A Few Notes About Autistic Restricted Interests

Restricted interests are not like a neurotypical hobby or recreation. But they're not an unhealthy obsession or an addiction either. The modern world was not designed with nuerodivergents in mind. I like using "restricted interests" instead of "special interests" because it's patronizing and "special interests" is also a political term. Autistic interests aren't organizations trying to corrupt politicians and political candidates for their personal gain. They're important to an autistic person's wellbeing. Not every autistic person has restricted interests, but many of us do. For those of us that do have restricted interests, they are a built-in mechanism for our wellbeing. 

 One thing that makes an autistic restricted interest different than a neurotypical hobby is hobbies are usually enjoyable. An autistic restricted interest may not be enjoyable all the time. Nuerotypicals tend to learn about their interests to the point that it's useful. We autistics like to learn everything about our special interests. We go far beyond what's actually useful. 

 And again, for us, this isn't wrong or addictive behavior. It's just part of our neurology/operating system. It's one of those things that makes us different from neurotypicals. 

 So for example, I like to learn everything there is aboutpsychology/psychiatry. I'm not just interested in disorders and treatments. I'm interested in the history of psychology and psychiatry, how it's developed over time, what the effects on society are/were, and what are some unique concepts in those fields that nobody else knows about?