A distinguishing aspect of special interests is their intensity: They can be so absorbing that they are the only thing the person wants to do or talk about. These interests are extremely common among people with autism: 75 to 95 percent have them.
Nevertheless, special interests are a rarely investigated topic and little is known about their course in adulthood. Probably more than 90% of individuals with asperger autism do have a special interest [2].
Data was collected based on parent questionnaires about their child's autism symptoms and special interests. The results found that 75% of autistic youth had at least one special interest, and 50% of those had two or more special interests.
Many autistic people have intense and highly-focused interests, often from a fairly young age. These can change over time or be lifelong. It can be art, music, gardening, animals, postcodes or numbers. For many younger children it's Thomas the Tank Engine, dinosaurs or particular cartoon characters.
Asperger syndrome is not a curable condition. However, being one of the milder forms in the Autism Spectrum Disorders, with little language development difficulties and normal or high IQ, this disorder allows a child to live a normal or near normal life.
Aspies tend to express love through practical actions, whereas NTs are more likely to express love through words or symbolic actions.
Those with Asperger's syndrome, in contrast, must by definition have suffered no cognitive delay during their first 3 years of life. This means that they will usually have at least a “normal” IQ. In some cases, their IQ may be very high, even in the genius range.
Intelligence, Special Interest, Memory
Ability to absorb and retain large amounts of information, especially about topics of special interest. Ability to think in visual images. Be self-motivated, independent learners. Propensity to think outside the box and generate novel solutions to problems.
People with Asperger profiles absolutely do have feelings, although they may have difficulty identifying and discussing them. In fact, many feelings – such as fear, anger and joy – seem to be experienced more intensely by those with Asperger profiles than by average people.
The Asperger's mind enjoys and focuses on details, while the normal mind is more skilled at assembling whole concepts from details. Some people with Asperger's are visual thinkers and others are math, music, or number thinkers, but all think in specifics.
Sonic the Hedgehog has a special place in the hearts of many autistic people since its very beginning in 1991. The game's rich colors, bright graphics, and fast-paced action make it a perfect choice for autistic individuals who have difficulty processing information quickly.
These interests are extremely common among people with autism: 75 to 95 percent have them. An interest may involve collecting items such as postcards or dolls, listening to or playing music in a repetitive way, or focusing intensely on a narrow topic, such as insects fighting.
In order to be diagnosed with autism, you need to have certain traits that interfere with your ability to lead a normal life. It is possible to be mildly autistic, but many of the behaviors and preferences found in autistic people are also common to people who do not have autism.
When it comes to Asperger's vs. autism, Asperger's generally features less severe symptoms and more higher functioning. Despite no longer being a separate diagnosis, Asperger's remains an accurate description of the symptoms and characteristics of some people on the Autism Spectrum.
Risk Factors: Being male. Presence of a co-occurring mental health disorder, such as depression or anxiety. Family history of autism spectrum disorders or other mental health conditions.
There are five major types of autism which include Asperger's syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, Kanner's syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder – not otherwise specified.
Children on the autism spectrum often keep crying as long as it seems to work for them. When it doesn't, they eventually quit. If they are upset about something, we want them to learn to handle their feelings in more powerful ways.
People with ASD typically crave routine and respond negatively to change. They may engage in repetitive behaviors as part of their routine. People with ASD may also behave differently in response to sensory stimuli. They may display under sensitivity or over sensitivity to sensations such as light, sound, or touch.
Some people with Asperger syndrome also have mental health issues or other conditions, meaning people need different levels and types of support. People with Asperger syndrome see, hear and feel the world differently to other people.
People with Asperger's also have strengths that make them wonderful partners. They tend to be honest, loyal, humorous, and champions of the underdog. Autistic people don't often get caught up in social constructs, so they can see right to the heart of what matters.
Long-term memory skills and higher intelligence
Even so, children with HFA showed good verbal working memory, associative learning ability, and recognition memory. Autistic people are highly polarised, with average to above-average intelligence compared to the general public.
Every person with Asperger Syndrome is developmentally delayed, not intellectually, but at the social-emotional level. This delay can be significant; for example, a 21-year-old may seem socially and emotionally more like a 14-year-old.
Nikolas Tesla - Tesla was another genius who displayed characteristics of autism, having several extreme phobias, severe sensitivity to light and sound, and an obsession with the number 3. His work also created the modern world as we know it, hugely creative and inventive.