Why do they line things up? | Autism PDD

I was watching my son take all his fridge phonics and line them up on my refrigerator then look at it in satisfaction. I was thinking why does he love doing that more than actually using them for what thier for? He does it alot with the f. phonics and his cars amongst other things. Hes done this ever since he was a small baby because I remember thinking it was so cute of course didnt know it was a sign. I heard/read it was because of lack of imagination and they love order. He has a huuuge imagination and plays with toys correctly but still has to do these things. He is very orderly and gets upset if you disrupt his line. Is it like an OCD? Is he doing it because he feel like he has to or does he enjoy it?? Seems like he does sometimes. I was just wondering about that.

My son says that aaall the tiiime! Whenever I ask him about something he says "nothing" kinda like he hiding something altho he isnt thats how he says it tho.I try to tell him I just want to know but he doesnt understand I guess. He does this thing where he looks to the side of his eye and cocks his head and covers his eyes real fast and sometimes hits his eye or head hard and I ask him whats wrong he says "nothing" We're taking him for an mri for that but I dont know why his answer is that. He does for other things too like you say your son does, altho my son dosnt handflap. Hell be going 280 rubbing on my elbow or rocking his head back and forth ill ask him and its "nothing." He also seems to be studying his lines sometimes too. I wish I could get inside his head!

143hayden39288.7868402778My son loves to line things up to and always has. He is not so particualr about it like some other people say their children are when the line gets messed up, but he does like to line things up and then study it from every angle. I wonder if what he is studying is whether it is as straight as he can make it or is he studying the parts of whatever toys he is playing with. I don't know why they do this. But, then I don't understand why my son handflaps either. Just a few minutes ago we were eating a casual take out dinner in the living room and he would take a bite of his food and stand up and handflap and cross his eyes while he was chewing. He is five. I asked him "Daniel why are you doing that?" He said "Nothing!". I said no it's okay, I just want to know why you do that." He said "SHHH! Be quite!" He does not want to talk about it. I don't know if I embarrassed him or if he does not understand what I was asking or if he does not no how to reply so he says "Shhh!" Sometimes I think he shhh's me because it interferes with the effort of concentration he puts into his handflapping and stimming. Like I am interupting him. I haven't really begun to address it yet, but occassionally I will ask he why he does that just to see if it will make a difference.I've heard that it is calming, a way to make sense of things. My dd lines
things up, always has. She also tends to be VERY neat (unless she is having
a fit, throwing & destroying things...then not so neat!!), and gets extremely
upset if something is out of place in her room, or if there is a "mess" (a mess
could be 2 toys out on her floor...even if she brought them out, she may
leave the room, then come back & freak out over the 'mess'). She also
LOVES puzzles & 2 Nintendo DS games that are shadow & shape identifying
(which are similar to lining up, there's the organizing & sorting aspect of
those activities). We call her our little Monk (after the show), because of her
very much OCD tendencies, things have to be a certain way OR ELSE!!

Oh my goodness, I wish I had the answer to that question. My Quincy lines his cars, alphabet on the fridge and all sorts of things. He then looks at it from all angles and will adjust them slightly. If we turn a car around, he will go right back and turn it. I don't know what he gets out of it though.

He also does the "nothing". I always thought if he didn't understand what i was asking him, he would say "nothing". Most times when he uses it, it's totally incorrect for what I'm asking him.

Karman

Mason used to do this...it was matchbox cars and books...I too would have lines running through my entire house...and watch out if you dare touch them...I could never see a particular pattern or anything like that, but he always seemed very sure about what he was doing!

I don't know really why it stopped, it just gradually became less and less until one day the lines were no more.

Sarah never lined up things but my friends daughter lines up q-tips end to end in a line that goes all around the house:) I find it fasinating..it makes her mom nuts:P I think it is calming to her too..a way to control her environment somehow..

My son has started to make small lines all over the room,7 in one 10 in another ect,But he was always a liner, books ,markers, crayons, cars.I asked him why' he says, "because that's were they go"

Linda