Special interests are highly focused interests common in autistic people;[1] they are more intense than typical interests, such as hobbies,[2] and may take up much of a person's free time. A person with a special interest will often hyperfocus on their special interest for hours, want to learn as much as possible on the topic,[3]collect related items,[4] and incorporate their special interest into play[5] and art.[6] Some interests are more likely to be seen as special interests if they are particularly unusual, specific, or niche.[2]Autism rights advocates and psychologists say this binary of acceptable "passions" and pathologised "obsessions" is unfair.[7][8] Terms like circumscribed interests,[9] obsessions, or restricted interests[10] have historically been used to describe special interests, but these terms are discouraged by autism rights advocates.[7]
Special interests are sometimes confused with hyperfixations.[11] Hyperfixations are short-lived periods of strong interest in a subject over a few days to months which can occur in anyone (although are especially common in people with ADHD),[12] while special interests are an autistic trait and usually last years.[13]
Occurrence and development
Around 75–90% of autistic people develop a special interest,[4] with some studies claiming as high as 95%.[14] Special interests are often developed between one and four years of age but may not develop until adulthood.[4] Many special interests start in children as a fascination with a particular object (e.g. Thomas the Tank Engine) and later develop into an interest in a specific topic (e.g. trains).[2] A special interest may change over time or last a person's whole life.[15] A 2014 survey found that the average number of special interests an autistic person has is 2, and the average longevity is 13 years.[2] A 2021 pilot study found the mean number of current special interests reported was nine.[16]
Intense special interests were written about by French psychiatrist Jean-Étienne Dominique Esquirol in 1827.[17] They were tied to a condition today considered autism by Soviet child psychiatrist Grunya Sukhareva (Груня Сухарева) in 1925.[18][19][20] In November 1940, Lauretta Bender and Paul Schilder published a paper focused on the topic.[21] Bender and Schilder's contemporaries like Hans Asperger and Leo Kanner also wrote about the matter, which was important to the development of autism awareness.[22]
Special interests were later one of the traits listed when autism first appeared in the DSM-III in 1980.[2] In 2024, special interests are listed as a diagnostic trait of autism in the current DSM-5-TR, described as "highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus (e.g., strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interests)".[23]
Common areas of special interests are transportation, animals, sports, and popular culture.[24]
Engagement
Engaging in special interests can bring autistic people great joy[25][26] and many autistic people spend large amounts of time engaged in their special interest.[27] In adults, engaging with special interests has been shown to have positive outcomes for mental health,[28]self-esteem,[29] and can be used to manage stress.[24]
Special interests can sometimes interfere with other areas of a person's life, such as school.[30] In children, incorporating a child's special interest into their education has been shown to improve learning outcomes,[31][29] increase attention on learning topics[32] and teach behaviours such as sportsmanship.[33] Students have been shown to write better when writing about their special interest compared to a control topic.[34] A 2022 study showed 25% of autistic people who worked had employment in their area of special interest and that adults with employable special interests may have better employment outcomes.[27] Special interests may lead people to become child prodigies or savants in their area of interest.[24]
Social interaction
Encouraging discussion of a special interest can help autistic people develop social skills[24] and help them find social communities.[35][36]Autism acceptance proponents encourage autistic people to embrace their special interests, as long as they are not interfering with other parts of a person's life.[37] Special interests can be used by autistic people as a way to understand the world and allistic people.[38]
Special interests may lead to social difficulties if the person does not want to discuss any other topic, and conversations may become one-sided[2] especially when infodumping.[39] Some special interests may be viewed as unusual or bizarre, such as an interest in electricity pylons being seen as odder than an interest in horses or football teams.[24] Autistic people who are aware of this may deliberately stop themselves from talking about their special interest as a form of masking,[24] especially if they have been mocked for their interest in the past.[14] Other special interests may be seen as atypical for a person's age.[2][40]
Examples
Environmental activist Greta Thunberg has credited her success to her special interests.[41][42] She explained to The Guardian in 2021, "A lot of people with autism have a special interest that they can sit and do for an eternity without getting bored. It's a very useful thing sometimes...[if] you feel you have a purpose, then it can be something you can use for good, and I think I'm doing that now".[43]
1 2 3 4 5 6 Winter-Messiers, Mary Ann (2007). "From Tarantulas to Toilet Brushes: Understanding the Special Interest Areas of Children and Youth With Asperger Syndrome". Remedial and Special Education. 28 (3): 140–152. doi:10.1177/07419325070280030301.
↑ Hobbs, Laura; Hartley, Calum; Bentley, Sophie; Bibby, Jordan; Lauren, Bowden; Hartley, Jackie; Stevens, Carley (2020). "Shared special interest play in a specific extra-curricular group setting: a Minecraft Club for children with Special Educational Needs". Educational and Child Psychology. 37 (4): 81–95. doi:10.53841/bpsecp.2020.37.4.81.
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