Published on 12, July, 2020
I am waiting for a referral for a diagnosis for autism but so worried that the assessor won’t take me seriously as my special interests have always been fictional characters from tv shows as well as tv shows, rock groups, actors and cats. Also objects such as candles, ornaments and plants. The other thing is I’ve learned to mask things over the years and can manage some small talk but only really one on one. Would this make the assessor say my special interests aren’t that of an autistic person? I have read a lot about women being misdiagnosed and really worried in case it happens to me. Any advice would be great.
As far as I know there is no criteria which states autistic people have to have certain interests. Everyone is an individual which means they have their own individual interests. You'll find on here, interests are very varied. There may be stereotypical interests but these are not defining autism. I think it is more about the intensity of the interest and possibly how you engage with it.