Imaginary Play

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So, I wanted to know how old is to old for imaginary play?

Like running around the house, creating scripts and "acting" out scenes like if you were playing around. Basically LARPing if you want to take it like that.

J Bird likes to roleplay in real life, like a kid all the time.

It isn't anything simple like mommy and daddy and playing house. Its more complicated than that. Involving magic, swords, guns, and all kinds of crazy characters.

Should I be concerned that he likes to involve himself in these activities?

I ask cause today I overheard him using one of his voices.

You're never too old for imaginary play. It's a gift, a way of being creative. In my opinion, it's better for someone to be able to entertain themselves rather than playing video games or watching TV, and infinitely better than wandering around saying "I'm bored" all the time.

I forgot how old J Bird is, but I don't think it matters as long as he is playing and recognizes it to be play outside of reality.

My son was a slow developer in the "creative play" area.. For years, play consisted of lining up blocks or cars and very little play, absolutely no imagination. When he began role-play pretending, he borrowed ideas or scripts from favorite movies, books, or tv shows. It's only been in the last 2 years maybe that he has started creating his own "characters" or storylines. To me, it would seem logical to expect that because this developed late for him, it might last to a greater age than in it would NT kids who developed these skills at a younger age.

If an NT kid typically practices "make-believe" play from.... 3 to 8.... and my son didn't start until 6 or so... I don't think it would be weird for him to maintain that style of play until 11 or even later considering he takes longer to develop all of these things... so maybe even 14 or 15 would be a reasonable age.

I don't know if this makes sense.. or even applies to your brother.. but from the AS kids I've observed (not to say that's a large number) , there seems to be a bit of immaturity in their play.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it. If you're worried about the social aspect of this... perhaps you can help him find a creative outlet... Writing stories or making movies... something like that... ?

I was heavily into pretend play from the ages of 9 to 12 way back when no one knew what Asperger's was. My parents forbid me from pretend playing and told me that it was "keeping me from coping with reality". Even when I was in my 20s, they mentioned sometimes that my "social problems" as a child might have been caused by too much pretend play.

I am still upset with them because they took away my coping mechanism for the rejection I was getting from my peers in real life. I was the laughingstock of my middle school but in my imaginary world, I was always the most popular kid.

I don't pretend play anymore but I still like to make up stories in my head.

You may read about me at my website at http://www.myaspergerslifestory.com/
About my pretend play at the bottom of this page- http://www.myaspergerslifestory.com/my_ ... years.html
AND a speculative story that I wrote that's my current form of pretend play at http://www.myaspergerslifestory.com/if_ ... _1996.html


My advice is your kid is NEVER too old to stop pretending. There are adults out there who are into role playing.


Allie Kat

too old for imaginary play? i'd say somewhere around 300 years...
seriously, as long as it doesn't really interfere with laws and 'normal' life, you are never too old (then i mean, dont take up a kitchen knife and go stabbing your neibourghs dog becouse you imagined it was some kind of demon...)
i mean, i'm 24 years old, and i do imaginary play all the time when i'm 'idle'.

also, see the amount of adults playing roleplaying games like WoW or dragon age and the like, or tabletops like Dungeons and Dragons? those are just a way of channeling the desire for imaginary play into something more socially acceplable (slightly ) and to reinforce the experience by 'real' graphics and/or other people imagining the same thing.

My aspie son is 9 1/2 and was also a late developer in creative play. When Mr. E was 4, we gave him a G.I. Joe figure... he looked at us very seriously and said, "Why would anyone want a pretend person?".

It has just been in the last year that he has started engaging in pretend play - while I know it's a positive thing, it feels uncomfortable because he only does it with younger kids, and his peers are all beyond it at this point. He's just on a different curve than most, I guess! But yeah, role playing /gaming is a great example of how adults STILL play pretend. Great example!

I wish I could be an actor in movies. But my face is to stiff. I am like robot. My emotions don't come out the way I want them to. I look like robot. When by myself I can be an actor and not have to worry.

I played with Barbies until I was about 14.
Towards the end, I felt bad about it and tried to play in secret. I got mad if my parents walked into my room and saw me.
I had a couple female NT cousins who played with dolls until they were 16. Today they are both well-adjusted adults with families and jobs.

I'd say that, while your son MAY be getting a little old for his games, I'm sure he'll let them go on his own when he's ready. I think trying to make him stop would only cause harm.
Don't be surprised if he takes up LARPing, though.
Bet he'd love to visit a Renaissance Festival....

Nothing to be ashamed about playing with dolls in high school. It's a form of creative expression and practicing giving people different roles and seeing other people's viewpoints. Barbie must realize her other friends think differently than herwhen she tries on different outfits before deciding before going to the ball to meet all her friends. I think it's very healthy stage of development to serve as a bridge from the developmental stage of self centered thinking to thinking about what others are thinking. Most NT's do this between 4 and 8 which is the peak period for imaginative play. Us Aspies make this transition from around 9 to 16 (or even beyond).

Allie Kat

www.myaspergerslifestory.com

^^ My Barbies didn't go to balls. They discovered they were actually robots or aliens, and had to deal with the emotional upheaval of these discoveries.

LOL- When I was 11 or 12, I dressed up my barbies in fancy clothes and make them spend hours deciding which one is best. Ironically, IRL, I couldn't care less about fashion back then or even now. I have ALWAYS been preferred to wear sweats year round and refuse to wear dresses, heels, or make-up unless someone forces me to. I never understood NT girls and their obsessions with clothes and shoe shopping (it seems that most NT girls start this around 11 and continue this well into their 40s. I see soccer moms making plans to go shopping together and hang out at the makeup counter while their husbands "babysit" their kids.

You're never too old.