Childlike Comfort Objects?

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So, I noticed that I seem to attach to stuffed animals more than people. I love to cuddle them, and like to buy comfort objects like stuffed animals and kigurumi when I'm upset...it's a bad habit I have.

So I have to wonder...

Is it common for autistic adults to not grow out of stuffed animals?

I've no idea, as I can't speak on behalf of autistic people in general, liking stuffed animals etc is probably a indiviual affectation anyway. Judging by the popularity, not so long ago, of beanie babies and Ty bears collecting and owning stuffed animals isn't just restricted to children and autistic adults. Personally, yes I still have toys in my bedroom that date back to before I started school. Any stranger entering my bedroom would probably assume that it belonged to a ten year old boy.

I have two stuffed bears that sit on the back of the couch, right beside me. They are always there... the couch is their permanent residence now and has been for years. While neither of them speak, they do insert themselves into what is going on in the living room now and then. It is not uncommon to find me holding one of them and having him nod along with a conversation or help him hide his eyes because of something on the television. If he strongly approves of what is happening, I will have him do a little dance thing. The oldest of the two bears is interactive like that. The other one, not so much, and only occasionally gets invested in his surroundings. While I do enjoy childlike things now and then, those two bears are the only stuffed animals I get into since I got over the webkinz phase however many years ago. I was obsessed with those webkinz for a few years there though. I had well over thirty of them before I gave them away.

I love stuffed animals and plushies. I collect them and they are all over my room. I have a couple I sleep with on my bed and then a Beanie Baby cat I keep in my messenger bag as a comfort item.

I had affection for my Santa doll until around the age of 12.

I have 5 Om Nom plushies and a family of toy Sweet Peas on my night table. They help keep the nightmares away.

I have a collection of stuffed animals that I like to sleep with or carry around the house. I used to carry them around in public, but I got shamed enough that I don't do that anymore.

I had a sort of "second childhood" regarding stuffed animals. I grew out of them at the usual age most young people probably do, but it was when I was an adult that I saw one cute toy in Target and just had to have it.

At first I felt foolish because I was about 40 at the time and up till then I hadn't had any toy animals out in my home since my childhood.

But after that I started not to care what visiting friends might think, and now I have a small but treasured collection of cuddly stuffed animals including birds that are my special interest.

My keychain has a plush stuffed-toy Eeyore that I hold and squeeze like a stress-relief toy in my pocket when I'm out.

I have my teddy bear what I've had since my first Christmas. My mum says I fell in love with it straight away. It lives on my bed and stays next to me every night. It's very tattered, but it's so sentimental to me. It's as special to me as all the people I love are.

It is not unusual to love your bear if you're female.

I get very easily attached to stuffed animals; I have a whole bedroom full of them, including ten that sleep on my bed. I have a little white stuffed dragon that I made myself named Whisper who comes with me everywhere in my messenger bag, including work, though none of my co-workers know it. He comes out to keep me company when I'm in therapy or social skills group, and sometimes when I'm out running an errand with my mom, he'll come along and be the only thing I take with me. I attach easily to inanimate objects, because I imagine them with thoughts and feelings, and stuffed animals definitely take the brunt of this. I can't see myself ever getting rid of Whisper, or retiring him to a shelf in my room, I think he'll stick with me forever.

I think part of my problem is that I don't have enough fluffy, kawaii things to cuddle and delight my senses.

I never liked stuffed animals. I remember I used to have a huge stuffed bear when I was a kid (it was bigger than me will I were 3 or 4) but that's all. As for cuddling I preferred blankets and when I were playing I used to build stuff rather than play with dolls or stuffed animals.

Currently I buy a stuffed animal every now and then though - if it is well made, looks like real animal, is cute or feels nice to touch. I currently have 4 stuffed animals in my room: 1 bear, 1 cat, 1 elephant and 1 sheep. All but the cat look like miniatures of real animals(bear looks like a bear cub). I was already an adult when I bought them.

I used the bear as replacement for my dead cat once - the bear is black just like my cat used to be and is very soft to touch so when I cuddled it it felt like my cat is back. Aside from that - I ignore them and they are nothing but dust collectors.

'Immature' things I tend to collect are tinsel, rubber ducks and slinkies among other comforting objects, I try to only have a couple at a time but sometimes more creep in, I don't think they're immature but they're not exactly scholarly desk knick knacks

I have an Espeon (a pokemon and my profile pic) plush that I carry around on my college campus and not ashamed to admit I sleep with it