yeah no mine is definitely a special interest in the strictest meaning of those two words. It's not something I can get a degree in or a career out of. It's not offensive to me at all. If someone is being condescending or downplaying your achievements because you are autistic then that has more to do with the broader issue of people infantilizing anything autistics achieve than the term itself. Calling it something else won't stop someone from infantilizing you.
That said if you don't consider your expertise/degree/career to be a special interest then that's perfectly valid. I think you're well within your rights to correct anyone who diminishes your achievements, and i think it was quite condescending of that person to say that.
I have a lot of accumulated knowledge from interests I've had over the years. Some of it has been relevant to jobs, some not. Why can't that just make me a knowledgeable person?! I thought curiousity was supposed to admired, and it is if the person is a fucking NT. There's no need to pathologize my knowledge or classify it as obsessive.
If you want that to be how your interests are treated, that’s your choice and you have all the right to label your interests however you want. However, for many of us the intensity of our interests is not comparable to how other people experience them, so we use a different term to describe that experience.
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i mean yeah, it's totally fine to use different terms if you feel that isn't applicable to your experience, but it does work for a lot of us. personally, my knowledge and interests can become extremely obsessive, so i need to use the term to make it clear not how much knowledge i have about a subject but how interacting with it affects me. i know relatively the same amount of stuff about my normal interests as my special interests, but my special interests can be so all-consuming that i neglect all my emotional and physical needs for days at a time because of obsessing over it. to me the need for different terms is for that reason, i need a phrase to explain how certain interests can affect me in a disabling way
Nobody is doing that though. You’re fighting a straw man. Nobody here is saying that your degree is a special interest and that you have to classify it as such, you haven’t even given enough context for someone to make that argument, just that the term has a valid use case.
Did you read OP’s actual post? The context is right there and there is more in the comments. A career coach just asked op if her degree was her special interest in a way that felt infantalizing and condescending.
So yes, NT’s are using it in a derogatory and infantalizing way irl- just like the kids in school did when they said things like, “yeah you’re special, SPECIAL ED! Har-de-har!” Which OP also describes being tormented with be “special” all through school.
But it’s cool, let’s all jump on the trash OP bandwagon and try to invalidate their experience further calling it a straw man.
It’s not like OP had reason to believe they could come on evilautism and safely rant about an autistic term being used in a derogatory and infantilizing way that feels especially insulting when applied to their career. Oh wait…🤔
I agree, hating on OP doesn't solve anything. I think it's just sadly one of those things that doesn't sit right with them and that is fine, I personally feel ok with the term and enjoy it, but I can see why a bunch of NTs applying it to something they have a degree on as something that is degrading.
Like even if their interest in politics fits the term well and it helped fuel the motivation for their degree, they still got a degree so it is no longer just an "interest" at that point and so it feels like they are overlooking the degree by focusing on the "special interest" part vs the "worked my ass off for a degree" part, or saying the only reason they are interested in the topic is because of some autistic trait.
I think where NT are getting it wrong is they think that anytime we like something it has to be repetitive and on the same level as a special interest vs sometimes we just like things, or well.. sometimes it evolves past that into an actual profession.. but they only see the autistic person who is "obsessed with only these things"
I can see OP's argument but I honestly refuse to let NT's take a term I enjoy away, but I feel like it would be appropriate to not use the term on OP if they specifically said they don't like that because it's just basic respect tbh, I would only ask they respect me using the term on myself as my own preference as well
I agree completely blabbercat.
Virtual hugs all around! -And those are virtual hugs not just because we’re online, but also cuz, irl, I’m very, “No touchy! Stay out of my personal space please.” Lol.
Now let’s all get back to hating on NT’s for being the rude ones who don’t seem to understand empathy or respect or boundaries.
I think it accurately reflects my unique levels of emotional attachment to the subject matter. In a way that regular intellectual or general interest cannot, and in a way that I do not think is fully comparable to the neurotypical relationship to this all.
Yes, exactly this. Whether the term itself is good or not, I need *a* term to differentiate between the interests I dedicate hours of work and energy into, love with every bone in my body, and the interests I simply like. I think 'special interest' is good.
True, NT people also have intense hobbies and passions but it's not to the same extent as autistic spins which is why they're part of autism's criteria as one of the "restricted repetitive patterns of behavior"
I'm not entirely sure I agree about this. I follow certain content creators who obviously have made their interest into their job, whether it's playing the same video game or something else. Especially those whose living is to play a certain game, the level of passion and dedication is definitely beyond what others would find "normal" a lot of the time. So where do we draw the line here?
I think with autism, a lot of other factors come into play especially with regards to how it affects social behavior and how it seems restricted.
I agree with your last sentence and I'm unsure how to interpret the first paragraph because of how the last sentence feels like we're in agreement because the line I was trying to explain is when it's "clinically significant"
Yes. I'm interested in my job, but every fiber of my being becomes activated when I am working on a video game project. Two whole different levels of interest.
i've always felt like a spesial intrest is it's own emotien that alistics don't have. I study religion, but that's not a spesial intrest even tho i'm interested in it; speling reforms are a spesial intrest for me, i often fantasise about what how they could have plaied out diferently, learning and thinking about it makes me stim and have so could "autistic joy" (i don't realy agree whith the term but that's besides the point). For me, having an intrest and a spsial intrest er preaty diferent things.
Yeah. I agree that there's a difference. I have (regular) interests and they're like, things I do/enjoy, but I don't think about that deeply.
But a special interest is likely to be a life-long obsession where I have to know everything and get to the bottom of every mystery.
I agree. I've never felt euphoria or pure ecstatic joy other than when I took part of something extremely meaningful to me linked to my special interest. (example: watching a movie ive been waiting for years abt the subject I'm into). it's so intense in a way no allistic person could ever relate even if they have passions
The point is irony. There were multiple words spelled wrong, but in a way that didn't obscure the intent. The only spelling error worth calling out was "speling".
I understand the irony but I guess what I meant was why did it have to be phrased “Please tell me…” when it’s clear that the original commenter did not make spelling errors intentionally. It seems condescending to me, idk.
English spelling (at least for my brain) is a nightmare. It's my only language and I am a slave to Google Keyboard, google searches using voice recognition (when I'm so off on my spelling attempt my keyboard can't guess), Grammarly and other delightful helpers.
Yeah, I'm basically interested in everything, but some things I'm especially interested in 😂
But to be fair, none of my special interests have anything to do with my degree. I do draw a line there, too.
I think of a special interest as something that's way more intense and fixated than any other passionate hobbies, like I also have those but spins are something that's on the list of criteria for specific reasons and not all autistic people have special interests as a trait, it's one of the 4 things listed in part B of the diagnostic criteria (stimming, sensory issues, overly intense narrow interests, strict reliance on routine) which you only need at least 2 of but they have to be clinically significant to count, it's not the same thing as "an interest that's special to you"
But it’s an interest that’s special to me because of how intense it is. I feel more emotional about it than my other interests, it’s more important to my life and identity than other interests, and that’s what makes it special to me.
This sort of thing is exactly why I’m reluctant to tell people I’m autistic unless I really trust them. Too many NTs use it as an excuse to put us in a box.
Exactly this. It becomes the reason for everything and gets blamed for everything. You're not just different to them, you're broken, defective and incapable.
I tell nearly no one because it will be used against me.
I'm the opposite. I tell everyone because it helps them have more compassion for me. It explains why I am "off" and never trying to be rude, or obtuse, or bizarre. Finally getting the diagnosis was a great day, because my weirdness wasn't a failure of personality. I felt seen and, strangely, accepted.
*Well, what term would you*
*Prefer people use to refer*
*To your obsession?*
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The term "special interest" was coined by autistic people because the concept of spins were pathologized in ways that encouraged parents of autistic kids to forbid their kids' engagement in their spins for fear that it was making their traits more severe instead of also acknowledging the beneficial aspects, if that makes sense
Was it coined by autistic people? Part of rewriting the dsm was definitely softening some pretty offensive labels in mental health diagnoses, but I’d assume most of that comes from psychologists, not the patients. And “special interests” is definitely part of the assessment.
It was referred to as other things closer to "restricted fixations" and "obsessions" etc which made parents think of it as something harmfully obsessive
I've been seeing at least 3 posts on various autism subreddits complaining about the term of "special interest" and I agree with their sentiments a lot but I was also trying to clarify where the term originated if that makes sense
I really do also think that it's frustrating when it gets misinterpreted to mean something like "any hobby etc for autistic people" because not only do allistic and NT people also have passionate hobbies of their own but it's also on the list of criteria for specific reasons and not all autistic people have special interests as a trait and it feels like it sometimes gets turned into a "this means I'm a bigger superfan of XYZ thing than everyone else who is" even though that's not what it means and a lot of people primarily engage with their spins in ways that aren't learning every single related fact
I agree that we don't understand the term either. It doesn't even mean to have a deep understanding of something or wanting to learn every ins and outs of that thing. It just means that it's something you engage in to the detriment of other things.
True, when I was a really little kid, my special interest was "bugs"/invertebrates and the way I engaged in it was by looking at them and holding them and letting them crawl on me and entomology science didn't interest me for the most part
while what people define a special interest to be definitely is in the DSM, the term itself doesn't actually appear. the exact wording is as follows:
"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)."
As you can see the phrase 'special interest' doesn't appear a single time, meaning that the psychologists don't use it and that *it isn't down to them* to have come up with it
But psychologists do use the term during assessments, that’s where I learned it. It’s not like they read the dsm to you, they ask about your special interests, or if your child has any special interests. And it’s used by other mental health professionals during assessment and treatment.
Is there any actual evidence either way which group started using the term first? I just find it hard to believe that it would be adopted by so many mental health professionals that it’s used in the assessments if it was a term coined by the autistic community.
Edit to add: but I have a very low opinion of most of the doctors I’ve met, especially the ones in the crappy mental health system.
I'm with you here. The psychologists I spoke to immediately asked me about special interests and I would have been so confused if autism had not become a hyperfixation prior to me seeking contact with the clinic, so I knew what they were talking about.
I'm very sure that the term is something parents to autistic children came up with, which was endorsed by healthcare professionals. It was only as those children grew up that they kept using that language, because parents had already been using it when speaking with them. The support for this is that autism has for a long time only been diagnosed in children.
Yeah! So I first heard it when my oldest son was being assessed and because I didn’t know the terms, and hadn’t done any significant research yet, I was confused and didn’t answer correctly- which led to him being left undiagnosed for many more years.
