18th January 2018
So what are special interests? A special interest can be anything that an Autistic is very passionate about. They can be common things which are considered mainstream hobbies, such as stamp collecting, model building, television programmes that would be carried out by Neurotypicals too. Or they can be more eccentric activities like collecting the bar codes from food packaging, which might be considered odd by some people. Therefore why makes a special interest different from a hobby?
Well, it is the intensity of how the person carries out that interest which makes the main difference. The word obsessed is often used to describe an Autistics special interests, but I am never sure that is the right word, as to me it suggests out of control.
It is true though that an Autistic person can be so focussed on carrying out a special interest that they forget everything else including things such as remembering to eat or drink. I can get so involved with my special interests that I can suddenly realise that I have forgotten to do something. It might even land me in trouble, if I said I was going to do something but have then been distracted by an interest.
If you are with an Autistic and they are carrying out their special interest do not be offended, if you speak to them and they ignore you. The level of hyper focus can mean that they are shut out the rest of the world. This can also happen when talking about a special interest. The conversation might become very one sided and the Autistic might talk about it for too long a period of time.
Why? Because it is pleasurable for us to talk about our special interests. At work, my colleagues have devised ways to let me know if I am talking about a subject for too long. This has its positives and negatives. Sometimes I need to talk about my special interests in order to help with my anxiety, this is good thing especially if people know to just listen. Other times the conversation might distract me from a work task that I might need to do. So being told by others to stop in a control way can help.
What are the benefits of special interests for an Autistic? Lots. And I mean lots. As mentioned above it they can be a good way to calm down anxiety. Even if an Autistic is having a meltdown or shutdown, to start a discussion on that persons special interest may have the effect of calming them down.
Although this does not always work and should not be used extensively with children. Often Autistic people struggle with small talk and we definitely struggle with socialising. One way that a Neurotypical (or an Autistic for that matter) can engage us is to start to talk about our special interests. I know that if someone just starts to mention one of mine, then I am away and I can chatter for hours. Although it might be a one sided conversation!
So what are MY special interests? Some Autistics have just one whilst some have many. Sometimes special interests change. I have many that have changed over the years. Currently my main interests are Rubik cubes, origami, maths and geometry, Lego, photography, fungi and science fiction.
I also collect public information films, adverts, magazines that interest me and podcasts. The intensity of each has changed over the years. A few years back I was fungi mad! Mention mushrooms and I would go on for hours! This interest has wavered slightly now and currently Rubik cubes are top of the list. There are special interests that have almost disappeared too.
When I was at school I was heavily into playing the guitar – I even carried one around with me from lesson to lesson. I hardly ever pick one up now. Sometimes it is simply a lack of time that prevents me from carrying on. With work and home I do not always have time to indulge my special interests.
Often time is a key factor especially with interests that involve an element of problem solving. This can be for me a negative of having special interests. Say I was solving a tricky puzzle in the morning before work. If I haven’t solved it by the time I go to work then this could be a distraction during the day.
The problem might repeat itself over and over again until it is solved. The focus is so intense. This feeling of not being able to leave a special interest can be quite distressing. If an Autistic needs a few more minutes on something to get to a finishing point it can be helpful to let them. If a task is not complete then you might not get the best from them while the task is still being performed mentally.
Special interests can be a real bonus if they can be combined with work. Autistic people that are employed in a job that incorporates their special interest can deliver solutions and productivity levels that any company would benefit from.
Imagine an employee whose focus is so intense that they do not stop until the task they need to complete is done. Imagine an employee who brings new ideas and solutions to ways of working that improves your work and services. Unfortunately it is difficult to find employment that fits everyone’s special interests or one where the skills are transferable. Anyone who employees an Autistic should learn what their interests are and find ways to use these talents. It benefits everyone and I promise you won’t regret it!
Finally I think that there is an element that runs through a lot of special interests (although not all), that involves collecting information. For example, Autistics whose special interest might be a television programme such as “Star Trek” would be able to tell you the plot of every episode, actors name, character dossiers, back stories, set descriptions and even give you word for word dialogue.
An Autistic whose special interest is birds, would be able to tell you species, mating habits, flight patterns, how they live and all sorts of information. Going back to the employment issue, imagine how valuable that information would be for someone working in a bird sanctuary?
I collect information on a wide range of subjects. For example, I have hundred of books on fungi that I have collected for knowledge on that subject. When I began to understand that I might be Autistic, I bought every book I could find on the subject, read blogs, researched and watched so many videos. This passionate thirst for information I think is part of the same element in an Autistic, that fuels our special interests.
A lot of us can absorb information and recall it when required. So you can see that for an Autistic, our special interests are so much more than just hobbies and ways to pass the time. They help us to control the things that confuse us, regulate our anxiety, allow us to be experts at subjects that can help others and most importantly they help us to have fun and to enjoy life! Ok, I am off now to play with some Rubik cubes..…