Understanding Special Interests in Autism

Think kinda like hobbies or things you just liked for a super long time! Like hyper-fixations are like shows, books, fandoms, eta. While special interests are like animals, plants, and just basically learning about and liking something for a long amount of time

One of my special interests are animals. I have always adored animals whether they r reptiles or mammals i love them all and find a real fascination with them. Another one of my special interests is criminal psychology. I am really into books, movies, and tv shows about the topic. I would say having a special interest is something you have had interest for most of your life.

You can totally have multiple! They're kind of like really long-term hyperfixations, in my head. The things you've been interested in for years at a time, basically. You know everything about it, you get super excited when you see it somewhere, and it's a nice comfortable thing for you — more likely than not, it's something you go to when you're having a rough day.