Managing Fixations: Interests Can Become Vocations for Kids With Special Needs Special Needs

Every child has strengths, passions and interests. Many children with special needs have what are considered fixations. That is the case with my 4-year-old who is obsessed with trains. Instead of trying to discourage this, I channel it into learning opportunities because interests and talents can easily develop into careers with a little direction. 

• All of his train tracks give him room to be creative.
• We read books on how trains work. 
• We visit train museums. 
• He loves building LEGO trains.
• He enjoys drawing complex tracks. 

I am certain that I have a future engineer on my hands!