NTs also have "narrow interests".

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An interesting collocation. And true on the children observation, I think.

Appreciate the distinction you make, it's hard to set a threshold for what's "a problem".
I don't recall having intense special interests as kid, and I did great at academic stuff (school).
Then again, life seemed much easier (in some ways) back then-it certainly was simpler, since I knew so little (compared to what I've learned in the intervening years). Didn't get dx 'til well into adulthood, so it's all very confusing (to integrate old memories with new framework).

I see all sorts of people in the world who have what I would consider "obsessions" (though they're not called that, bc. the person is successfully using that knowledge/skill). So I have an issue with highlighting those with ASD's as being pathological, while those without ASD's aren't similarly branded. That seems hypocritical, double standard, for no good reason.

Just for example: If I made a trillion dollars in business, I'd be called a financial (albeit, eccentric) genius-rather than a poor (and insurmountably bizarre) failure. So, is one's label applied/judged on basis of whether (and to what extent) one's talents/ability are what society (mainstream mass of population) agrees is valuable ? The "excessive" focus on a topic/subject (or miniscule details therein) doesn't seem in & of itself a symptom in most instances (whether person is considered to be "NT" or "ASD"), but rather a part of all human beings. "Obsession" with (or strong drive for) social life is called being friendly, outgoing, well-adjusted, etc., but those with opposite orientation (towards self, rather than attending to other people) is called being loner, hermit, antisocial-things society discourages & doesn't value.

I don't think the "special interests" thing ought to be part of the ASD criteria. These areas of interest aren't inherently symptoms of my "disorder/syndrome". The problems I have coping in life are not bc. of what I am & am not interested in, as far as choices in subject matter go. My other problems are what prevent me from making "good use of" (successfully deploying out into the world at large) my "special interests". Have plenty of difficulties, but blaming one's passion for learning (about specific detailed aspects of existence) seems usually to be "missing the point". Of course, there are exceptions & this is merely my personal opinion.

I've seen NT's have hobbies but I've never met NT's who had the hard focused interests and hobbies that Aspie's do. Now that I know AS symptoms, I can look back at people I've known in my lifetime and say yep I bet they were AS.

Someone mentioned that they know some people in college that have intense interests in the science field, etc. but that they're not AS. Some AS people have made it almost practice perfect to act NT. That is what I have picked up from here on WP and also on YouTube. I myself have at times acted NT but then at the end of the day, in the privacy of my home, I practically collapse from the mental exhaustion from pretending to be who I am not.

Oh God, I know what you mean here. I work directly with one. But beyond that, he's obsessed with promotion and worship of his family as well. Anyone in his family is kick-ass AWESOME, including his inbred alcoholic criminal brother, and if you're not part of his family you must be crap. It reminds me a lot of Billy Madison where he keeps encountering the O'Doyles and they always say "O'Doyle rules!"

They don't usually take it as far as aspies can, but almost sometimes.

This is not a circular reasoning?

Look at the normal male teenager, who only think in soccer and sex. This is not narrow intersts?