Is this wierd?

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I just found out that my 8 year old (aspie) is perserverating on a topic at school that he has never even mentioned at home. He is absolutely obsessing about planets and geology all day while he is at school. When I found out I even offered to get him a book about it for home and he wasn't interested and changed to subject back to his usual obsession (outside of school), video games.

Just when I think I have figured him out, he confuses me again.

I don't think that's weird. His first passion is video games, but he knows that the topic isn't appropriate for school so he has found a substitute while he's there. Once he's home again, he can focus on his greatest interest, and finds lesser interests distracting.

Sorry to double-post, but I found this Solar system quiz game for my son to be a great compromise between astronomy and video games. Do you think your son would like something like this?

Weird? I would eliminate that from your vocabulary if you have an aspie. My 10 year old son becomes interested in topics that we've never talked about but that is because he reads everything he can get his hands on. Once he really, really had to know all the military ranks and learned everything he could about them and then he was done - he moved on to the next subject. I never discourage it (unless it's a topic I don't think he's ready for - one hasn't come up yet) and love that he likes to research different historical events, subjects or people on his own.

SInce my son is homeschooled it makes my job a little easier since it seems like all the topics I choose are "boring" to him - so I sort of let him lead the way on some things.

When my son started school this year, I actually promoted Pokemon as an alternate interest for school hours ice-breaking. Pop is really obsessed with Super Mario bros (video games and dvds) and takes it to the extreme (he dresses like Princess Peach). It comes off as juvenile during play acting.
He also picks up sports books and macho stuff that he doesn't like at all. But insists on having that stuff for schooltime.

I hope your son isn't being told that Video Games (in general) are Bad For You and that he's ashamed to enjoy them. Some school staff have a blanket idea that all video games are violent, inappropriate for kids and anti-social. That's just not true.

There's some very good video games....

Particularly strategy or dungeons and dragons.

These are still exciting but will (believe it or not) help with social skills and leadership skills.

Once he gets a bit older - online gaming would be good.

Article: Online Gaming Builds Leadership Skills (IBM Study)

Yes...Dungeons and Dragons is a cool way to pass the time!

Hi all!!
I know what my son plays isnt great in fact far from it, most parents would have a fit, but its his thing and he is obsessed by it. Actually there are a few pc games that he will obsess over all stratergy and army building games, I dont understand them so I leave them to my almost 18year old son to supervise. Command and conquer, Generals
and War Craft J tells me he just clocked War Craft it only took him 3 days. Whilst J doesnt play these games at school, I have see snipets of the leadership stuff being displayed with other kids. J's interests arent those of his friends, his next big thing that he has had for ever is spiderman. The kids at school have teased him about this so he refuses to talk spiderman at school. We tried pokemon also bought all the trading cards etc.... they were banned from school the next day Now we have learnt to go with the flow, J is J at home and he needs his pc time to relax, J is J at school he is doing his best. Weird is not a word we use in our house any more.

I don't think its weird. My school hour obsession are often different from home/socialization but thats largely because there is no one in my social group outside of school who would know anything about my school hour obsession. Actually, in high school I had to educate the history on the revolutionary war and the progress of submarine development. He foolishly thought the germans had invented the submarine during WWII, when I knew for a fact we had used on in the American Revolution. Actually I went so far back as to the greased leather sacks Alexander the Great used to hide soldiers underwater. Now that I've lost your attention, can you imagine my trying to discuss that all with a fellow 16 year old?

Right now I'm excited because I've discovered I have to drive past the Conrad Weiser homestead to get to my boyfriend's parents house. I plan on visiting them once its open again just so I can stop there. I know better than to say "Oh cool, I can stop at Conrad Weiser's homestead" to anyone outside of history professors, and some intense history majors. I'm pretty much 100% confident that no one in my social group has ever heard of him. And I wouldn't care to pursue such interests with my social group because i know they wouldn't be as awed by them as I am.

I also have somewhat of a broad interest base and don't care to obsess about one thing all day long. My biggest hurdle to writing research papers in college is that i'd spend all day at the library reading on every topic but the one i came to research. Its utterly boring to stay one thing all day long, regardless of how much i like it.

Not weird, I do it too. At school it's psychology, at home it's cryptozoology. I think the first is just more socially acceptable.

Not weird, I do that all the time. At home I'm constantly on my laptop / iPhone or playing Wii. At school it's all about band.

...Sometimes it's about band at home tho, since both my parents play trumpet also XD

No, kd, not wierd. Z, my 11 yo Aspie is obsessed with learning anything and everything at school, gets upset with reviews because "why do we have to talk about this, I already know it". But, at home, he will focus for hours, if we let him, on his video games. We forbid viddeo games on school nights(me included) so he focuses on reading, he has just about finished the eight book PENDRAGON series he got for Christmas.

The only suggestion I would make is to see if you could spike his interests in a variety of areas. Good luck.