Autistic Community Links

"Your son is excited and nervous about starting school, so he asks you when the first day will be. You reply "Next Tuesday" and the answer eases his anxiety. The next time he feels nervous, he responds in the same way - to ask you again when the first day will be, despite the fact that he already knows the answer. There are a few different reasons why he might be doing this: * The repetitive and predictable response is soothing * It's giving him time to process the information and/or how he feels about it * His lack of cognitive flexibility is preventing him from adjusting his reaction based on the changes in the situation (getting the answer to his question or you getting increasingly annoyed at having to give it so many times) * He's having trouble suppressing his impulse to ask the question * He's having trouble stopping himself once he starts * The more he asks, the more emotionally invested he becomes which is making it even harder to switch his attention to something else The answer could be one or all or none of these. But the upshot is that perseveration isn't always voluntary or controllable, so people who perseverate aren't just being stubborn or defiant or noncompliant... and the solution isn't going to be as easy as saying "just stop thinking about or doing that thing"."