Sammy - I don't have a magic bullet, but I HIGHLY suggest you get the book 'Finding Kansas' by Aaron Likens. It will shed a LOT of light on why your son does this. My 10 year old daughter obsesses with hamsters so I understand EXACTLY where you are coming from. I sat through a presentation from Aaron Likens last week and it was so incredibly enlightening. He is a 30-ish year old guy with Aspergers and is very good at getting you into the mind of someone on the spectrum.

Thanks for the book tip, @A MyAutismTeam Member. My son also obsesses over things and wants to talk about or ask about them repeatedly. We have reached a point where I can say "you can ask me one more question about _____ and then we need to talk about something else." and he will actually do it. It has taken time to get to this point, though. If he forgets and starts asking again, I say "I'm all done talking about ____" until he gives it up. Good luck!

Mentioned Users

A MyAutis...

My son did/does the same thing with obsessing over things. He's just completed a year of ABA, and here are a couple things that work for us:

1. If he is talking about the truck, use that item to direct conversation in a new way. "Does the truck drive fast or slow? Where is your truck going? Oh I love going there too! I like to x,y,z at the (place.)"

2. I can tell by a certain point that my son is in a pattern of obsessing over something, whether it is asking a question or saying that he wants to do something. Like today, I had to wait in the car for a store to open and he wanted to leave. I explained a couple times (careful to use different words in case it was a comprehension issue) why we needed to stay and wait. When he began to cry and get frustrated, I stated with a calm, but firm voice "I understand that you want to leave, but we have to be patient and wait. We are all done talking about this." The key is to make sure YOU don't cave! I'll give him a few minutes to self regulate and calm down if needed, then do something to distract him (ie - favorite music, ask a question about a totally unrelated topic or do something silly.) It's all about learning how to break the pattern.

Honestly MaryMartin, its not easy to deal with at all. I think the easiest way is to meet in the middle. Share in his/her obsession by reading books about it or watching videos about it then finding a link from the obsession to something else. My son is obsessed with lawnmowers now. I try to talk about how Cows and goats are like lawnmowers how they eat grass. Switch it up a bit. Its hard, believe me. Patience is what works the best.

Sometimes distraction works with my son. Getting him involved in activity that requires his focus. Doesn't work everytime but it helps.