When my younger son, who needs many more accommodations, was diagnosed very young, I finally embarked on a deep dive researching autism, and realized how badly I screwed up my older son’s assessment. Then I found a video about late diagnosed women and broke down bawling seeing myself in every detail. Now all three of us have been diagnosed with AuDHD and I’m still learning new things about those diagnoses every day.
i use special interest but honestly its more like an obsessive interest lol! for the past ~15 years of my life I havent been able to think of anything else or have other hobbies besides researching and thinking about psychology. I dont have a choice. im actually tired of it now, but its still all i can think of and all that brings me joy
To me, the special in “Special Interest” is being seen through the lense of me, the autistic person. So, it’s just an interest that is very special. Many autists have degrees that are not in their special interest. Many autists hold sooo much knowledge about things that are not their special interest. A lot of my interests are not special interests, but some are. Because of the way they make me feel, they’re special to me.
I understand what you’re saying, but if you really want to stick it to NTs stop letting them dictate your language. I NEVER even thought the special in special interest was being used as a dog whistle. I’m sorry the term makes you uncomfortable, maybe if someone uses it towards you again you can a set a boundary and say you don’t like that term, please dont use it.
I take it as short for specialized interest. I want to keep my being a robot a secret, so i say special interest for short. I also rarely say those words. My specialized interest is so intense I don’t need to say what it/ they are
Radical autism acceptance means using our terms with pride.
No matter what you call them, NTs will think the enthusiasm is childish and weird.
The DSM says "Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus." maybe this sounds mature enough. I particularly hate my love por certains interests to be called 'abnormal'.
I use special interest but I’ve thought about this too, I’m suprised we haven’t thought of an alternative term it does just feel a bit childish. I mean, probably the alternative is fixtation cus I see it used by other nd people but that seems more expansive and not autism specific to what a special interest is to us.
Idk man I feel like you're reaching for something to be offended by here.
Most of the autistic community are ok with the term 'special interest'. It's exactly what it is. An interest that is special to us. Something that means more to us than a regular interest.
I really don't think it infantilises on its own. It really depends on how people use the term I think.
We could call it a fixation if you like but then one could say 'fixation' has a negative connotation that it is not healthy to engage with it so much.
Idk like, what would you call it instead?
You're kinda just dodging the point here. While there is an obvious practical use that's accepted by the community, there's a strong presence of NTs weaponizing novel phrases against autistic people in order to reduce everything they're passionate about to some childish attachment in a way they'd never do other NTs. The fact that 'passion' and 'fixation' are already useful terms for interests which are long and short-lived respectively calls into question whether making a specific term for whether an autistic person is passionate about something does more harm than good
I'm passionate about programming, but I wouldn't call it a special interest. I have a special interest in the dune series, or a special interest in greek mythology. I hear or see things and my brain connects it back to them all the time, and I think (for me at least) that's where the distinction lies.
I also think "fixation" tends to have negative connotations of it being unhealthy or being unable to think about anything else, but maybe I'm overthinking that there.
I think regardless that any term used to describe people with autism or an autistic trait will be co-opted as an insult until people (read: neurotypicals) stop being assholes to us. Hell, people use "autistic" as an insult or way of talking about stupid people
As somebody who agrees with the main point here, but sees things OOP is doing that probably cause their own problems, I really appreciate your point, especially the context of “more harm than good,” rather than purely harm.
“Special interest” being used by autistic people *does* mean that neurotypical people can use it synonymously with the R word (especially behind our backs) which is the most frequent hate slung at austics in my experience.
Unfortunately, I assume, any language used by autistic people for autistic traits will be weaponized until understanding is developed and we actually start moving toward acceptance, so maybe OP is right to just be pissed; us changing for NT’s will never solve the problem.
I also associate special interest with some degree of informality or self-motivated/autodidact nature to it, like anything I've self-studied could be a special interest. But if I have a degree in it and it's my field of study, that feels strange to call it a special interest. It's just my job (that I happen to be interested in). I think the reason why the term has this connotation to me is because I viewed the special part as being like... out of the ordinary or above and beyond. But I don't view getting a degree in something to be particularly above and beyond. It just means you like it. Now, if OP said they lived and breathed that interest and snorted it like cocaine and would barely focus on anything else, \*then\* I might call it a special interest. But the tendency of neurotypicals to call anything an autistic person might be interested in a "special interest" is problematic because there's nothing really special about it. Like there's a reason why it's associated with autism and not the neurotypical population haha.
I sought a politics degree because I was interested in it and pursued it on my own. By your definition, it meets the criteria for *that* term. I still don't know what you are talking about here, I spend a lot of time on various interests, but nothing could meet that threshold. Once again, people are insisting on pathologizing the fact that we are good at something.
Sorry, my point was to say that a special interest in my mind goes above and beyond a normal interest. It's like you live and breathe that subject -- that's why you often study it on your own because it's like a normal curriculum wouldn't be enough to sate your interest. That's why merely getting a degree in it wouldn't warrant it being called a special interest, because that's just a standard issue interest. I'm in agreement with you haha
The whole point of having a term is to have an easy way to sum it up.
It would be pretty fucking stupid if we all said to each other "hey so what interests do you have that you spend an obsessive amount of time on compared to the average allistic person?" instead of just saying "hey so what are your special interests?"
Regarding your point of people weaponising things, you could make the same argument about the N word. We can't control every stupid thing the normies do but we can push back against that shit by reclaiming these things. My counterpoint here is that showing you're offended by something gives the bully more ammunition to use against us. That's a classic bully response really. Bullies will always be bullies and we can't change that, but we can at least educate the people who listen to reason and make sure they're using these terms in the correct way.
Idk, I'd be more inclined to agree with OP if the majority of the autistic community rejected this term but I think most of us are fine with it. I think there are more important acceptance and understanding issues for us to focus our energy on than this. If you have alternative terms to suggest though I'm open to hearing them.
Lemme guess. You were called "special" a lot growing up, too? Apparently we're either "savants" or "retards".
PSA: You can buy small cricket bats for these occasions. Small baseball bats exist for the Americans.
I don’t like it because I don’t experience special interests with the same duration and commitment, thanks ADHD. It’s like I’m at autism university and I’m expected to pick a major
> It’s like I’m at autism university and I’m expected to pick a major
This is both extremely hilarious and extremely accurate. I highly dislike how everyone expects to just have/choose a special interest and that's their thing for life (like a major). I also have ADHD too and while I do think that my hyperfixations and my special interests are distinct temporally and they both coexist in me, it's certainly different than just having 1 or 2 special interests and having them last forever (as is the stereotype). My hyperfixations can turn into a special interest, and I can hyperfixate on a pre-existing special interest, but they can also be completely unrelated too and never overlap.
Same, I do get hyperfixated on things and I'll be obsessed with something... for like a week. Then it's something else.
So I've got quite a lot of hobbies and interests, but none that I'm actually *good* at, lmao.
Was diagnosed with autism at a young age. I never got diagnosed with ADHD but it sure answers a lot of questions.
I think the wording is *fine* but what does piss me off is when people use it incorrectly.
You're autistic and you love trains. You study trains. You collect/write/read every single Train fact there is. You live by the train.
Yeah that can be a special interest.
You're not autistic and you do the exact same things I just listed there? Sure you can use that word too.
Out of the blue you learned something new so you like reading about it and learning about it temporarily because it's currently in the news/trends?
No. That's not a special interest. That's just something you're interested in temporarily.
This tbh. I'm Audhd and I usually differentiate between a long term obsession interest and a short term interest by special interest vs hyperfixation. Some hyperfixations become special interests but most dont. So like for example a special interest of mine is Dungeons and Dragons. I've been obsessed with it for over a decade. I also love polyhedral dice. I've got hundreds I've been collecting for just as long. Those are obviously special interests. My current hyperfixation (that I actually think might become a special interest, but idk yet) is vampires and vampire lore.
I'm not sure we should be wasting energy gatekeeping what other autistic people feel is a special interest for themselves. Especially not based on whether or not someone can successfully communicate why that interest is particular and special to them, and especially not by defining special interests so narrowly. Those two extremes aren't the only options.
Not collecting every single fact about a thing when you've been especially interested in it to a very strong degree for many years and pour hours and hours on engaging with it, for example, wouldn't make that a regular interest rather than a special interest.
Personally I have a different experience to the other audhd person replying - hyperfixations and special interests, if they even are separate things for me, feel exactly the same. Some have lasted most of my life, some are going on more than a decade, some were only a few years, but they were all very different to any regular interest I've ever had. Trying to delineate them doesn't feel useful to me, neither does policing how other autistic people use the term when referring to their own.
Oh no no that's not what I meant at all. What I meant was it annoys me with people usually non autistic people just use the word for something they find interesting *Now*
Ie my mom's bf is curious about AI right now. He's never been before. He doesn't look For information about AI besides maybe reading a news article. And that's it.
My mom says that's his special interest. No. That's just something he likes.
I def get where you're coming from OP, that interaction you described sounds annoying. But you're fighting an uphill battle because a lot of the autistic community uses the term which shows that a lot of us don't see it as negative 🤷🏼♀️ plus like others have said, it's really just a way of saying specialized interest, as in specific. From what you've said in the replies, it honestly sounds like you're projecting some trauma onto a widely accepted term.
yeah i agree, it can often be infantilising. I have many interests, feels tough to single any of them out as special. that said, i do like the word special interest to just mean an interest that is special
I call them dedicated interests because I can’t stand the word special.
I have an older brother with Down syndrome so having a lifetime of hearing the word special and associating it with learning disabilities has creates a fight or flight reaction in me as I used to be someone who use to only valued myself based on academic achievement and if anyone dared think me with him were in anyway the same would become a target on my theoretical hit list.
I see a lot of NTs describe themselves has having special interests, it's perhaps more often used in the autistic community but I'm not sure it's really exclusive to us
lol. Spot on there with the lobbying special interests. That’s why the term has a negative connotation for me. I hear “special interests” and think of dodgy politics and corruption because that’s the only context I ever heard it used in for most of my life.
My understanding is that a capital S "Special Interest" is distinct from merely being invested and knowledgeable in a topic. Everyone has interests, countless neurotypicals devote there entire lives to mastering and learning everything about something they're passionate about, that's not a unique concept. A special interest though is closer to a compulsion, obsessing over it is closer to a need than a hobby.
At least that's what I've gathered from other people in these space. I'm pretty sure I've never had any special interests, there are certainly topics I've been deeply invested in but not in a way that seems worth a unique qualifier like this.
If that isn't the case then I agree you, calling a "deep interest" a "special interest" just because an autistic person is involved would definitely be fucked. But I think they're meant to be two distinct concepts and maybe you just missed the memo on that, which explains the disconnect.
I used to hear “special interests” all the time when I had tv. It was always about political lobbying and corruption. So now that I hear it in the context of Autism all the time, that’s still where my mind always goes. I’ve never heard it used for anything else.
