Autism and movie/telelvision interests/fixations

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There are so many forums and I wasn't sure where to put this.

My son is almost 12 and still loves watching Thomas the Train, Baby Einstein, and Little Einsteins. FOr a period of time, almost a year, I had taken away all of these movies. Recently, I started letting him watch them again and I've noticed a difference. When watching preferred movies, he tends to stim more, has high anxiety/irritability when it comes to turning off the movie, and will protest and cry when transitioned off.

When he watches other movies/tv shows, family movies, spongebob, Phineas & ferb, etc., he is calm, will sit and or lay down to watch the movie/show, and transitions easily when it comes time to turn the TV off.

So, my dilemma is whether to continue to allow him to watch the tv shows which seem to give him a "high" but leave him more irritable and fixated on the next time he is able to watch those shows...or take them away again?

Since he seemed to be able to handle them being removed before and they don't seem to be doing him much good, I'd say take them away again.

Have you maybe tried telling him ahead of time or giving him warnings? Like, letting him know when you want to shut those things off? Sometimes, it helps when we know when something is going to happen. This helps us plan ahead and prepare for the transition of such things. However, I also don't really know the severity of your son's autism. Even so, it still helps to be aware ahead of time. Because if these things make him happy, then I don't see why they should be taken away from him. There are lots of times when I can become irritable/on high anxiety while being alone. I get testy with my parents because they are disrupting me, especially my mom. If they were to take the internet away from me, then it would most likely make my behaviors far worse instead.

Just a thought, really.