Special interests are highly focused interests common in autistic people.[1]
Special interests are more intense than typical interests, such as hobbies,[2] and may take up much of a person's free time. A person with a special interest will often hyperfocus on their special interest for hours, want to learn as much as possible on the topic,[3] collect related items,[4] and incorporate their special interest into play[5] and art.[6]Some interests are more likely to be seen as special interests if they are particularly unusual, specific, or niche.[2] Autism rights advocates and psychologists say this binary of acceptable "passions" and pathologised "obsessions" is unfair.[7][8] Terms like circumscribed interests,[9] obsessions, or restricted interests[10] have historically been used to describe special interests, but these terms are discouraged by autism rights advocates.[7]
Special interests are sometimes confused with hyperfixation.[11] Hyperfixations are short-lived periods of strong interest in a subject over a few days to months which can occur in anyone (although are especially common in people with ADHD),[12] while special interests are an autistic trait and usually last years.[13] A person may hyperfixate on a special interest.
Occurrence and development
Around 75–90% of autistic people develop a special interest,[4] with some studies claiming as high as 95%.[14] Special interests are often developed between one and four years of age but may not develop until adulthood.[4] Many special interests start in children as a fascination with a particular object (e.g. Thomas the Tank Engine) and later develop into an interest in a specific topic (e.g. trains).[2] A special interest may change over time or last a person's whole life.[15] A 2014 survey found that the average number of special interests an autistic person has is 2.7, and the average time they last is 13.8 years.[2]
Special interests in autistic people were first written about in 1943 by Leo Kanner as a trait of classic autism and a year later by Hans Asperger when writing about asperger syndrome.[2] Special interests were later one of the traits listed when autism first appeared in the DSM-3 in 1980.[2] In 2024, special interests are listed as a diagnostic trait of autism in the current DSM-5-TR, described as "highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus (e.g., strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interests)".[16]
Common areas of special interests are transportation, animals, sports, and popular culture.[17]
Engagement
Engaging in special interests can bring autistic people huge joy[18][19] and many autistic people spend large amounts of time engaged in their special interest.[20] In adults, engaging with special interests has been shown to have positive outcomes for mental health,[21] self-esteem,[22] and can be used to manage stress.[17]
Special interests can sometimes interfere with other areas of a person's life, such as school.[23] In children, incorporating a child's special interest into their education has been shown to improve learning outcomes,[24][22] increase attention on learning topics[25] and teach behaviours such as sportsmanship.[26] Students have been shown to write better when writing about their special interest compared to a control topic.[27] A 2022 study showed 25% of autistic people who worked had employment in their area of special interest and that adults with employable special interests may have better employment outcomes.[28] Special interests may lead people to become child prodigies or savants in their area of interest.[17]
Social interaction
Encouraging discussion of a special interest can help autistic people develop social skills[17] and help them find social communities.[29][30]
Special interests may lead to social difficulties if the person does not want to discuss any other topic, and conversations may become one-sided.[2] Some special interests may be more socially acceptable than others, such as an interest in electricity pylons being seen as odder than an interest in horses or football teams.[17] Autistic people who are aware of this may deliberately stop themself from talking about their special interest as a form of masking,[17] especially if they have been mocked for their interest in the past.[14] Special interests may be atypical for a person's age.[2][31]
Autism acceptance proponents encourage autistic people to embrace their special interests, as long as they are not interfering with other parts of a person's life.[32] Special interests can be used by autistic people as a way to understand the world and allistic[a] people.[33]
Examples
Greta Thunberg's special interest in the environment led her to become a climate activist.[34]