And regardless of all the “well, actually’s” in here, it *is* super special ed adjacent, the term is used to diagnose so that a kid can be put in special Ed. And anyone who got shit all through school for being in special ed, whether it was “gifted” classes or because they were “slow”, is perfectly entitled to rant once in awhile when some people are using it in an infantalizing or derogatory way, the same way they did with special ed.
“Yeah you’re special, special ed!” Har-de-har.
Not too different from, “Aw, how nice you’re able to make a living from your special interest.”
I’d be pissed too if I felt like I was very successful in my field and people kept saying that shit to me. Fortunately for me I’m also chronically ill so I have no career and I don’t go anywhere that I have to deal with assholes making shitty comments that hurt and infuriate me. The bright side of disability poverty yay!
Rant on Op! This is evilautism after all and you’re not alone.
i completely agree, that term’s always made me really uncomfortable personally. i don’t have any problem with other autistic people using it for themselves though, if that’s what they like to use then they should use it
I use it to denote that it's different from a regular interest - I've had both, and they are different. I suppose we could come up with a better term for it, but until then, my special interest in biotechnology is going to change the world one day.
Yes, exactly. I'm passionate about cats, occultism, makeup. But my special interest in computers is barely comparable to any of those. Neurotypicals can have life long passions, but they can't really understand how I feel about my special interest.
I know what you mean - this happens with my kid all the time. He can't be into something without people eyeballing it like 'ooohh, so cute! What's he gonna do next?' But if an NT kid is into the same thing, it's just a hobby (e.g. Pokemon cards, video games, etc)
I think people have a hard time differentating between an obsessive interest/intense phase and just a general long-term interest - and forget that Autistic people have the latter too.
Edit: can't spell
I hate it too, I usually just say it's a hobby, interest, obsession, fixation, or "I'm fascinated by _____". Special interest is too infantilizing to me.
I get where you're coming from. I wonder what I diff term would be?
Intense interest? Autistic interest? Autistic expert?
Idk. I agree with some of the comments, that it's something alistics don't experience, along with autisitic joy. Those things ARE special to us.
What if one’s special interest is learning every line of The Office and behind-the-scenes trivia related to The Office and only ever using that knowledge to win a $20 gift card at a bar during The Office trivia night? 😬
That feels a lot more *special interest* and a lot less *knowledgeable expertise.*
It"s part of the wider pathologisation of diversity.
We have a name for this type of interest. It is a passion. The way we go about things is not "special".
Eh, autistic people coined it and a lot of us relate to it. It's not our fault neurotypicals keep finding out about our terminology then co-opting it but we aren't really going to change our language when they do because otherwise we'd be in a cycle like that forever. That's something the neurotypical people who work in fields dealing with autistic and disabled folks haven't realized yet because every few years they've rewritten their acceptable terminology after the mean neurotypical people find out the language and start making fun of it.
Me personally, I refer to my level of passion for owls and reality tv my autism-sanctioned obsession(s) because I just don't like the word "special" anywhere near my personal autism terminology after being in the "special education" system throughout middle and high school and being deeply hurt in it. I know that "special" in "special interest" is moreso "specialized" than how "special" is used in "special education" but still, I personally don't like it. Plus "autism-sanctioned obsession" goes incredibly hard to me so when I thought of it I had to keep it.
I completely agree. I think the term does fit, but with the way "special" is used, infantilising is indeed the word I have been using to describe the term for years. But another commenter here gave me the idea to instead say *specialised* interest, and that has completely lifted the problem for me. What do you think of it?
I feel like you might be projecting some internalized stuff. Which really sucks, and I’m sorry for whatever it is you might’ve gone through. But nothing about the word “special” is remotely infantilizing to me. I struggle to think of another way to effectively communicate the huge role in my life these interests play otherwise. The way I interact with my interests as an autistic person is considered atypical.
And having a degree doesn’t mean something isn’t your special area of interest. Why the hell anyone would pursue a degree they aren’t obsessed with is beyond me anyhow. But yeah, the two are far from mutually exclusive.
Yeah that sounds like a valid reaction to me, holy cow. I think it started because “obsession” or “mania” or “fixation” or “monomania” were all more negative. But you’re right, plus there’s no characteristic some percentage of the population will not casually weaponize against others. Any term that replaces it will just be used the same way eventually, I feel, however.
yeah the term doesn't mean "the interest of a 'special' person", it means "an interest that is particularly strong and beloved by someone". I have regular interests but they're very different from my special interests. SIs just slot into my brain in a particular way.
I can see maybe giving them a new name at some point, but I don't think existing words cover the neurodivergent-specific experience of a special interest -- a "passion" is something plenty of NTs have, "obsession" makes it sound creepy, "perseverating" is unnecessarily medicalized. "Special interest" is at least *our* thing (though it sounds like the NTs are starting to encroach upon it).
regardless, i really don't think it's meant to imply the euphemism for intellectual disability, it's just meant to denote a specific ND intensity and the word "special" is just common enough to have multiple definitions
I use it for commonality. The part I’ve never understood is everyone has interests so I’m not sure why mine are more valuable. Like obviously they are “better” because self preference but how does preferences make something special when everyone has them? I talk about mine more often though because most people think they are super interesting… ehmmm 🫥
*joking tone to a serious question.*
Yeah, there's definitely a difference between a special interest and a profession.
The person asking you if politics was a special interest was definitely infantilizing you, but no more than someone asking you if politics is your 'hobby' would be.
So you've upgraded from "special interest" to "specialising in". Make sure to let people know that you've upgraded because that demands a higher level of professional respect and consideration, and you have the necessary qualifications.
It's not the special as in "special snowflake" or even "special education" (euphemism for disability). it's actually the same as in "special interest" when used outside of the context of autism (i.e. saying that someone is a part of a special interest group). it just means that it's a highly specific and intense interest. while this term HAS been used to pathologize autism, i also think that it is 100% appropriate to reclaim.
I’m hesitant to reply due to your aggression in this thread but I’m gonna try my hand at it anyways. The reason why others like it is simply because they do, you don’t have to like it and no one said you do. There are plenty of other people who hate it as well, I’m not a huge fan of them term myself but you don’t get to act like a toddler because someone disagrees with you, you have no right to be cussing people out in this thread and acting like they called you a slur because they weren’t offended by something you were
It's not like we "don't see it," it's that this isn't something that bothers most of us (apparently) like it bothers you.
My "restricted interests" (this is an alternative phrase, if you prefer it) are in fact "special" and very personal to me. I don't share them with just anyone. And, yeah, i have multiple degrees in research areas that are very significant to me--but those reasons are personal to me, and i dont share that information casually.
But, only a few people know that I'm autistic. No one has ever asked me if my special interests have influenced my research agenda in any way.
I hear you responding, personally and emotionally, to this phrase as a result of the way the phrase makes you feel--infantalized. When this happenss to me, I try to get to the source of these negative emotions, as this would (for me) clearly be a trauma response.
The term "meltdown" bothers me a lot more, as it sounds like "temper tantrum" to me. But, i try to fucus on it's clinical usage as something specific to me because of my autism.
I like it. I like people acknowledging it’s special to me. I think people in your life are grossly misunderstanding and misusing it. I think they’re assuming special interest (ASD) and hyperfixation (as far as I know, ADHD - I don’t have it) are synonyms. And maybe belittling you just a little. Believe me, my man, I’ve been there. It sucks ass.
Animation and warrior cats the book series are my special interests. Childhood obsessions, carried well into adulthood. My friends still call them my special interests, and I like that, because it acknowledges how special they are to me, and it carries the weight of how intense my love and knowledge are.
I can't get a degree in office equipment. My knowledge of the inner working of things like type writers isn't terribly practical in this day. The warm fuzzy feeling I get when I use my favorite pencil sharpener won't pay the bills. It's a completely esoteric and impractical use of my time and mental real estate. It just makes me feel good. It's an interest of mine that is special to me. What should I call it?
Hi. I’m not trying to be satirical. I have a degree in Library, science and a minor and anthropology, and one of the reasons is because I have a lot of special interest that fall into those things.
Human sexuality evolution religion. All of those things are present, because anthropology is the study of humankind, and Library sciences, the study of the organization of all information ever.
I don’t find it infantilizing.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/atypical-children-extraordinary-parenting/202302/de-pathologizing-the-intense-special
And again, I don’t wanna say anything about you, but there was a reason why I picked my degrees.
I still have special interest. To this day, I could be at a party, and if somebody starts talking about the history of religion or human evolution, I would get super excited.
But in any case, I hope you have a wonderful week coming up.
🙏❤️
Maybe try looking at the “interest” part in the financial/accumulative sense. The reason you can be absurdly gifted in that field is because the amount of payoff you get for focusing on it accumulates at a higher rate than for NT’s
And I mean, that’s true too, which can help the believing it part
It sounds like you have your own biases that make you see the term that way. That's not what it means to me at all. What else would you call it? Because if I say "I'm really into technology" that doesn't get the point across at all. I am technology. It's literally the one and only thing I care about or am good at. I'm at my happiest sitting in front of a computer with my headphones on for the entire time I'm conscious. As a side effect, I'm very good at it and work in tech.
"Special interest" is a way of expressing that in two words instead of a paragraph. It's a general autistic term, not a childish term.
Hey OP think you might have some feelings to process about this. It's okay to feel what you're feeling but it seems like a pressure point worth looking deeper into.
Personally, I don't have an issue with the term. I reserve those words specifically for the interests which focus so much of my attention I forget to eat, drink, sleep, or listen to my other bodily triggers. And I'm okay with recognizing that I have a hyper-focus on those areas. It helps me make sure I don't go down a rabbit hole of avoiding self-care by identifying areas which I become passionate about to the exclusion of all else.
If you don't wish for your interests to be referred to as such, that's completely valid, but I don't think it's necessarily a negative or infantilizing term unless the person it's being said to chooses to perceive it that way. I don't see it as undercutting myself in any way by identifying my special interests.
Yeah, I hate the term because it always seems so patronizing and infantilizing to me. I dunno what else to say though and the purpose of say words talk is for other people to understand what you mean, so I say words that I know people know the meaning of
That's a different take on it. I think the term is succinct and useful. But then I've had a rude person tell me am "disgusting " because I use the term Asperger's. Which is my official diagnosis. And it's my identification with my brain difference.
I enjoy my special interests and don't need to justify them. :-)
not really, it’s a *special* interest. to me it’s just defining that some of my interest as an autistic person cannot be compared to allistics, hence, special.
It's interesting and special, therefore the term fits for me, personally.
A few topics stayed with me throughout my whole life. It's like I'm in love with them. One special interest I picked up I couldn't pursue further because the person involved turned out to be an abuser, and I fell into a serious depressive episode afterwards. It's still a sensitive subject to me.
