The restriction of interests seen in individuals with high functioning autism often takes the form of intense and prolonged imagination. Preoccupation with fantasy in people on the autism spectrum takes many forms. For children with ASD, intense involvement in imagination has the potential to be both harmful and helpful in psychosocial development.
Summarize how enthrallment with fantasy manifests itself in many individuals with ASD
Category one: Facilitated fantasy, in which one “borrows” a fantasy established in popular culture. Example, including: Child who spends much of school day imagining she is Snow White.
Category two: Original fantasy, in which one invents and subsequently overvalues an imaginary friend, story, etc. Example: Daniel Tammett, author, recalls his intense and prolonged involvement with a childhood imaginary friend.
Describe how restricted interests and high involvement in imagination can affect social-emotional learning
Dysfunctional manifestations
*When the fantasy preoccupation distracts from the work of learning social skills. Examples, including: Boy who knows dozens of Pokemon characters but can name only eight classmates.
*When the fantasy preoccupation becomes a habitual response to stress, enabling withdrawal and isolation. Examples, including: Boy who, responds to family discord by withdrawing into fantasy in which he is a dinosaur hunter.
*When the fantasy fixation leads to conspicuous, odd changes in behavior, dress, etc. Examples, including: Boy invents mythical creature, creates T shirt with its picture, and wears it most days to school.
*When there arises a preference for “unreal” over “real” beings. Examples, including preference for Facebook sites featuring imaginary characters.
*When enduring sexual attraction for imaginary beings occurs. Examples provided.
Functional or benign manifestations
*When the fantasy enthrallment provides a useful source of relaxation. Examples, including blogs and YouTube videos in which autistic teens and adults confer with one another regarding their fantasy fixations
*When involvement in a fantasy system brings the isolated individual into contact with other like-minded aficionados. Examples, including fantasy card competitions, fan fiction, etc.
*When the autistic individual’s unconstrained imagination yields artistic creations of merit or invention of practical application. Examples, including Annabelle, blogger/artist who posts art based on jellyfish and imagined jellyfish creatures daily.
Learn how to carry out psychotherapeutic play activities for children with ASD which make use of fantasy to build relationship and communication skills
Using revered fantasy tales and characters to instruct and inspire. Examples and applications for psychotherapy and speech/language work, including Yoda for anger regulation.
*Incorporating a child’s fantasy theme into instructional and therapeutic materials. Examples. Specific instruction and free online template for creating therapeutic board game on fantasy theme. Applications for psychotherapy, speech-language and education.
*Incorporating the fantasy theme into token reward systems. Examples. Applications for psychotherapy, speech-language and education.
Introducing socially interactive elements into imagination pursuits
*Having children with solitary fantasy pursuits describe these to other children
*Having children collect and display the fantasy art of their peers
*Structured activities in which children learn how to draw samples of their peers’ fantasy art
*The “Fantasy House” group drawing activity
*Sequential fantasy storytelling, which obligates each person to accommodate the imagined content of the group’s shared story
*The “Our World” therapy activity described in Relationship Development Intervention by Stephen Gutstein, et al, a structured expansion of group storytelling
*Current therapy products and curricula incorporating fantasy themes. Examples.
Conclusion:
In our professional response, care is needed to deeply understand the imaginative worlds of children on the spectrum, to detect and avert possible pitfalls, and to recognize all potential benefits.
Joel Shaul, LCSW
Founder, Autism Teaching Strategies
Autism Teaching Strategies
Joel Shaul, LCSW, is an autism specialist based in Pittsburgh. He develops psycho-educational resources and provides trainings nationwide through Autism Teaching Strategies (autismteachingstrategies.com). Mr. Shaul also works as a psychotherapist for The Watson Institute of Sewickley, Pennsylvania.
