"Special" Interests.

People with Asperger's Syndrome, display pecular interests, and pursuits. Subjects tend to include public transportation systems, maps, classifyable data, like weather statistics, sports statistics, dinosaurs, insects, watches, and cars. Subjects such as cars, computers, and sports also interest the general population, and can increase an AC's chance of making friends. However other topics, like insects or dinosaurs do not interest most people. In my youth, I was interested in insects and arachnids, and other arthropods. Joining a nature club with an entomology section helped me socialize, in a structured atmosphere. I tend to be more sociable in an environment that procures a sense of wonderment, such as a computer club meeting, a university open house, or a museum. I know that in these settings I can talk about my favorite subjects.

In a family, or school setting, specialized interests bore others to death. No one wants a lecture on chelate arachnids, in the morning, or at other times of the day. Missed facial cues compound the problem, and when the verbal response to boredom comes, it is usually too late, the listener expresses anger at having heard the same thing over and over.

A person with Asperger Syndrome, may have a good memory for classes of invertebrates, however, a poor memory, for the number of times, he talked about his favorite subject. In society, people talk about the same things, but subjects, like sports, movie stars, etc, are considered acceptable, and to someone like myself, I found it unfair that others could talk on and on about movie stars, and I could not talk on and on about arachnids.

In a support group, I attend, I notice that many parents allow their asperger child to talk to them about their favorite subject, however using an egg timer to limit the time. I will never be interested in movie star gossip, or fashion, but I found ways to continue my persuits without bothering other people. While many people may "waste" their time watching sit-coms, I will "waste" my time at a library.