Scientists are always discovering new dinosaurs, typically about 50 new types of dinosaurs every year. Researchers are constantly learning new things about the over 1,000 cataloged ancient and extinct creatures and as a result, dinosaurs hold a special place in our collective imagination – especially among children.
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto
Dr. Hassan Alzein of Alzein Pediatrics in the southwest suburbs of Chicago says, “We have many patients who absolutely love dinosaurs, can name them by the dozens and even tell us which eras they lived in. We are also delighted by preschoolers who can identify nearly any kind of train car, like gondolas, flatcars, boxcars and tank cars. There are children who can name the make, model and year of nearly any car or truck. There are also kids that give us amazing new facts about the many kinds of butterflies. We are always learning new things from the children we care for.”
Dr. Alzein says that an overwhelming interest in any one niche topic has occurred for generations and generations, examples of the relatively common experience of a childhood “intense interest.” While everyone has interests, Dr. Alzein says, psychologists use “intense interest” to describe relationships with objects or topics that are personally meaningful and that come to dominate a child’s attention.
Intense Interest
While an intense interest can be all-consuming and sometimes give parents a moment of concern, the development of intense interests is very common. Over 30% of children between the ages of 2 and 6 develop an intense interest. They are much more common in boys, who are six times more likely to develop an intense interest than girls.
Dr. Alzein says, “The focus of these interests are fairly typical as well. Intense interests tend to focus on dinosaurs, planes, horses, and trains. While some interests originate from an identifiable source, such as a favorite dinosaur book, a train trip, or seeing a caterpillar create a chrysalis, a many intense interests seem to come out of nowhere.”
Young children are particularly likely to have intense interests because the topics themselves generate volumes of information that can be categorized and sorted by characteristics that are easy for a young child to identify and differentiate. Psychologists believe intense interests help children develop:
- increased knowledge and persistence
- a longer and more focused attention span
- deeper information-processing skills
There is also evidence that having intense interests builds self-confidence.
Depths of an Intense Interest
While in the depths of an intense interest, a child may talk about nothing but trains, which may worry parents that other learning opportunities are being passed by.
“This won’t last forever,” says Dr. Alzein. “In fact, intense interests typically last between 6 months and 3 years.” Psychologists believe the decline in intensity comes from the increasing mix of socialization and education children experience around kindergarten.
When it’s time to learn the alphabet, teachers expect children to focus on A-B-C rather than Aeolosaurus, Brachyceratops and Corythosaurus; kids quickly learn what is more socially acceptable to discuss in the school setting. When children reach age 6, these intense interests tend to evaporate.
“Parents can worry when the intense interest seems more like a compulsion or obsession,” says Dr. Alzein. “While having an intense interest can be a symptom of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), in almost all cases, children with ASD also present other symptoms, such as avoiding eye contact or repetitive behavior.” He notes that the topics of intense interests in kids with ASD tend to be peculiar, unusual, uncommon, or inappropriate.
Get On Board
“When your child shows signs of an intense interest, I recommend parents check that the interest is appropriate and then get on board,” says Dr. Alzein. “Let your child run wild with their intense interest. Controlling the interest is part of the attraction of learning for your child, and giving them the freedom to explore is vital to nurturing an interest. Parents can help by providing an educational emphasis and a consistent conceptual structure.”
Dr. Alzein says, “Intense interests are best cultivated when your child’s interests are nurtured and discussed with affection and patience. Engaging in frequent conversation provides your child with vital positive feedback; it’s interesting to have interests! You will also be building a bond of shared interest with your child that will last a lifetime.”