"special interest"

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hale_bopp
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18 Feb 2012, 11:06 pm

Am I the only person here who thinks that term is patronising?

If anything I would call it an intense interest.

Tim_Tex
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18 Feb 2012, 11:07 pm

What's the difference between a special interest and an intense one?

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hale_bopp
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18 Feb 2012, 11:20 pm

Tim_Tex wrote:

What's the difference between a special interest and an intense one?

The wording.

jojobean
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18 Feb 2012, 11:29 pm

I guess you are thinking "special" as meaning somehow "disabled" right??

I think "special" as meaning "something of important value" to me

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eristocrat
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19 Feb 2012, 12:18 am

I always just went with the term "obsession" and never thought about it much.

Is that bad?

Lynners
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19 Feb 2012, 12:21 am

eristocrat wrote:

I always just went with the term "obsession" and never thought about it much.

Is that bad?

No.

eristocrat
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19 Feb 2012, 1:41 am

^ Ha ha good! Because it's really the most fitting term... I enjoy my obsessions.

Lynners
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19 Feb 2012, 2:49 am

eristocrat wrote:

^ Ha ha good! Because it's really the most fitting term... I enjoy my obsessions.

I think it's only bad when someone calls you OCD because of it and you then have an uncontrollable urge to kick them in the shin.

(jk)

LogiC
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19 Feb 2012, 3:47 am

Lynners wrote:

eristocrat wrote:

^ Ha ha good! Because it's really the most fitting term... I enjoy my obsessions.

I think it's only bad when someone calls you OCD because of it and you then have an uncontrollable urge to kick them in the shin.

(jk)

What if you got the urge to correct them by saying how OCD is different to anal pedant-ism? :wink:

CyclopsSummers
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19 Feb 2012, 4:52 am

Who first coined the term "special interest"? I always assumed it originated within the autistic community itself.

The DSM calls 'em: restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests and activities. Which is accurate from an objective point of view, but not very concise. So yeah, I think 'special' was suggested in the sense jojobean interprets it: "something of important value", rather than in the sense 'special' as 'disabled'.

I also used to say "obsession". Sometimes I still do. But these days, I prefer to just say 'hobby' and not make too much out of it.

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Bun
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19 Feb 2012, 5:57 am

Dunno about "special interest" being offensive; I think "obsession" sounds more clinical and thus offensive, but I've had that term used on me since primary school so I don't care much anymore, I use both.

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Subotai
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19 Feb 2012, 6:01 am

I don't like that term either, makes me shudder.
Aspie is just as bad.

CyclopsSummers
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19 Feb 2012, 6:03 am

What's in a name? If your special interest is roses, they would smell as sweet if you'd call it an obsession.

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Bun
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19 Feb 2012, 6:04 am

CyclopsSummers wrote:

What's in a name? If your special interest is roses, they would smell as sweet if you'd call it an obsession.

I like that.

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