Tips and Tricks

If your special interest is taking over your life, here are some tips and tricks:

o Schedule time into your week, this allows you to still engage with your special interest without it taking over your life.

o Don’t like scheduling it? Try setting a timer for things like: water/restroom breaks and chores. You can get things you need to do done and then go back to your special interest!

o Relate your work to your special interest. Having trouble doing your design or artwork? Writing a report for school? Try relating it to your special interest.

o Struggling to “Share” your interests with others? Try relating your interests with theirs. If you have a special interest in video games, ask them about their favorites.

o The person you want to talk to wants to change the subject? Take a deep breathe and remember everyone (not just autistic people) love talking about what they care about. If you still feel the itch to continue talking, try texting your thoughts to yourself or post it in a related community.

o Always remember, unless someone shares your special interest, they may not feel the same way you do when you talk about it. Some people feel differently about different subjects. It's perfectly fine to try and change the subject if it's in a common area, BUT be willing to leave if you are in their space. Boundaries go both ways.

o Try to be patient if you don’t get the response you want and remember, taking turns helps! Both sides get a chance to talk about things they care about.

o If someone asks you to change the subject, it can hurt because it feels like you are doing "everything wrong". But that's not what happened. Someone is trying to connect with you and is trying to continue to connect with you. Focus on knowing they WANT to talk to you.

o Have regular check ins with loved ones. It can be hard to tell when you may be "over doing" your special interest. Allow others to help you by talking to them before hand "Hey, I can get very intense about ___. If I am doing it too much, please let me know." Then the key is to trust them once they tell you because it was YOU who asked.

o But most importantly, listen to yourself. If you are desperately needing your special interest, ask yourself "Why?". Make sure you are at 100%. Stress will cause you to want repetition and comfort. Special interests are autistic people's unique way of self soothing.

It is not our fault for having special interests and they can bring so much joy to us. Just make sure you are living the life YOU want and it's not disrupting your everyday life.

The point of all these "tips" isn't to make others' lives easier, it's for YOU.

You or your loved one deserves to be happy and healthy. Taking away special interests does not accomplish that. Working together with your support system and learning more about how to navigate the world with autism does.

Good luck and thank you for reading.

What was your favorite tip or trick from this list?