Supporting special interests in autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological disorder that is found in roughly one percent of the population (75,000,000 individuals). The condition is stereotypically marked by its defining characteristics consisting of impairment in social interactions and communication, rigid and repetitive behaviors, and an intensified focus on special interests. What we find in autism is that it is a highly diversified disorder, which is one of the many reasons that autism can be so difficult to treat. We see this highlighted in Dr. Stephen Store’s quote, when he said: “If you’ve met one person with autism, then you have met one person with autism.” Autism resides on a vast spectrum, making each case look different from one case to the next. Autism looks different in the person with high functioning Asperger’s than it does with the individual that has non-verbal autism; in the one instance, the individual may be able to live a fairly normal life, using their interests to thrive in an academic environment, and leveraging those very same interests in the workplace, whereas the other instance may be marked by intellectual deficiencies. No two instances appear the same. What’s more, is it is the issue of intensified special interests that makes it all the more diversified. Special interest topics in autism include just about everything imaginable. This fixation may manifest in the form that of an interest in…