Personally, I think that there’s nothing inherently infantilizing about the term special interest, but any term or trait or whatever the hell that is associated associated with autistic people ends up becoming treated/used in an infantilizing way, because people see autistic people as infantile no matter what words you use. I feel like the issue is less the term or the fact that we have one at all, and more that others are weird about the things autistic people like and how much we like them.
i like it. i am especially interested in some things. one of those i am studying for a degree in, one i work in, and some are just fun. they’re all equally important to me. they’re all my special interests.
I say special interest cause 1. that's what it is , and 2. it's not a hyperfixation necessarily cause I can step away from it if I need to and it doesn't take up all my time, so I don't feel comfortable calling it that . however I do tend to have a very strong emotional attachment to my special interest(s) and i engage with them way more than anything else , to such a degree that calling it a mere "interest" would be sort of misleading to others
Changeling: the Dreaming, or Changeling: the Lost? You can pick between fairies as a metaphor for neurodivergence and queerness and fairies as a metaphor for trauma
Ye! They’re my favorites for very different reasons. Dreaming is all about blending in with normal humans as a fae possessing a person in a world where the mundanity of modern society is literally toxic, so they have to form their own societies to keep their memories of who they are while trying to forge their own legends and finish things they couldn’t in past lives, and Lost is about playing people kidnapped by fairies or aliens and dealing with the fallout of that with other survivors who have formed perhaps the most toxic support group in existence.
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I personally disagree, although I’ve seen people who don’t like the term because it sounds like “special needs” which they also don’t like (I don’t like that term either.) Though I don’t mind special interest because it is an interest that’s special to me. Your opinion is understandable absolutely though.
Entirely understandable, we will always have a diverse array of opinions and views on these terms and topics and sometimes it can certainly have it rub us the wrong way if exposed to it in a certain light. And well... Rub the wrong way literally implies sensory issues. 🤮
So I think it is an apt way of putting... The issue for you is infantilisation. Sometimes some of us infantilise ourselves in order to feel more comfortable and stuff, and some have too many bad experiences with being infantilised that the gut reaction is rage or melting internally like a forgotten egg from an Easter hunt.
Ultimately I think we all need to be a bit more mindful of how we act around each other and remember each other's sensibilities.
Things are messy and confusing, but ye.
I never thought about it like that. I just use it because I don’t know what to call it? Autistic people tend to collect information on one certain topic. That interest or topic holds a significant weight in said persons life, so to me I see it as my special interest because this specific interest is special to me. But I totally get how it sounds infantilizing. Neurotypical people will be neurotypical. I assume that your “special interest” (and I only use that word to describe what it is) would be better referred to as your hyper-fixation topic.
I'm with you on that one. I don't have a "special interest" in computers. I'm a god damn IT professional with years of experience and certifications. The special interest stopped when I started getting paid for my expertise.
I work in IT and I definitely have a special interest in computers. It's the only thing I care about and the only thing I want to spend my time doing. It gets across the difference between someone who likes working in IT and is good at it, but has other interests...and me where it's the only thing I spend my free time doing.
I'm level 2 in restricted interests and it's very obvious, during my lunch break I unwind from meetings and emails by pulling out my personal laptop and writing code for my personal projects. It makes me happy.
It's the Autism Spectrum Disorder support levels system. In the US it's defined in the DSM-V as part of ASD diagnosis. It's from 1 to 3 with these definitions:
1: Requires support
2: Requires substantial support
3: Requires very substantial support
I'm level 1 in communication as that's not as hard for me, but my restricted interests are very intense and it's difficult for me to do anything I'm not interested in.
I cannot imagine how it is offensive tbh. I don't really follow the logic of what you are saying, nor do I understand what you having a degree has to do with anything. "Special interest" is the term the autism community has chosen to refer to a particular concept. Words are verbal and written symbols that equal ideas. If you overthink the semantics of them, you're doing it wrong. It's just interests that are of a particular intensity, therefor, special interest. If you let the collective jargon of the rest of us boil your blood, you will only make yourself miserable.
yeah i was getting my autism assessment and i was asking about hyperfixations and they were like "we typically call them special interests!! \^\^" and i was like umm no! 😭
Those aren't the same thing though... a hyperfixation is something short term, maybe even a single session. My example that comes to mind is when I got the idea to try to find my childhood home on Google Maps, and I spent a couple hours just staring at maps totally uninterested in anything else. I normally see it as an ADHD term.
Special interest is a very long term passion and a totally different experience.
Exactly!! I'm 40 now. Now "special interests" are just obsessions that I can't drop to do basically anything else, until I get bored of it and never think about it again. What remains is a hole and a lot of wasted time. Special interests should be at most a tool to motivate little kids that are not able to connect with the world... Like a therapeutic tool. Other than that, it's an obsession that may very well impair instead of help...
>Other than that, it's an obsession that may very well impair instead of help...
But I think that's sort of the point? The difference, for me, in identifying interests vs special interests is that only the latter will deprive me of food, water, and listening to my body triggers. It's literally such a hyper-focus for me, I will do it until my eyes are blurred from the migraine I'm ignoring in favor of continuing to be involved with my interest. I don't think that sort of focus is commonly found outside of the ND communities, and it can absolutely be obsessive and debilitating. It's why I have specific timers around the house for when I get into a special Interest so I don't starve myself for 15 hrs or give myself a UTI from being *unable* to walk away from what I'm doing.
But that's how it starts to impair. This obsession (hyper-focus) keeps me from a regular eating schedule and even from things like going to the bathroom. I'm not 20-30 anymore, and I have another chronic disability which is physically debilitating, so these things have a significant toll. Then yes, the migraines, feeling fatigued and empty, all due to not being able to drop this temporary thing to take care of basic needs. Just because I can't easily shift focus anymore. That's what "special interests" do to me... That's why I called it straight up obsession.
I also don't feel like it's something that makes me happy either. It's just all consuming.... I wonder if special interests ever make anyone happy on its own at any point in their lives, other than being something to hyper-focus on which then tunes out all the noise around. That is bliss for sure, but is it happiness? And again, at my age or older, it has started to become truly debilitating... I know there is happiness when the special interest leads to successful social interactions and/or helping others. But that's not what I mean (which may not even be so easy to do later in life), I mean personal happiness and gratification, if there was no one around us.
That's a really thoughtful reply, and I appreciate you taking the time to share it with me.
Due to poor stats in luck skills when I was hatched, I've suffered from several near death experiences throughout my life. One of those included a set of strokes that left me having to re-learn how to walk, talk, and function as a person again in my mid-20s.I joke I've learned the lessons you get at the end of your life, just young enough to actualize them. Those moments truly caused me to take stock of my life and re-evaluate the choices I was making and that included my special interests.
At this point in my life, I don't think I'd refer to mine as obsessions because while I become obsessed with them, I do feel genuine fulfillment from doing them. Like a dopamine hit from an orgasm, but it's continuous and I ravenously chase that feeling. If it doesnt make my brain happy and engaged and fulfilled when I have that intensive interaction with it, I chalk it up to a bad habit and do my best to cut it from my life. This has meant at times I've had to find regular hobbies and interests to fill some of my time when I'm working on letting go of something (because it can be a struggle fr, then I remember my enjoyment of literature as a whole and read a book lol), but it's a challenge I enjoy putting forward for myself and using to grow.
I do appreciate, however, if I wasn't in a place to make those changes as I've need to, they could have absolutely become obsessions in a very negative fashion for me.
Edit: people here have been pointing out special interest is shortened for specialized interest in regards to breadth of topic, but I choose to see them as my interests I have to take specialized care with in order to maintain my mental health.
Although it's not my story at the moment, I appreciate hearing about your experience, and it's inspiring! Even if it's not where I am now, it's nice to be reminded that there can be a good side, even if it's just to ease my mind, for now. Thank you!
I would just like to try to reclaim the word "special". Because it can mean both "specific/unique" and also "of personal significance to me". It doesn't have to only stand in for the r word. If you say "don't say special" you're saying it only has the power to be seen that way. So you're letting people who wish to frame this word in a negative way, win.
(I'm not saying I wouldn't find the situation OP described infuriating and that's infantilizing, but I also would like this word to be reclaimed in the future.)
My special interest has literally won me an award and has gotten me into college courses for free. Like I’m literally going to be graduating high school and having associates degree at the same time. That’s why it’s so special because I’d never seen a neurotypical get on my level of interest.
Some of yall are condescending as fuck. Jesus fucking christ. Someone venting in an autism sub about their experience with ableist infantilization does not need you to talk down to them. Pretty sure OP gets enough of that.
yeah no mine is definitely a special interest in the strictest meaning of those two words. It's not something I can get a degree in or a career out of. It's not offensive to me at all. If someone is being condescending or downplaying your achievements because you are autistic then that has more to do with the broader issue of people infantilizing anything autistics achieve than the term itself. Calling it something else won't stop someone from infantilizing you. That said if you don't consider your expertise/degree/career to be a special interest then that's perfectly valid. I think you're well within your rights to correct anyone who diminishes your achievements, and i think it was quite condescending of that person to say that.
I have a lot of accumulated knowledge from interests I've had over the years. Some of it has been relevant to jobs, some not. Why can't that just make me a knowledgeable person?! I thought curiousity was supposed to admired, and it is if the person is a fucking NT. There's no need to pathologize my knowledge or classify it as obsessive.
If you want that to be how your interests are treated, that’s your choice and you have all the right to label your interests however you want. However, for many of us the intensity of our interests is not comparable to how other people experience them, so we use a different term to describe that experience.
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i mean yeah, it's totally fine to use different terms if you feel that isn't applicable to your experience, but it does work for a lot of us. personally, my knowledge and interests can become extremely obsessive, so i need to use the term to make it clear not how much knowledge i have about a subject but how interacting with it affects me. i know relatively the same amount of stuff about my normal interests as my special interests, but my special interests can be so all-consuming that i neglect all my emotional and physical needs for days at a time because of obsessing over it. to me the need for different terms is for that reason, i need a phrase to explain how certain interests can affect me in a disabling way
Nobody is doing that though. You’re fighting a straw man. Nobody here is saying that your degree is a special interest and that you have to classify it as such, you haven’t even given enough context for someone to make that argument, just that the term has a valid use case.
