Special interestsDiscussion

submitted by grelb32BS in Psychology, RBT[M] from self.femaleautism

Special interests are an interesting topic to me. One of the diagnostic criteria listed in the DSM-5 for ASD is restricted or repetitive interests or behaviors that are abnormal in intensity and focus. However, what this looks like is extremely eclectic and can vary from person to person. One of the kids I work with is extremely interested in a specific tool and can talk to you about it for hours. Another one can recite her favorite movie in entirety from memory. One is extremely attached to a single piece of a building toy and will not part with it at all. Still others are extremely interested in Pokemon or Minecraft and will spend all day talking about them.

It's fascinating to me how diverse these interests can be. Additionally, it's interesting how some can be extremely functional whereas others are not. I would be interested to know if there is a correlation between the functionality of ones' special interests and the age when/ease with which they receive a diagnosis. Would a child whose special interest is carrying around a spoon receive a diagnosis easier and earlier than a child who watches Disney movies on repeat all day? If so, it may be more useful to look at the duration of engagement with one's interest instead of looking at how functional or non-functional it is.

How about you? What are your special interests? Do you think the functionality (or lack thereof) of your special interests helped or hindered you when seeking a diagnosis?

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[–]grelb32BS in Psychology, RBT[S,M] 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Another thing I would like to know is why certain things become special interests to people. Is it based on attachment, fixation, obsession, sustained attention, self-stimulation, self-soothing, or some other psychological or biological process? Further, is it something that's learned or is it innate? For example, I've seen children at work who come in on their first day and instantly attach to a book or stuffed animal, even to the point of naming it and making the stuffed animal take it's own turn while playing a board game. However, my special interests have started out as broad topics that I was interested in and became increasingly more narrow and specific the more I learned about them. So, I would be very interested to know what processes lead to one's special interests and what function they perform for the individual engaging in them.

[–]Kehra 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

You say I don't have a special interest but I used to devour books by the dozens, sometimes reading two or three at a time (not just in a day). I'd have one I'd take to school and one I'd read at home and then if I found another book to read I'd start on that too. I don't read multiple books at a time anymore but these days if I'm not playing a game I'm reading. Plus I read whole series' at a time and will sometimes read a book twice in a row.

I want to say this is how I know things I haven't been taught. Reading something and putting it toward another thing that seems like it would work similarly.

I just don't talk about anything because after a while having your mom tell you to shut up and nobody cares and I just talk to talk makes me feel like nothing I want to say is important. So I don't.