Think About It

Pervasive Parenting 

By Kodey Toney

Think About It

Konner has a very strange way of thinking about things. It's a very practical way of thinking, at least for his interests.

I have discussed in the past his love for computer programs. One of his favorites is Roblox, which allows him to build trains and other aspects of the island of Sodor from Thomas the Train. On this game there is an administrator that makes sure everyone stays in line and does what they are supposed to. They also develop the game and build different worlds to play on. 

So, when Konner came to me a couple weeks ago and said, "So, God is like the admin of the world," I had to stop and think about it. 

"Yes, I suppose that's right," I said back. 

In his mind he had associated Gods watchful eye and development of the world with the administrator of Roblox.

This may seem so simple to some, but it caught me off guard. I appreciate that he listens to us when we talk about God, and that he can relate that to his interests. 

So tonight we are sitting in the living room and Konner said, "Are the dead people in heaven co-admins to God?"

This question stems from the fact that there are co-admins, or other people that assist with keeping things in order on the game. 

I thought this was a very good way of thinking about it. 

He uses association when thinking that most people probably don't. This comes from the fact that he, like most on the spectrum, are concrete thinkers. Everything has to be relatable to their interests. This is why they dominate conversations and must talk about their interests with little regard to others' interests. 

Teachers sometimes use this to their advantage in the classroom by using their interest in the lesson. An example would be using trains in a lesson on subtraction to keep the interest of a child in the class that has autism. 

As a parent you can use this same approach to talk to your child about something important. As long as you relate it to something they like.