What's Your Obsession?

I recently read that a “…common characteristic of autistic spectrum disorders is an attachment to particular objects.” (MD Junction) There is a host of theories as to why this is, and what the obsession with objects means for people with autism. I have found that there is a level of comfort that comes from having the objects in hand for Lauren. Her obsession has shifted away from High School Musical (thankfully) and toward the New York Yankees. Specifically she loves her collectable dolls. It started with a Mariano Rivera figurine. She would carry it around and show it to people, making sure they knew his name. One evening I caught our German Shepherd (named Yankee) chewing on Rivera. I was able to rescue him, but not before the dog had gnawed off his ball cap, leaving him scalped. I returned the doll to Bean and explained that he was still okay, though bald. To her it didn’t matter. He was dead to her.

For her last birthday she was given a Thurman Munson doll to go along with her Derek Jeter, Lou Gehrig and a pair of Babe Ruth figures. She also had an Alex Rodriguez doll, but he disappeared, presumably running away with Bean’s Cameron Diaz doll.

Last week Bean took Lou to church with her. After class all of the kids in her class filed out, showing their parents the pictures they had drawn of Jesus or Nephi or other scriptural people. When Lauren showed me her picture, there were no people, just the number 4, written over and over again. “What is that?” I asked. “It’s a four!” she proudly exclaimed “It’s Lou Gehrig.” She turned her doll over to show me the number four on his back.

She doesn’t just carry the figurines around, though. She sleeps with them in her bed. She also has a repetitive motion that she makes while holding one of the dolls. Holding the figure in front of her, almost like a sword, she will run a few paces, with her head down, and a strange hissing coming from her mouth. She then stops, whirls, and runs a few paces in the other direction. Back and forth she goes. This can go on for a long time. Kate and I have been curious as to what she is thinking. When asked, she replies “I’m just playing.”

The funny thing about the figures is that they were not meant to by handled. This is obvious, based on how fragile they are. Bean’s first Babe Ruth doll has now had three of his four appendages superglued back on. The fourth, his right arm, went missing. (This is the part where my father-in-law makes a Jim Abbott joke). I find it curious that she still loves the doll despite the missing extremity, though she rejected the bald Rivera doll. This last week Bean was doing her repetitive motion when she dropped the Babe on the hardwood floor, breaking off the last remaining piece, the head (insert father-in-law’s Ted Williams joke here). Fortunately Kate was able to glue the Babe’s noggin back on, and order was restored.

Eventually the Yankees obsession will wear off, and she will be on to the next big thing. Maybe it will be Star Wars or Lady Gaga. Who knows? The obsession doesn’t bother me, it seems to keep her balanced. But I am grateful that it isn’t the Red Sox…