first responder.

    Peter's idea about St John's Ambulance is a good one.  Maybe if she can actually help, she won't need to create a situation in which help is required.

Children
  • in reply to Dawn

    I definitely agree. I believe school is trying to get her on the right side of it all but I definitely think she'll be a great paramedic. She knows more first aid than me. She knows the phonetic alphabet and sometimes communicates that way, for example, when she says our number plate, her name and other pieces of information. It's kind of like she was born to do it.