A special interest in autistic individuals can really be anything! They are something that brings a light to the individual’s eye whenever the topic is brought up. They are typically more intense than what is expected for an individual; I could talk about my special interests for hours on end, long after eyes have glazed over. A special interest is generally a persistent fixation. For me, when I get started on something that is in an area of special interest, I could work on it for hours on end. Special interests tend to give the individual energy, whereas mundane tasks take energy. 

I still remember when I was 10, and had just moved from Estevan, a fairly small town in Saskatchewan, Canada to Hong Kong, a metropolis of over 8 million people. My Webkinz were lined up all throughout our new flat, pretending that they were travelling all over the Middle East. Each room was labelled with a Middle Eastern country, and I could’ve spent all day making my Webkinz travel all over the flat. They all had names, backstories, jobs, and relationships. Stories I wrote were based on my loved Webkinz, that had become my closest friends. 

Or how I could spend all day writing or reading, even forgetting to eat or sleep. I could get so enthralled in a book that grasps my interest, like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson and the Olympians. As long as I was fascinated by the storyline, I could imagine myself in the character’s world. At times, it felt like I had disappeared into the story, and was “watching” the events unfold as I read. It’s quite the same for writing; I can become immersed in my own storyline, picturing what the characters would do next as if I weren’t the one controlling them. 

My special interests helped me make sense of the world I was living in. It was also an escape from the cruelty of the world around me, where I wasn’t accepted the way I presented. They provided a sense of comfort, and helped shape the person I am today: A proud autistic potterhead with a love for Latin and Supernatural.