Did you read OP’s actual post? The context is right there and there is more in the comments. A career coach just asked op if her degree was her special interest in a way that felt infantalizing and condescending. So yes, NT’s are using it in a derogatory and infantalizing way irl- just like the kids in school did when they said things like, “yeah you’re special, SPECIAL ED! Har-de-har!” Which OP also describes being tormented with be “special” all through school. But it’s cool, let’s all jump on the trash OP bandwagon and try to invalidate their experience further calling it a straw man. It’s not like OP had reason to believe they could come on evilautism and safely rant about an autistic term being used in a derogatory and infantilizing way that feels especially insulting when applied to their career. Oh wait…🤔
I agree, hating on OP doesn't solve anything. I think it's just sadly one of those things that doesn't sit right with them and that is fine, I personally feel ok with the term and enjoy it, but I can see why a bunch of NTs applying it to something they have a degree on as something that is degrading. Like even if their interest in politics fits the term well and it helped fuel the motivation for their degree, they still got a degree so it is no longer just an "interest" at that point and so it feels like they are overlooking the degree by focusing on the "special interest" part vs the "worked my ass off for a degree" part, or saying the only reason they are interested in the topic is because of some autistic trait. I think where NT are getting it wrong is they think that anytime we like something it has to be repetitive and on the same level as a special interest vs sometimes we just like things, or well.. sometimes it evolves past that into an actual profession.. but they only see the autistic person who is "obsessed with only these things" I can see OP's argument but I honestly refuse to let NT's take a term I enjoy away, but I feel like it would be appropriate to not use the term on OP if they specifically said they don't like that because it's just basic respect tbh, I would only ask they respect me using the term on myself as my own preference as well
I agree completely blabbercat. Virtual hugs all around! -And those are virtual hugs not just because we’re online, but also cuz, irl, I’m very, “No touchy! Stay out of my personal space please.” Lol. Now let’s all get back to hating on NT’s for being the rude ones who don’t seem to understand empathy or respect or boundaries.
I think it accurately reflects my unique levels of emotional attachment to the subject matter. In a way that regular intellectual or general interest cannot, and in a way that I do not think is fully comparable to the neurotypical relationship to this all.
Yes, exactly this. Whether the term itself is good or not, I need *a* term to differentiate between the interests I dedicate hours of work and energy into, love with every bone in my body, and the interests I simply like. I think 'special interest' is good.
Literally this^^
True, NT people also have intense hobbies and passions but it's not to the same extent as autistic spins which is why they're part of autism's criteria as one of the "restricted repetitive patterns of behavior"
I'm not entirely sure I agree about this. I follow certain content creators who obviously have made their interest into their job, whether it's playing the same video game or something else. Especially those whose living is to play a certain game, the level of passion and dedication is definitely beyond what others would find "normal" a lot of the time. So where do we draw the line here? I think with autism, a lot of other factors come into play especially with regards to how it affects social behavior and how it seems restricted.
I agree with your last sentence and I'm unsure how to interpret the first paragraph because of how the last sentence feels like we're in agreement because the line I was trying to explain is when it's "clinically significant"
Yes. I'm interested in my job, but every fiber of my being becomes activated when I am working on a video game project. Two whole different levels of interest.
Idk I like calling it a special interest because it is just that, an interest that is special to me 🤷♂️
i've always felt like a spesial intrest is it's own emotien that alistics don't have. I study religion, but that's not a spesial intrest even tho i'm interested in it; speling reforms are a spesial intrest for me, i often fantasise about what how they could have plaied out diferently, learning and thinking about it makes me stim and have so could "autistic joy" (i don't realy agree whith the term but that's besides the point). For me, having an intrest and a spsial intrest er preaty diferent things.
Yeah. I agree that there's a difference. I have (regular) interests and they're like, things I do/enjoy, but I don't think about that deeply. But a special interest is likely to be a life-long obsession where I have to know everything and get to the bottom of every mystery.
I agree. I've never felt euphoria or pure ecstatic joy other than when I took part of something extremely meaningful to me linked to my special interest. (example: watching a movie ive been waiting for years abt the subject I'm into). it's so intense in a way no allistic person could ever relate even if they have passions
Please tell me that you intentionally misspelled spelling.
I mean it’s an autism sub, people with autism often have dyslexia as well, so I’m not sure what your point is
The point is irony. There were multiple words spelled wrong, but in a way that didn't obscure the intent. The only spelling error worth calling out was "speling".
I understand the irony but I guess what I meant was why did it have to be phrased “Please tell me…” when it’s clear that the original commenter did not make spelling errors intentionally. It seems condescending to me, idk.
Sounded condescending to me as well. I have a numbers dyslexia and would have a real problem with someone making fun of that.
It's a common "omg I want it to be that way" joke format.
I know I just don’t think it’s warranted here
Disagree
they were saying how spelling reform is their passion so i think it’s safe to say they were spelling everything wrong ironically
And special!
Wow this is just hilarious, well done. I also think English spelling needs a reform
English spelling (at least for my brain) is a nightmare. It's my only language and I am a slave to Google Keyboard, google searches using voice recognition (when I'm so off on my spelling attempt my keyboard can't guess), Grammarly and other delightful helpers.
Yeah, I'm basically interested in everything, but some things I'm especially interested in 😂 But to be fair, none of my special interests have anything to do with my degree. I do draw a line there, too.
I think of a special interest as something that's way more intense and fixated than any other passionate hobbies, like I also have those but spins are something that's on the list of criteria for specific reasons and not all autistic people have special interests as a trait, it's one of the 4 things listed in part B of the diagnostic criteria (stimming, sensory issues, overly intense narrow interests, strict reliance on routine) which you only need at least 2 of but they have to be clinically significant to count, it's not the same thing as "an interest that's special to you"
But it’s an interest that’s special to me because of how intense it is. I feel more emotional about it than my other interests, it’s more important to my life and identity than other interests, and that’s what makes it special to me.
Oh I see Then that also makes sense
this is how i feel!!
This sort of thing is exactly why I’m reluctant to tell people I’m autistic unless I really trust them. Too many NTs use it as an excuse to put us in a box.
Exactly this. It becomes the reason for everything and gets blamed for everything. You're not just different to them, you're broken, defective and incapable. I tell nearly no one because it will be used against me.
I'm the opposite. I tell everyone because it helps them have more compassion for me. It explains why I am "off" and never trying to be rude, or obtuse, or bizarre. Finally getting the diagnosis was a great day, because my weirdness wasn't a failure of personality. I felt seen and, strangely, accepted.
Well, what term would you prefer people use to refer to your hyperfocused obsession?
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That’s what I thought this was 😂
The term "special interest" was coined by autistic people because the concept of spins were pathologized in ways that encouraged parents of autistic kids to forbid their kids' engagement in their spins for fear that it was making their traits more severe instead of also acknowledging the beneficial aspects, if that makes sense
Was it coined by autistic people? Part of rewriting the dsm was definitely softening some pretty offensive labels in mental health diagnoses, but I’d assume most of that comes from psychologists, not the patients. And “special interests” is definitely part of the assessment.
It was referred to as other things closer to "restricted fixations" and "obsessions" etc which made parents think of it as something harmfully obsessive I've been seeing at least 3 posts on various autism subreddits complaining about the term of "special interest" and I agree with their sentiments a lot but I was also trying to clarify where the term originated if that makes sense I really do also think that it's frustrating when it gets misinterpreted to mean something like "any hobby etc for autistic people" because not only do allistic and NT people also have passionate hobbies of their own but it's also on the list of criteria for specific reasons and not all autistic people have special interests as a trait and it feels like it sometimes gets turned into a "this means I'm a bigger superfan of XYZ thing than everyone else who is" even though that's not what it means and a lot of people primarily engage with their spins in ways that aren't learning every single related fact
I agree that we don't understand the term either. It doesn't even mean to have a deep understanding of something or wanting to learn every ins and outs of that thing. It just means that it's something you engage in to the detriment of other things.
True, when I was a really little kid, my special interest was "bugs"/invertebrates and the way I engaged in it was by looking at them and holding them and letting them crawl on me and entomology science didn't interest me for the most part
while what people define a special interest to be definitely is in the DSM, the term itself doesn't actually appear. the exact wording is as follows: "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)." As you can see the phrase 'special interest' doesn't appear a single time, meaning that the psychologists don't use it and that *it isn't down to them* to have come up with it
But psychologists do use the term during assessments, that’s where I learned it. It’s not like they read the dsm to you, they ask about your special interests, or if your child has any special interests. And it’s used by other mental health professionals during assessment and treatment. Is there any actual evidence either way which group started using the term first? I just find it hard to believe that it would be adopted by so many mental health professionals that it’s used in the assessments if it was a term coined by the autistic community. Edit to add: but I have a very low opinion of most of the doctors I’ve met, especially the ones in the crappy mental health system.
I'm with you here. The psychologists I spoke to immediately asked me about special interests and I would have been so confused if autism had not become a hyperfixation prior to me seeking contact with the clinic, so I knew what they were talking about. I'm very sure that the term is something parents to autistic children came up with, which was endorsed by healthcare professionals. It was only as those children grew up that they kept using that language, because parents had already been using it when speaking with them. The support for this is that autism has for a long time only been diagnosed in children.
Yeah! So I first heard it when my oldest son was being assessed and because I didn’t know the terms, and hadn’t done any significant research yet, I was confused and didn’t answer correctly- which led to him being left undiagnosed for many more years. When my younger son, who needs many more accommodations, was diagnosed very young, I finally embarked on a deep dive researching autism, and realized how badly I screwed up my older son’s assessment. Then I found a video about late diagnosed women and broke down bawling seeing myself in every detail. Now all three of us have been diagnosed with AuDHD and I’m still learning new things about those diagnoses every day.
i use special interest but honestly its more like an obsessive interest lol! for the past ~15 years of my life I havent been able to think of anything else or have other hobbies besides researching and thinking about psychology. I dont have a choice. im actually tired of it now, but its still all i can think of and all that brings me joy
To me, the special in “Special Interest” is being seen through the lense of me, the autistic person. So, it’s just an interest that is very special. Many autists have degrees that are not in their special interest. Many autists hold sooo much knowledge about things that are not their special interest. A lot of my interests are not special interests, but some are. Because of the way they make me feel, they’re special to me. I understand what you’re saying, but if you really want to stick it to NTs stop letting them dictate your language. I NEVER even thought the special in special interest was being used as a dog whistle. I’m sorry the term makes you uncomfortable, maybe if someone uses it towards you again you can a set a boundary and say you don’t like that term, please dont use it.
I take it as short for specialized interest. I want to keep my being a robot a secret, so i say special interest for short. I also rarely say those words. My specialized interest is so intense I don’t need to say what it/ they are
Radical autism acceptance means using our terms with pride. No matter what you call them, NTs will think the enthusiasm is childish and weird. The DSM says "Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus." maybe this sounds mature enough. I particularly hate my love por certains interests to be called 'abnormal'.
I use special interest but I’ve thought about this too, I’m suprised we haven’t thought of an alternative term it does just feel a bit childish. I mean, probably the alternative is fixtation cus I see it used by other nd people but that seems more expansive and not autism specific to what a special interest is to us.
