Show Notes
In this episode we explore the pure joy and peace that comes from engaging in special interests. Neurodivergent people often have special interests which were formerly referred to as "obsessions". We talk about neuroaffirming approaches to supporting special interests and share some special interests of our own. #autism #adhd #audhd
Key references Anthony, L. G., Kenworthy, L., Yerys, B. E., Jankowski, K. F., James, J. D., Harms, M. B., … Wallace, G. L. (2013). Interests in high-functioning autism are more intense, interfering, and idiosyncratic than those in neurotypical development. Development and Psychopathology, 25(3), 643–652. doi:10.1017/S0954579413000072 Brown, C. E., Bernardin, C. J., Beauchamp, M. T., Kanne, S. M., & Nowell, K. P. (2024). More similar than different: Characterizing special interests in autistic boys and girls based on caregiver report. Autism Research, 17(11), 2333–2345. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.3216 Grove, R., Hoekstra, R. A., Wierda, M., & Begeer, S. (2018). Special interests and subjective wellbeing in autistic adults. Autism research : Official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 11(5), 766–775. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.1931
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