Like a lot of autistic traits and aspects of autistic culture, special interests are often misunderstood.
Maybe you're already somewhat familiar with the term special interests and its relation to autism or hyperlexia. But maybe you're curious to learn more about what they are, why they're beneficial, and how to leverage them.
Or maybe you're getting conflicting information from well-meaning specialists or professionals. Perhaps the advice they've given you just doesn't seem right or sit right with you, but you can't quite put your finger on why.
Or maybe you simply need some guidance on how to encourage and/or leverage your child's special interests because you already understand how important these intense interests are.
Regardless of what you brings you here, you sure to find lots of great special interest information, tips, and resources below. So let's dig in!
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Special Interest Information, Resources, & Tips
What are special interests exactly? How are they different than hobbies? Why are they beneficial for autistic and hyperlexic individuals?
Well, we'll answer all of those questions - and more! - below. You'll also find tips and strategies for leveraging special interests (something you'll hear/see me say a lot around here).
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WHAT ARE SPECIAL INTERESTS IN AUTISM?
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COMMON AUTISM SPECIAL INTEREST AREAS & EXAMPLES
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BENEFITS OF SPECIAL INTERESTS
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SPECIAL INTEREST VS HOBBY: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
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WHAT IS INFODUMPING IN AUTISM?
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STRATEGIES FOR ENCOURAGING SPECIAL INTERESTS
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TIPS FOR USING SPECIAL INTERESTS
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CREATING CONNECTIONS WITH INTERESTS & PASSIONS
All About Special Interests in Hyperlexia
While the following resources still discuss passions and special interests, the focus here is primarily on how it looks in hyperlexia versus just in autism.
Of course there is some overlap between the two, but when you're a parent of a hyperlexic child, sometimes it's just nice to read something specifically focused on hyperlexia. That's where these resources come in.
The main focus of these articles, unsurprisingly, is the intense interest or fascination with letters in hyperlexia.
Browse Activity Ideas by Special Interest or Passion
Now that you hopefully have a better understanding of what a special interest is and how to leverage it, you can really start to lean into those passions your child has.
But maybe you need a bit of inspiration.
Well, you can browse by some special interests and passions below (at least the ones my kids are/were into).
Special interests are a key part of autistic culture so it's incredibly important to learn about what they are, why they're beneficial, and how to leverage them.
And now hopefully you have a better idea of how to lean into your child's special interest (or two or three...), along with some inspiration for how to do that.