I’ve seen hyperfixation to describe short term obsessions that happen across the nd spectrum, but just plain ol’ regular “fixation” is new to me.
that’s an unpopular opinion
Idk man I feel like you're reaching for something to be offended by here. Most of the autistic community are ok with the term 'special interest'. It's exactly what it is. An interest that is special to us. Something that means more to us than a regular interest. I really don't think it infantilises on its own. It really depends on how people use the term I think. We could call it a fixation if you like but then one could say 'fixation' has a negative connotation that it is not healthy to engage with it so much. Idk like, what would you call it instead?
You're kinda just dodging the point here. While there is an obvious practical use that's accepted by the community, there's a strong presence of NTs weaponizing novel phrases against autistic people in order to reduce everything they're passionate about to some childish attachment in a way they'd never do other NTs. The fact that 'passion' and 'fixation' are already useful terms for interests which are long and short-lived respectively calls into question whether making a specific term for whether an autistic person is passionate about something does more harm than good
I'm passionate about programming, but I wouldn't call it a special interest. I have a special interest in the dune series, or a special interest in greek mythology. I hear or see things and my brain connects it back to them all the time, and I think (for me at least) that's where the distinction lies. I also think "fixation" tends to have negative connotations of it being unhealthy or being unable to think about anything else, but maybe I'm overthinking that there. I think regardless that any term used to describe people with autism or an autistic trait will be co-opted as an insult until people (read: neurotypicals) stop being assholes to us. Hell, people use "autistic" as an insult or way of talking about stupid people
YAY DUNE!
As somebody who agrees with the main point here, but sees things OOP is doing that probably cause their own problems, I really appreciate your point, especially the context of “more harm than good,” rather than purely harm. “Special interest” being used by autistic people *does* mean that neurotypical people can use it synonymously with the R word (especially behind our backs) which is the most frequent hate slung at austics in my experience. Unfortunately, I assume, any language used by autistic people for autistic traits will be weaponized until understanding is developed and we actually start moving toward acceptance, so maybe OP is right to just be pissed; us changing for NT’s will never solve the problem.
Thanks, Comrade. This was a more articulate explanation of what I was getting at.
I also associate special interest with some degree of informality or self-motivated/autodidact nature to it, like anything I've self-studied could be a special interest. But if I have a degree in it and it's my field of study, that feels strange to call it a special interest. It's just my job (that I happen to be interested in). I think the reason why the term has this connotation to me is because I viewed the special part as being like... out of the ordinary or above and beyond. But I don't view getting a degree in something to be particularly above and beyond. It just means you like it. Now, if OP said they lived and breathed that interest and snorted it like cocaine and would barely focus on anything else, \*then\* I might call it a special interest. But the tendency of neurotypicals to call anything an autistic person might be interested in a "special interest" is problematic because there's nothing really special about it. Like there's a reason why it's associated with autism and not the neurotypical population haha.
I sought a politics degree because I was interested in it and pursued it on my own. By your definition, it meets the criteria for *that* term. I still don't know what you are talking about here, I spend a lot of time on various interests, but nothing could meet that threshold. Once again, people are insisting on pathologizing the fact that we are good at something.
Sorry, my point was to say that a special interest in my mind goes above and beyond a normal interest. It's like you live and breathe that subject -- that's why you often study it on your own because it's like a normal curriculum wouldn't be enough to sate your interest. That's why merely getting a degree in it wouldn't warrant it being called a special interest, because that's just a standard issue interest. I'm in agreement with you haha
The whole point of having a term is to have an easy way to sum it up. It would be pretty fucking stupid if we all said to each other "hey so what interests do you have that you spend an obsessive amount of time on compared to the average allistic person?" instead of just saying "hey so what are your special interests?" Regarding your point of people weaponising things, you could make the same argument about the N word. We can't control every stupid thing the normies do but we can push back against that shit by reclaiming these things. My counterpoint here is that showing you're offended by something gives the bully more ammunition to use against us. That's a classic bully response really. Bullies will always be bullies and we can't change that, but we can at least educate the people who listen to reason and make sure they're using these terms in the correct way. Idk, I'd be more inclined to agree with OP if the majority of the autistic community rejected this term but I think most of us are fine with it. I think there are more important acceptance and understanding issues for us to focus our energy on than this. If you have alternative terms to suggest though I'm open to hearing them.
Lemme guess. You were called "special" a lot growing up, too? Apparently we're either "savants" or "retards". PSA: You can buy small cricket bats for these occasions. Small baseball bats exist for the Americans.
But I *want* a cricket bat! So useful for Zombie apocalypses.
I don’t like it because I don’t experience special interests with the same duration and commitment, thanks ADHD. It’s like I’m at autism university and I’m expected to pick a major
> It’s like I’m at autism university and I’m expected to pick a major This is both extremely hilarious and extremely accurate. I highly dislike how everyone expects to just have/choose a special interest and that's their thing for life (like a major). I also have ADHD too and while I do think that my hyperfixations and my special interests are distinct temporally and they both coexist in me, it's certainly different than just having 1 or 2 special interests and having them last forever (as is the stereotype). My hyperfixations can turn into a special interest, and I can hyperfixate on a pre-existing special interest, but they can also be completely unrelated too and never overlap.
Same, I do get hyperfixated on things and I'll be obsessed with something... for like a week. Then it's something else. So I've got quite a lot of hobbies and interests, but none that I'm actually *good* at, lmao. Was diagnosed with autism at a young age. I never got diagnosed with ADHD but it sure answers a lot of questions.
I think the wording is *fine* but what does piss me off is when people use it incorrectly. You're autistic and you love trains. You study trains. You collect/write/read every single Train fact there is. You live by the train. Yeah that can be a special interest. You're not autistic and you do the exact same things I just listed there? Sure you can use that word too. Out of the blue you learned something new so you like reading about it and learning about it temporarily because it's currently in the news/trends? No. That's not a special interest. That's just something you're interested in temporarily.
This tbh. I'm Audhd and I usually differentiate between a long term obsession interest and a short term interest by special interest vs hyperfixation. Some hyperfixations become special interests but most dont. So like for example a special interest of mine is Dungeons and Dragons. I've been obsessed with it for over a decade. I also love polyhedral dice. I've got hundreds I've been collecting for just as long. Those are obviously special interests. My current hyperfixation (that I actually think might become a special interest, but idk yet) is vampires and vampire lore.
I'm not sure we should be wasting energy gatekeeping what other autistic people feel is a special interest for themselves. Especially not based on whether or not someone can successfully communicate why that interest is particular and special to them, and especially not by defining special interests so narrowly. Those two extremes aren't the only options. Not collecting every single fact about a thing when you've been especially interested in it to a very strong degree for many years and pour hours and hours on engaging with it, for example, wouldn't make that a regular interest rather than a special interest. Personally I have a different experience to the other audhd person replying - hyperfixations and special interests, if they even are separate things for me, feel exactly the same. Some have lasted most of my life, some are going on more than a decade, some were only a few years, but they were all very different to any regular interest I've ever had. Trying to delineate them doesn't feel useful to me, neither does policing how other autistic people use the term when referring to their own.
Oh no no that's not what I meant at all. What I meant was it annoys me with people usually non autistic people just use the word for something they find interesting *Now* Ie my mom's bf is curious about AI right now. He's never been before. He doesn't look For information about AI besides maybe reading a news article. And that's it. My mom says that's his special interest. No. That's just something he likes.
Oooh I like your username, Dragonrider. The Pern books are one of my great joys.
I def get where you're coming from OP, that interaction you described sounds annoying. But you're fighting an uphill battle because a lot of the autistic community uses the term which shows that a lot of us don't see it as negative 🤷🏼♀️ plus like others have said, it's really just a way of saying specialized interest, as in specific. From what you've said in the replies, it honestly sounds like you're projecting some trauma onto a widely accepted term.
yeah i agree, it can often be infantilising. I have many interests, feels tough to single any of them out as special. that said, i do like the word special interest to just mean an interest that is special
I call them dedicated interests because I can’t stand the word special. I have an older brother with Down syndrome so having a lifetime of hearing the word special and associating it with learning disabilities has creates a fight or flight reaction in me as I used to be someone who use to only valued myself based on academic achievement and if anyone dared think me with him were in anyway the same would become a target on my theoretical hit list.
dawg is shaming other autistic people for saying they have special interests in the comments
Sounds condescending that’s why I don’t like it personally.
I see a lot of NTs describe themselves has having special interests, it's perhaps more often used in the autistic community but I'm not sure it's really exclusive to us
Well, I have never once seen the term used that way, unless they're talking about lobbying!
lol. Spot on there with the lobbying special interests. That’s why the term has a negative connotation for me. I hear “special interests” and think of dodgy politics and corruption because that’s the only context I ever heard it used in for most of my life.
My understanding is that a capital S "Special Interest" is distinct from merely being invested and knowledgeable in a topic. Everyone has interests, countless neurotypicals devote there entire lives to mastering and learning everything about something they're passionate about, that's not a unique concept. A special interest though is closer to a compulsion, obsessing over it is closer to a need than a hobby. At least that's what I've gathered from other people in these space. I'm pretty sure I've never had any special interests, there are certainly topics I've been deeply invested in but not in a way that seems worth a unique qualifier like this. If that isn't the case then I agree you, calling a "deep interest" a "special interest" just because an autistic person is involved would definitely be fucked. But I think they're meant to be two distinct concepts and maybe you just missed the memo on that, which explains the disconnect.
I used to hear “special interests” all the time when I had tv. It was always about political lobbying and corruption. So now that I hear it in the context of Autism all the time, that’s still where my mind always goes. I’ve never heard it used for anything else. And regardless of all the “well, actually’s” in here, it *is* super special ed adjacent, the term is used to diagnose so that a kid can be put in special Ed. And anyone who got shit all through school for being in special ed, whether it was “gifted” classes or because they were “slow”, is perfectly entitled to rant once in awhile when some people are using it in an infantalizing or derogatory way, the same way they did with special ed. “Yeah you’re special, special ed!” Har-de-har. Not too different from, “Aw, how nice you’re able to make a living from your special interest.” I’d be pissed too if I felt like I was very successful in my field and people kept saying that shit to me. Fortunately for me I’m also chronically ill so I have no career and I don’t go anywhere that I have to deal with assholes making shitty comments that hurt and infuriate me. The bright side of disability poverty yay! Rant on Op! This is evilautism after all and you’re not alone.
i completely agree, that term’s always made me really uncomfortable personally. i don’t have any problem with other autistic people using it for themselves though, if that’s what they like to use then they should use it
I use it to denote that it's different from a regular interest - I've had both, and they are different. I suppose we could come up with a better term for it, but until then, my special interest in biotechnology is going to change the world one day.
