Stereotypical "Autistic interests" you don't have.

[LadyS]

Not into video games either (except for one particular PC game series) or anime, mathematics, cars or engineering mechanics. But I also think that I don't have the stereotypical hyperfocused interest in anything particular or specific. For instance I'm not obsessed with maps but I love geography. I love listening to music but don't really delve much into all the technical aspects or the artists themselves. Probably the ADHD in me. Enjoy in general (the big picture) and then move on to the next interest.

 

[Outdated]

I have never collected things. I grew up in a very practical world and I never saw the point of owning anything just for the sake of owning it. I don't form attachments to possessions, I can and have just leave everything behind and start again.

I never understood dolls. I don't understand what it is that people really do with them or how they find entertainment in them. I never understood the point of The Sims series of games, make a little man get a job, buy a house, marry and have children. That stuff is much more entertaining if you do it for real in the real world and that prefabricated ideal of how someone is supposed to live their life offends me.

I get special interests from time to time, I'm high function with hyperfocus so if something grabs my interest I learn very quickly and intensely, but before I can get bored something else grabs my interest.

There is one special interest that has stuck with me throughout my life. Most people think these are all different subjects but they aren't - anthropology, sociology, psychology, political theory and legal theory. I don't learn much of this from books though, I've found most of them to be as mixed up and arse about in their ideas as all the books and blogs about autism. I learn from being amongst different groups of people and being interested in their lives.

 

[Aspychata]

Exactly, l love the black and white movies, because people didn't have botox and they had actual expressions. I can become agitated with heavily botoxed faces that are upset, yet their face shows no emotion, it's very unnerving.

 

[Georgia Galaxy]

Hey, they're really strongly represented by the online community, & a lot of people there are neurodivergent.
I heard a theory that a lot of autistic folks like animated shows because of the eyes and facial expressions. Never was a fan of anime but I got deep into silent film because of being an incurable history buff & again the facial expressions in silent drama are easier to follow than some of the newer movies. After practicing with the older films I moved on a bit.
You're probably right with "like what you like & keep on truckin."

Naww thank you. And thanks for sharing your opinion ^^ It's true, but hey... Everybody likes somethin'

 

[Georgia Galaxy]

I have never collected things. I grew up in a very practical world and I never saw the point of owning anything just for the sake of owning it. I don't form attachments to possessions, I can and have just leave everything behind and start again.

I never understood dolls. I don't understand what it is that people really do with them or how they find entertainment in them. I never understood the point of The Sims series of games, make a little man get a job, buy a house, marry and have children. That stuff is much more entertaining if you do it for real in the real world and that prefabricated ideal of how someone is supposed to live their life offends me.

I get special interests from time to time, I'm high function with hyperfocus so if something grabs my interest I learn very quickly and intensely, but before I can get bored something else grabs my interest.

There is one special interest that has stuck with me throughout my life. Most people think these are all different subjects but they aren't - anthropology, sociology, psychology, political theory and legal theory. I don't learn much of this from books though, I've found most of them to be as mixed up and arse about in their ideas as all the books and blogs about autism. I learn from being amongst different groups of people and being interested in their lives.

I agree with the Sims stuff, real life is better than reality <3

 

[Crossbreed]

I owned some 8-bit games back in the day, but I find contemporary controllers to be much too complex/confusing, especially at a frenetic pace.

I like well-written animated stories whether they are anime or not. I am not particularly obsessed with anime nor am I opposed to it.

Ostensibly, my action dolls are a "crutch" for my face-blindness. They are only meaningful because they would be hard to replace.

 

[SusanLR]

Things I see listed here that I've never been into are anime, math, technology,
gaming, dolls, and how mechanical things work.
I do find aesthetic appeal in cars and go to car shows a lot.
Photography, and a lot of my photos are of cars at the car shows.

I have no interest in how cars run or mechanics.
Don't like technology. I do enjoy using a PC. I can get lost in that for hours,
but have no interest in fixing them or programming.
If something isn't working right or changes can't be avoided, I call the Geek Squad.
Don't want a smartphone.

I do have deep interests in science, physics, geology, space and medicine.
Psychology is interesting too.
Nature, animals, and I do collect rocks.

What is this thing with spoons as an interest?
That was my first obsession as a kid! I had a "good spoom" as I called it.
First thing after breakfast, when I was old enough to walk, I'd grab that spoon and
go outside digging for rocks.
I guess that is a strange one. Yes, I like spoons.

 

[Outdated]

Ostensibly, my action dolls are a "crutch" for my face-blindness. They are only meaningful because they would be hard to replace.

I in no way intended to denigrate anyone else with my comments, I was merely stating that I don't understand. When my nieces were little and wanted me to play dollies with them I was completely unable to relate and had no idea what I was supposed to do or how to play.

 

[autism-and-autotune]

I have noticed that anime and playing video games seems to be very popular, but I'm not sure if that is especially 'autistic interests' or if it is just something a lot of people like to do. I'm guessing it's just something that is popular in general?

Possibly! I'm not that much into gaming but there are definitely video games which I obsess over. For example, for about seven years I played GTA IV but only achieved the cheats, and spent time running from the cops, using the grenade launcher, etc. Then in 2021? I decided 'hey, why not finish the story'? and I did.

My most recent fixation was the Red Dead Redemption franchise. I never expected to be so moved by a video game series before.

 

[autism-and-autotune]

As far as stereotypical interests go...I'm not interested in trains, My Little Pony--anything else.

