Dear Readers, In today’s post I want to talk about Special Interests as they apply to Autism. Please note that I am not a doctor and I am only talking about my own experiences of this as an autistic person. Please also note that all autistic people are different and experiences may vary.
Autism Post: Special Interests
I share this post in support of those that live with autism or someone who live with an autistic person. Ellie describes her special interests as apposed to her other interests well. In her description she also says: “I also tend to experience a very intense sort of joy when I get to thoroughly immerse myself in my special interests and time seems to disappear and many hours can feel like minutes. ” I am sure we can all identify with feeling “lost in time” when doing something we enjoy so I think we can all relate to her post in some way or the other.
Take care
Morag
Morag Noffke 
I do symphatize with those suffering from autism or asperger sindrome. Thanks for the approach.
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Thank you for sharing your sy, much appreciated 🙏💜
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Welcome dear blogger!
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I agree that interests and special interest help one destress. A beautifully written piece. I also liked the mention of hyperfocus.
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Thank you, I will pass the message on… I also liked the mention of hyperfocus 👌thank you for your support.
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You’re welcome 🙏
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Along with the K-12 Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity curriculum already taught (at least in Canadian public schools), cerebral diversity could also be taught. Through this the incidence of vicious bullying against, for example, students with an autism spectrum disorder might be reduced.
When all teachers are fully educated on ASD, there could be an inclusion in standard high school curriculum of a child development course, albeit not overly complicated, which in part would teach about the often-debilitating condition.
It would explain to students how, among other aspects of the condition, ASD people, including higher functioning autistics, are often deemed willfully ‘difficult’ and socially incongruent, when such behavior is really not a choice for them.
Furthermore, when around their neurotypical peers, people with ASD typically feel compelled to “camouflage” or “mask”, terms used to describe their attempts at appearing to naturally fit in when around their neurotypical peers, an effort known to cause their already high anxiety and/or depression levels to worsen. And, of course, this exacerbation is reflected in the disproportionately high rate of suicide among ASD people.
If nothing else, such child-development science curriculum would offer students an idea/clue as to whether they’re emotionally/mentally compatible with the immense responsibility and strains of parenthood, especially with such special-needs children.
There could also be childrearing/parenting instruction on children born with ASD. Low-functioning autism is already readily recognized and treated, but higher-functioning ASD cases are basically left to fend for themselves. …
In short [as a moral rule] I strongly feel that a physically and mentally sound future should be every child’s fundamental right — along with air, water, food and shelter — especially considering the very troubled world into which they never asked to enter.
_______
“It’s only after children have been discovered to be severely battered that their parents are forced to take a childrearing course as a condition of regaining custody. That’s much like requiring no license or driver’s ed[ucation] to drive a car, then waiting until drivers injure or kill someone before demanding that they learn how to drive.”
—Myriam Miedzian, Ph.D.
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Thank you so much for your in depth response. I appreciate it. Fortunately, even although we didn’t know our daughter had high functioning autism during school, we had chosen a small empathic school who intuitively supported us and guided my daughter but it would have been great if us, the other children and teachers could have been educated around this issue. I am so glad she has been diagnosed at last. It makes so much sense.
I think not much is taught, even to psychologist. It is definitely important that people get as much training as possible. This pervasive ignorence is one of the reasons why Ellie blogs about her experiences. Hopefully people might learn from an autistic perspective what life is like. Thanks again for viewing and commenting.
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You’re quite welcome, and thanks for allowing me to voice myself. …
Though I largely had kind and/or considerate teachers, my Grade 2 teacher was the first and most formidably abusive authority figure with whom I, a boy with an undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder, was terrifyingly trapped.
I cannot recall her abuse in its entirety, but I’ll nevertheless always remember how she had the immoral audacity — and especially the unethical confidence in avoiding any professional repercussions — to blatantly readily aim and fire her knee towards my groin, as I was backed up against the school hall wall.
Luckily, she missed her mark, instead hitting the top of my left leg. Though there were other terrible teachers, for me she was uniquely traumatizing, especially when she wore her dark sunglasses when dealing with me.
But rather than tell anyone about my ordeal with her and consciously feel victimized, I instead felt some misplaced shame: I was a ‘difficult’ boy, therefore she likely perceived me as somehow ‘deserving it’.
I was much too young to perceive how a regular-school environment can become the traumatizer of susceptible children like me; the trusted educator indeed the abuser. …
As for psychologists not being properly trained in this growing field, the pharmaceutical industry meanwhile greatly financially gains from the continual and even addictive sedation and concealment, via tranquilizers and/or antidepressants, of symptoms of cerebral disorders, including the anxiety and/or depression that often accompany higher-functioning autistic spectrum disorder — especially if there’s related adverse childhood experience trauma.
[I also wouldn’t be surprised if pharmaceutical industry representatives have a say in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual’s composition, including revisions/updates. The DSM is frequently referred to by laymen as the mental-health profession’s Bible.]
From my understanding, only a small percentage of Canadian physicians currently are integrating ACE-trauma science into the diagnoses and (usually chemical) treatments of patients.
And I don’t believe it’s just coincidental that the only two health professions’ appointments for which Canadians are fully covered by the public plan are the two readily pharmaceutical-prescribing psychiatry and general practitioner health professions.
Such non-Big-Pharma-profiting health specialists as counsellors, therapists and naturopaths (etcetera) are not covered at all.
Ergo, I get agitated when it’s suggested or implied from within the media, however well-intentioned, to get therapy, as though it’s reasonably readily financially accessible. Where I reside, it’s unaffordable: $200-plus an hour.
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Thank you for sharing your experiences. I think it has been so hard for many people like yourself. I am very glad they are making some progress with understanding autism on the high end of the spectrum but I know there’s a long way to go.
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