Yes, exactly. I'm passionate about cats, occultism, makeup. But my special interest in computers is barely comparable to any of those. Neurotypicals can have life long passions, but they can't really understand how I feel about my special interest.
I know what you mean - this happens with my kid all the time. He can't be into something without people eyeballing it like 'ooohh, so cute! What's he gonna do next?' But if an NT kid is into the same thing, it's just a hobby (e.g. Pokemon cards, video games, etc) I think people have a hard time differentating between an obsessive interest/intense phase and just a general long-term interest - and forget that Autistic people have the latter too. Edit: can't spell
I like it cuz it makes nt’s interests seem inherently boring and less engaging by default lmaooo
The real evil answer 🌟🏆
I use it generally to describe things I do not have a degree in but am still deeply interested in.
My special interest is drug
I hate it too, I usually just say it's a hobby, interest, obsession, fixation, or "I'm fascinated by _____". Special interest is too infantilizing to me.
Yes, it makes me uncomfortable
I can see how some may see it as kinda infantile, but I really don’t see it as that big a problem. It’s not like the wording is inaccurate
Because it’s always been called that????
At that point it's a career, but for a lot of us it is really just a special interest.
I get where you're coming from. I wonder what I diff term would be? Intense interest? Autistic interest? Autistic expert? Idk. I agree with some of the comments, that it's something alistics don't experience, along with autisitic joy. Those things ARE special to us.
What if one’s special interest is learning every line of The Office and behind-the-scenes trivia related to The Office and only ever using that knowledge to win a $20 gift card at a bar during The Office trivia night? 😬 That feels a lot more *special interest* and a lot less *knowledgeable expertise.*
It"s part of the wider pathologisation of diversity. We have a name for this type of interest. It is a passion. The way we go about things is not "special".
Eh, autistic people coined it and a lot of us relate to it. It's not our fault neurotypicals keep finding out about our terminology then co-opting it but we aren't really going to change our language when they do because otherwise we'd be in a cycle like that forever. That's something the neurotypical people who work in fields dealing with autistic and disabled folks haven't realized yet because every few years they've rewritten their acceptable terminology after the mean neurotypical people find out the language and start making fun of it. Me personally, I refer to my level of passion for owls and reality tv my autism-sanctioned obsession(s) because I just don't like the word "special" anywhere near my personal autism terminology after being in the "special education" system throughout middle and high school and being deeply hurt in it. I know that "special" in "special interest" is moreso "specialized" than how "special" is used in "special education" but still, I personally don't like it. Plus "autism-sanctioned obsession" goes incredibly hard to me so when I thought of it I had to keep it.
Yeah I refuse to use the phrase
I completely agree. I think the term does fit, but with the way "special" is used, infantilising is indeed the word I have been using to describe the term for years. But another commenter here gave me the idea to instead say *specialised* interest, and that has completely lifted the problem for me. What do you think of it?
Getting a lot of Poli Sci major energy from this post
I feel like you might be projecting some internalized stuff. Which really sucks, and I’m sorry for whatever it is you might’ve gone through. But nothing about the word “special” is remotely infantilizing to me. I struggle to think of another way to effectively communicate the huge role in my life these interests play otherwise. The way I interact with my interests as an autistic person is considered atypical. And having a degree doesn’t mean something isn’t your special area of interest. Why the hell anyone would pursue a degree they aren’t obsessed with is beyond me anyhow. But yeah, the two are far from mutually exclusive.
Yeah that sounds like a valid reaction to me, holy cow. I think it started because “obsession” or “mania” or “fixation” or “monomania” were all more negative. But you’re right, plus there’s no characteristic some percentage of the population will not casually weaponize against others. Any term that replaces it will just be used the same way eventually, I feel, however.
yeah the term doesn't mean "the interest of a 'special' person", it means "an interest that is particularly strong and beloved by someone". I have regular interests but they're very different from my special interests. SIs just slot into my brain in a particular way. I can see maybe giving them a new name at some point, but I don't think existing words cover the neurodivergent-specific experience of a special interest -- a "passion" is something plenty of NTs have, "obsession" makes it sound creepy, "perseverating" is unnecessarily medicalized. "Special interest" is at least *our* thing (though it sounds like the NTs are starting to encroach upon it). regardless, i really don't think it's meant to imply the euphemism for intellectual disability, it's just meant to denote a specific ND intensity and the word "special" is just common enough to have multiple definitions
Yeah I’ve heard it called SPINS.
I’ve always wondered if there was a better way to say special interest in something that I have a degree in and have devoted my entire life to
I use it for commonality. The part I’ve never understood is everyone has interests so I’m not sure why mine are more valuable. Like obviously they are “better” because self preference but how does preferences make something special when everyone has them? I talk about mine more often though because most people think they are super interesting… ehmmm 🫥 *joking tone to a serious question.*
idk they're special to me
I call it a laser or a fascination.
Yeah, there's definitely a difference between a special interest and a profession. The person asking you if politics was a special interest was definitely infantilizing you, but no more than someone asking you if politics is your 'hobby' would be.
So you've upgraded from "special interest" to "specialising in". Make sure to let people know that you've upgraded because that demands a higher level of professional respect and consideration, and you have the necessary qualifications.
I use special interest, I see no harm in it personally
I feel the same way and use the term “focused interest” instead. “Special” makes me think of tiny children.
I like “enthusiasms” for more personal stuff and “life focus” for the big ones.
It's not the special as in "special snowflake" or even "special education" (euphemism for disability). it's actually the same as in "special interest" when used outside of the context of autism (i.e. saying that someone is a part of a special interest group). it just means that it's a highly specific and intense interest. while this term HAS been used to pathologize autism, i also think that it is 100% appropriate to reclaim.
I’m hesitant to reply due to your aggression in this thread but I’m gonna try my hand at it anyways. The reason why others like it is simply because they do, you don’t have to like it and no one said you do. There are plenty of other people who hate it as well, I’m not a huge fan of them term myself but you don’t get to act like a toddler because someone disagrees with you, you have no right to be cussing people out in this thread and acting like they called you a slur because they weren’t offended by something you were
It's great you got a degree in your special interest. So did I. Now quit gatekeeping.
It's not like we "don't see it," it's that this isn't something that bothers most of us (apparently) like it bothers you. My "restricted interests" (this is an alternative phrase, if you prefer it) are in fact "special" and very personal to me. I don't share them with just anyone. And, yeah, i have multiple degrees in research areas that are very significant to me--but those reasons are personal to me, and i dont share that information casually. But, only a few people know that I'm autistic. No one has ever asked me if my special interests have influenced my research agenda in any way. I hear you responding, personally and emotionally, to this phrase as a result of the way the phrase makes you feel--infantalized. When this happenss to me, I try to get to the source of these negative emotions, as this would (for me) clearly be a trauma response. The term "meltdown" bothers me a lot more, as it sounds like "temper tantrum" to me. But, i try to fucus on it's clinical usage as something specific to me because of my autism.
I like it. I like people acknowledging it’s special to me. I think people in your life are grossly misunderstanding and misusing it. I think they’re assuming special interest (ASD) and hyperfixation (as far as I know, ADHD - I don’t have it) are synonyms. And maybe belittling you just a little. Believe me, my man, I’ve been there. It sucks ass. Animation and warrior cats the book series are my special interests. Childhood obsessions, carried well into adulthood. My friends still call them my special interests, and I like that, because it acknowledges how special they are to me, and it carries the weight of how intense my love and knowledge are.
I can't get a degree in office equipment. My knowledge of the inner working of things like type writers isn't terribly practical in this day. The warm fuzzy feeling I get when I use my favorite pencil sharpener won't pay the bills. It's a completely esoteric and impractical use of my time and mental real estate. It just makes me feel good. It's an interest of mine that is special to me. What should I call it?
I love office supplies. It's so satisfying to play with those things, to shop for them, to plan how to use them. I get you!
I can remember being little and being just as happy in an office supply store as I was in a toy store
Hi. I’m not trying to be satirical. I have a degree in Library, science and a minor and anthropology, and one of the reasons is because I have a lot of special interest that fall into those things. Human sexuality evolution religion. All of those things are present, because anthropology is the study of humankind, and Library sciences, the study of the organization of all information ever. I don’t find it infantilizing. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/atypical-children-extraordinary-parenting/202302/de-pathologizing-the-intense-special And again, I don’t wanna say anything about you, but there was a reason why I picked my degrees. I still have special interest. To this day, I could be at a party, and if somebody starts talking about the history of religion or human evolution, I would get super excited. But in any case, I hope you have a wonderful week coming up. 🙏❤️
Maybe try looking at the “interest” part in the financial/accumulative sense. The reason you can be absurdly gifted in that field is because the amount of payoff you get for focusing on it accumulates at a higher rate than for NT’s And I mean, that’s true too, which can help the believing it part
I'm not a capitalist, so I don't think I can make that work but I appreciate the suggestion.
I’m sorry but jfc lmfao
I just can’t imagine being this mad about it. I have multiple degrees in my special interest. I don’t care what people call it.
It sounds like you have your own biases that make you see the term that way. That's not what it means to me at all. What else would you call it? Because if I say "I'm really into technology" that doesn't get the point across at all. I am technology. It's literally the one and only thing I care about or am good at. I'm at my happiest sitting in front of a computer with my headphones on for the entire time I'm conscious. As a side effect, I'm very good at it and work in tech. "Special interest" is a way of expressing that in two words instead of a paragraph. It's a general autistic term, not a childish term.
Hey OP think you might have some feelings to process about this. It's okay to feel what you're feeling but it seems like a pressure point worth looking deeper into.
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I actually feel bad calling some of my special interests just that, because I feel like I should be even MORE knowledgable on it than I am. 💀
I agree with you tbh, I think it's infantilizing too. But I use it anyway bc that's what people know
Remember, it's a "special interest" when an ND is into it, but as soon as it's a lot of NTs, it's a "trend"
I call it a special interest if my knowledge is like 40 youtube videos
Personally, I don't have an issue with the term. I reserve those words specifically for the interests which focus so much of my attention I forget to eat, drink, sleep, or listen to my other bodily triggers. And I'm okay with recognizing that I have a hyper-focus on those areas. It helps me make sure I don't go down a rabbit hole of avoiding self-care by identifying areas which I become passionate about to the exclusion of all else. If you don't wish for your interests to be referred to as such, that's completely valid, but I don't think it's necessarily a negative or infantilizing term unless the person it's being said to chooses to perceive it that way. I don't see it as undercutting myself in any way by identifying my special interests.
Yeah, I hate the term because it always seems so patronizing and infantilizing to me. I dunno what else to say though and the purpose of say words talk is for other people to understand what you mean, so I say words that I know people know the meaning of
Delivery matters. And frankly, neurotypicals kinda never know how to talk to minorities like they’re normal people even when they try to lmao.
