Some of my more positive experiences recently have been based around doing different special interest things with friends, and I think special interests are not only one of the coolest and most exciting things about autistic individuals but actually a great way to connect with others and form new or stronger bonds! So I wanted to talk about ways to use special interests to interact with friends!

1. Same Special Interests!
   Sometimes you might have the same special interests as your friends, which is an EXCELLENT opportunity to do things together. I’ve also made friends by joining groups or clubs related to my special interests, like going to concerts or joining online or local groups/clubs/communities (university was great for this – anime society!). One of my special interests is art history, which is something my sister also loves, and studied at university, so we go to art galleries together, which is really fun. Another one of my special interests is musicals, and so I’m planning on booking a musical with a friend as a treat sometime this year!
2. Sharing Special Interests!
   If you’re really passionate about a special interest, you might be able to persuade a friend to get interested too. Invite them to the club/group you go to, or offer to introduce them to your favourite show! Alternatively, you might be interested in one of your friend’s special interests, so you could ask if they could introduce you and help you ‘get into’ it! I would now call Taylor Swift one of my special interest music artists, and actually I was only a casual Taylor Swift fan until I met someone who was OBSESSED (and actually, they were neurotypical aha)! I also didn’t used to be into politics, but I met someone who was, and began reading more and learning about it, which led to me also finding other friends, who were passionate about human rights! Another thing you could do is start a new special interest WITH a friend, like getting into a film series together or starting a new sport together. I started getting into Pokemon with a friend!
3. Special Interest Crossovers!
   Special interest crossovers are great because they’re ways of bonding with friends with DIFFERENT special interests! Look for ways you can overlap your different interests! For example, if your friend loves board games and you love a specific show, there might be a board game themed around that show you could play together. Or if your friend likes art and you like photography, you could work on a joint project, combining the two! If one of you is really into feminist stuff and you really like art things, you could look out for a pottery or paint together class with a feminist theme!
   I love taking quizzes and ranking things, so I like to take them with friends and pick ones based on their interests. I also love retro toys and nostalgia, so I can chat to my friends who love toys, about certain ones! Oh, and I have friends who are passionate about veganism, so I talk to them about animals, the environment, and if they can recommend any vegan snacks for me to review!

What are your special interests, and do you share any with friends??