Special interests are highly focused interests common in autistic people. [1]
Special interests 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 hyperfixation. [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] A person may hyperfixate on a special interest.
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 2.7, and the average time they last is 13.8 years. [2]
Special interests in autistic people were first written about in 1943 by Leo Kanner as a trait of classic autism and a year later by Hans Asperger when writing about Asperger syndrome. [2] Special interests were later one of the traits listed when autism first appeared in the DSM-3 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)". [16]
Common areas of special interests are transportation, animals, sports, and popular culture. [17]
Engaging in special interests can bring autistic people great joy [18] [19] and many autistic people spend large amounts of time engaged in their special interest. [20] In adults, engaging with special interests has been shown to have positive outcomes for mental health, [21] self-esteem, [22] and can be used to manage stress. [17]
Special interests can sometimes interfere with other areas of a person's life, such as school. [23] In children, incorporating a child's special interest into their education has been shown to improve learning outcomes, [24] [22] increase attention on learning topics [25] and teach behaviours such as sportsmanship. [26] Students have been shown to write better when writing about their special interest compared to a control topic. [27] 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. [28] Special interests may lead people to become child prodigies or savants in their area of interest. [17]
Encouraging discussion of a special interest can help autistic people develop social skills [17] and help them find social communities. [29] [30]
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. [31] Some special interests may be more socially acceptable than others, such as an interest in electricity pylons being seen as odder than an interest in horses or football teams. [17] Autistic people who are aware of this may deliberately stop themself from talking about their special interest as a form of masking, [17] especially if they have been mocked for their interest in the past. [14] Special interests may be atypical for a person's age. [2] [32]
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. [33] Special interests can be used by autistic people as a way to understand the world and allistic [a] people. [34]
Environmental activist Greta Thunberg has credited her success to her special interests. [35] [36] 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". [37]
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Special interests are highly focused interests common in autistic people. [1]
Special interests 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 hyperfixation. [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] A person may hyperfixate on a special interest.
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 2.7, and the average time they last is 13.8 years. [2]
Special interests in autistic people were first written about in 1943 by Leo Kanner as a trait of classic autism and a year later by Hans Asperger when writing about Asperger syndrome. [2] Special interests were later one of the traits listed when autism first appeared in the DSM-3 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)". [16]
Common areas of special interests are transportation, animals, sports, and popular culture. [17]
Engaging in special interests can bring autistic people great joy [18] [19] and many autistic people spend large amounts of time engaged in their special interest. [20] In adults, engaging with special interests has been shown to have positive outcomes for mental health, [21] self-esteem, [22] and can be used to manage stress. [17]
Special interests can sometimes interfere with other areas of a person's life, such as school. [23] In children, incorporating a child's special interest into their education has been shown to improve learning outcomes, [24] [22] increase attention on learning topics [25] and teach behaviours such as sportsmanship. [26] Students have been shown to write better when writing about their special interest compared to a control topic. [27] 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. [28] Special interests may lead people to become child prodigies or savants in their area of interest. [17]
Encouraging discussion of a special interest can help autistic people develop social skills [17] and help them find social communities. [29] [30]
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. [31] Some special interests may be more socially acceptable than others, such as an interest in electricity pylons being seen as odder than an interest in horses or football teams. [17] Autistic people who are aware of this may deliberately stop themself from talking about their special interest as a form of masking, [17] especially if they have been mocked for their interest in the past. [14] Special interests may be atypical for a person's age. [2] [32]
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. [33] Special interests can be used by autistic people as a way to understand the world and allistic [a] people. [34]
Environmental activist Greta Thunberg has credited her success to her special interests. [35] [36] 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". [37]
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