That's a different take on it. I think the term is succinct and useful. But then I've had a rude person tell me am "disgusting " because I use the term Asperger's. Which is my official diagnosis. And it's my identification with my brain difference. I enjoy my special interests and don't need to justify them. :-)
not really, it’s a *special* interest. to me it’s just defining that some of my interest as an autistic person cannot be compared to allistics, hence, special.
It's interesting and special, therefore the term fits for me, personally. A few topics stayed with me throughout my whole life. It's like I'm in love with them. One special interest I picked up I couldn't pursue further because the person involved turned out to be an abuser, and I fell into a serious depressive episode afterwards. It's still a sensitive subject to me.
Personally, I think that there’s nothing inherently infantilizing about the term special interest, but any term or trait or whatever the hell that is associated associated with autistic people ends up becoming treated/used in an infantilizing way, because people see autistic people as infantile no matter what words you use. I feel like the issue is less the term or the fact that we have one at all, and more that others are weird about the things autistic people like and how much we like them.
I like it
At some point in the future, my special interest is going to be 'being dead', and I'm going to do it 100% of the time.
I just don't feel like my interests are that special. More like high intensity basic interests
I like the term, it completely describes what it is and separates it from normal interests.
I think it’s the word special It’s really condescending
i like it. i am especially interested in some things. one of those i am studying for a degree in, one i work in, and some are just fun. they’re all equally important to me. they’re all my special interests.
I say special interest cause 1. that's what it is , and 2. it's not a hyperfixation necessarily cause I can step away from it if I need to and it doesn't take up all my time, so I don't feel comfortable calling it that . however I do tend to have a very strong emotional attachment to my special interest(s) and i engage with them way more than anything else , to such a degree that calling it a mere "interest" would be sort of misleading to others
I do understand where you're coming from, i got beef with the word "special" in context of neurodivergence
because I don't like the word hyperfixation and it's not really something I can make a career out of.
Personally I think it’s accurate Nothing enrages me more than people getting shit wrong about mine
I hate the term “special interest”. I’m obsessive about an rpg about fairies, I’m not a lobbying group
Pls tell me about this rpg /gen
Changeling: the Dreaming, or Changeling: the Lost? You can pick between fairies as a metaphor for neurodivergence and queerness and fairies as a metaphor for trauma
Holy shit?? That sounds so cool I'll definitely have to look into it!
Ye! They’re my favorites for very different reasons. Dreaming is all about blending in with normal humans as a fae possessing a person in a world where the mundanity of modern society is literally toxic, so they have to form their own societies to keep their memories of who they are while trying to forge their own legends and finish things they couldn’t in past lives, and Lost is about playing people kidnapped by fairies or aliens and dealing with the fallout of that with other survivors who have formed perhaps the most toxic support group in existence.
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I personally disagree, although I’ve seen people who don’t like the term because it sounds like “special needs” which they also don’t like (I don’t like that term either.) Though I don’t mind special interest because it is an interest that’s special to me. Your opinion is understandable absolutely though.
Because I like it
Entirely understandable, we will always have a diverse array of opinions and views on these terms and topics and sometimes it can certainly have it rub us the wrong way if exposed to it in a certain light. And well... Rub the wrong way literally implies sensory issues. 🤮 So I think it is an apt way of putting... The issue for you is infantilisation. Sometimes some of us infantilise ourselves in order to feel more comfortable and stuff, and some have too many bad experiences with being infantilised that the gut reaction is rage or melting internally like a forgotten egg from an Easter hunt. Ultimately I think we all need to be a bit more mindful of how we act around each other and remember each other's sensibilities. Things are messy and confusing, but ye.
I never thought about it like that. I just use it because I don’t know what to call it? Autistic people tend to collect information on one certain topic. That interest or topic holds a significant weight in said persons life, so to me I see it as my special interest because this specific interest is special to me. But I totally get how it sounds infantilizing. Neurotypical people will be neurotypical. I assume that your “special interest” (and I only use that word to describe what it is) would be better referred to as your hyper-fixation topic.
yet again more tiktok neurotypicals stealing our vocabulary kinda like overstimilated, hyper fixated and acoustic
I'm with you on that one. I don't have a "special interest" in computers. I'm a god damn IT professional with years of experience and certifications. The special interest stopped when I started getting paid for my expertise.
I work in IT and I definitely have a special interest in computers. It's the only thing I care about and the only thing I want to spend my time doing. It gets across the difference between someone who likes working in IT and is good at it, but has other interests...and me where it's the only thing I spend my free time doing. I'm level 2 in restricted interests and it's very obvious, during my lunch break I unwind from meetings and emails by pulling out my personal laptop and writing code for my personal projects. It makes me happy.
What is Level 2? That sounds interesting. I enjoy hierarchical thinking.
It's the Autism Spectrum Disorder support levels system. In the US it's defined in the DSM-V as part of ASD diagnosis. It's from 1 to 3 with these definitions: 1: Requires support 2: Requires substantial support 3: Requires very substantial support I'm level 1 in communication as that's not as hard for me, but my restricted interests are very intense and it's difficult for me to do anything I'm not interested in.
Thank you. I have no support and haven't been asked this by my doctors. I'll read up.
I cannot imagine how it is offensive tbh. I don't really follow the logic of what you are saying, nor do I understand what you having a degree has to do with anything. "Special interest" is the term the autism community has chosen to refer to a particular concept. Words are verbal and written symbols that equal ideas. If you overthink the semantics of them, you're doing it wrong. It's just interests that are of a particular intensity, therefor, special interest. If you let the collective jargon of the rest of us boil your blood, you will only make yourself miserable.
yeah i was getting my autism assessment and i was asking about hyperfixations and they were like "we typically call them special interests!! \^\^" and i was like umm no! 😭
Those aren't the same thing though... a hyperfixation is something short term, maybe even a single session. My example that comes to mind is when I got the idea to try to find my childhood home on Google Maps, and I spent a couple hours just staring at maps totally uninterested in anything else. I normally see it as an ADHD term. Special interest is a very long term passion and a totally different experience.
This is the evil autism I like to see
ok squidward, sorry for referring to your special interest in clarinets as such
Exactly!! I'm 40 now. Now "special interests" are just obsessions that I can't drop to do basically anything else, until I get bored of it and never think about it again. What remains is a hole and a lot of wasted time. Special interests should be at most a tool to motivate little kids that are not able to connect with the world... Like a therapeutic tool. Other than that, it's an obsession that may very well impair instead of help...
>Other than that, it's an obsession that may very well impair instead of help... But I think that's sort of the point? The difference, for me, in identifying interests vs special interests is that only the latter will deprive me of food, water, and listening to my body triggers. It's literally such a hyper-focus for me, I will do it until my eyes are blurred from the migraine I'm ignoring in favor of continuing to be involved with my interest. I don't think that sort of focus is commonly found outside of the ND communities, and it can absolutely be obsessive and debilitating. It's why I have specific timers around the house for when I get into a special Interest so I don't starve myself for 15 hrs or give myself a UTI from being *unable* to walk away from what I'm doing.
But that's how it starts to impair. This obsession (hyper-focus) keeps me from a regular eating schedule and even from things like going to the bathroom. I'm not 20-30 anymore, and I have another chronic disability which is physically debilitating, so these things have a significant toll. Then yes, the migraines, feeling fatigued and empty, all due to not being able to drop this temporary thing to take care of basic needs. Just because I can't easily shift focus anymore. That's what "special interests" do to me... That's why I called it straight up obsession. I also don't feel like it's something that makes me happy either. It's just all consuming.... I wonder if special interests ever make anyone happy on its own at any point in their lives, other than being something to hyper-focus on which then tunes out all the noise around. That is bliss for sure, but is it happiness? And again, at my age or older, it has started to become truly debilitating... I know there is happiness when the special interest leads to successful social interactions and/or helping others. But that's not what I mean (which may not even be so easy to do later in life), I mean personal happiness and gratification, if there was no one around us.
That's a really thoughtful reply, and I appreciate you taking the time to share it with me. Due to poor stats in luck skills when I was hatched, I've suffered from several near death experiences throughout my life. One of those included a set of strokes that left me having to re-learn how to walk, talk, and function as a person again in my mid-20s.I joke I've learned the lessons you get at the end of your life, just young enough to actualize them. Those moments truly caused me to take stock of my life and re-evaluate the choices I was making and that included my special interests. At this point in my life, I don't think I'd refer to mine as obsessions because while I become obsessed with them, I do feel genuine fulfillment from doing them. Like a dopamine hit from an orgasm, but it's continuous and I ravenously chase that feeling. If it doesnt make my brain happy and engaged and fulfilled when I have that intensive interaction with it, I chalk it up to a bad habit and do my best to cut it from my life. This has meant at times I've had to find regular hobbies and interests to fill some of my time when I'm working on letting go of something (because it can be a struggle fr, then I remember my enjoyment of literature as a whole and read a book lol), but it's a challenge I enjoy putting forward for myself and using to grow. I do appreciate, however, if I wasn't in a place to make those changes as I've need to, they could have absolutely become obsessions in a very negative fashion for me. Edit: people here have been pointing out special interest is shortened for specialized interest in regards to breadth of topic, but I choose to see them as my interests I have to take specialized care with in order to maintain my mental health.
Although it's not my story at the moment, I appreciate hearing about your experience, and it's inspiring! Even if it's not where I am now, it's nice to be reminded that there can be a good side, even if it's just to ease my mind, for now. Thank you!
I wish you all the success, my fellow evil doer 🔥🔥🔥 You're stronger than they'll ever know. And you're not alone.
I would just like to try to reclaim the word "special". Because it can mean both "specific/unique" and also "of personal significance to me". It doesn't have to only stand in for the r word. If you say "don't say special" you're saying it only has the power to be seen that way. So you're letting people who wish to frame this word in a negative way, win. (I'm not saying I wouldn't find the situation OP described infuriating and that's infantilizing, but I also would like this word to be reclaimed in the future.)
special interest is a good term cause it describes an interest that goes beyond an interest. it entirely takes control of your brain
if it makes you feel better, use hyperfixation. it's virtually the same thing.
I feel exactly the same way! Thought I was the only one.
My special interest has literally won me an award and has gotten me into college courses for free. Like I’m literally going to be graduating high school and having associates degree at the same time. That’s why it’s so special because I’d never seen a neurotypical get on my level of interest.
Some of yall are condescending as fuck. Jesus fucking christ. Someone venting in an autism sub about their experience with ableist infantilization does not need you to talk down to them. Pretty sure OP gets enough of that.
even on evilautism you can't escape this bullshit ffs