My interests and passions include medieval/renaissance artwork; Baroque music and the pipe organ; Tolkien's books; enjoying a good, stress-free life in relative comfort with the one I love.

 

[Aspychata]

I love harpsichord music, l love Charles Dickinson and all the PBS shows that showcase the Victorian era of doom and gloom. I enjoyed the Upstairs Downstairs series. Is this typical or not typical? I actually like to read about electrical circuits, and l also like learning some coding of simple software programs. What is normal? What isn't?

 

[autism-and-autotune]

I love harpsichord music, l love Charles Dickinson and all the PBS shows that showcase the Victorian era of doom and gloom. I enjoyed the Upstairs Downstairs series. Is this typical or not typical? I actually like to read about electrical circuits, and l also like learning some coding of simple software programs. What is normal? What isn't?

Whoa, someone else who loves harpsichord music?? Yes! One day I hope to make a professional CD, perhaps of my own music along with that of Bach.

 

[mysterionz]

My most recent fixation was the Red Dead Redemption franchise. I never expected to be so moved by a video game series before.

omg I remember South Park had some episodes where RDR2 served as a plot point in the episodes “time to get cereal” and “nobody got cereal?”

 

[Judge]

Frankly I believe what truly separates the Neurodiverse from Neurotypicals has more to do with how we relate and communicate our special interests rather than the type of special interests that are involved. That any perceived stereotypes in reality transcend the spectrum of neurological traits and behaviors of humans in general.

That if anything, the real stereotype to NTs is that we infodump and are overly-enthusiastic about them with an intensity that has a tendency to simply turn them off.

So it's not surprising to see those on the spectrum who have little to no interest in various stereotyped subjects themselves.

As an alleged 1.8% of society, I cannot possibly fathom autistic people dominating any particular interest or field of study. Leaving stereotypes to be what they usually are. - A common form of misinformation.

 

[Aspychata]

Whoa, someone else who loves harpsichord music?? Yes! One day I hope to make a professional CD, perhaps of my own music along with that of Bach.

A famous tune of course, lol.

 

[Judge]

I love harpsichord music, l love Charles Dickinson and all the PBS shows that showcase the Victorian era of doom and gloom. I enjoyed the Upstairs Downstairs series. Is this typical or not typical? I actually like to read about electrical circuits, and l also like learning some coding of simple software programs. What is normal? What isn't?

Nothing like E. Power Biggs at the keyboard. Good on the harpischord, but epic on a pipe organ.

 

[AprilR]

Space, science, computers

 

[Judge]

Interesting to recall the AMC miniseries "Halt And Catch Fire". About the rise of personal computing and the Internet. Though I never thought any of the four main characters were on the spectrum, and I don't think the producers ever wanted to go there. Though at least three of them seemed unique in various ways.

Great story though, although both nostalgic and heartbreaking for me having worked in the industry around the turn of the century. The one time when looking back I suspect a number of coworkers may have been on the spectrum. Equally a number of them who were not. Hmmmmm....

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/halt_and_catch_fire

 

[WildCat]

Not keen on anything animated. I'm aware there are dedicated fanbases out there to (insert fandom here), and of course some of those folks will be on the spectrum statistically speaking, but count me out. I'm not judging by any means here - I had to have my fill of eye candy as a kiddo and teen (and, to an extent, a younger adult), but I'm not into it anymore. I've also about withdrawn from any sort of TV watching or other pop culture, regardless of what it is. Don't care about anyone's "grown-up" scripted fantasies of love, drama, revenge, blood on the walls, lack of clothing or anything of the sort. No joke, there's a TV in my living room that may very well be a dust collecting decor piece at this point instead of anything useful.

Gaming I still do, but not into it as nearly as much as I used to be. I'll admit, years ago I would lose my marbles over failing at something in a video game, but nowadays I'm nowhere near that emotionally invested and treating it like some life or death ordeal. I take a, "it's just a game, relax" approach now, but good luck telling that to my younger self.

Anything tech or computer...OK, I can build those tower PCs from scratch. I'm one of those guys, self-taught. Give me a list of parts (or I give you a list of parts), the money, a few hours to build and troubleshoot, and boom. I also enjoy programming, mostly as a hobby, also self taught as a teenager but never really got to a point of proficiency in anything particular. I can see being tech literate as a net-positive when it leads to gainful employment, but that was something I did not take seriously during my school years.

To answer the "don't have" part of the OP I guess, since I've strayed entirely from the question - trains, buses, public transit, elevators, mechanical stuff, mathematics, or what else stereotypical? Can't say I'm really into any of it at all. I was big on maps as a kid, REALLY big on maps - had stacks of them at one point - but I left that behind too. Maybe that answers the question or maybe not, don't know.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

What are some "stereotypically autistic" interests you absolutely do not share with the rest of the "autism community?"

--never owned a gaming console, nothing against gaming but personally never was interested.
--The My Little Pony franchise creeps me out, even without the fandom, which also creeps me out.
--for whatever reason anime doesn't do anything for me either.
--never was a darn bit of good with a computer, though I enjoy doing shady stuff with them
--believe it or not, I've never played Minecraft.

Stereotypical interests I do have include trains, nature, animals, things that spin, machinery, that sort of stuff--it's just that some "stereotypical interests" that have a large neurodivergent fanbase don't "click" with me. Your experiences?We have a lot in common do not play games physiotherapy was difficult without games after my stroke. v

Space, science, computers

Space and science forget the computers other than as a tool.