At what age do special interests "start"?

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At what age do Aspies usually get their first special interest(s)? Can already toddlers have special interests and if so, what would those be for example (given that most special interests seem to be about reading and collecting info on a particular topic which a toddler can't do yet after all)?

I dunno if this is relevant, but I'm told that by the time I was 2, I was finishing jigsaw puzzles that were meant for 4-year-olds.

I'm pretty sure that a couple of my interests, such as enjoyment of reading and love of animals, started from birth. There have always been plenty of both around my house. My parents had a cat before they had me.

My first real special interest, horses, began at about age five. I also loved Siamese cats from a very early age. I was fourteen when I got my first real Siamese, a beautiful Lynx point girl named Samantha. She shared my life for 20 years.

I think it started by 3 with me. It was electronics. OK, basically it started out as electricity. I didn't consider reading an interest.(I mean pretty much EVERYONE does that, RIGHT?) If you consider that, maybe THAT was my first. I don't read so much now, but when I was a kid, I was a VORACIOUS reader! I even subscribed to at least 3 magazines(popular mechanics, popular electronics, radio electronics), and read every one cover to cover.

And YEP, I used to do LOTS of puzzles, and none where the ridiculously simple ones either.

Steve

Mine started with an RM Nimbus and building model airoplanes with those female sanitry tube things.

Last edited by Aspie_Chav on 12 Apr 2007, 9:14 am, edited 1 time in total.

Tony Atwood the leading expert on asperger's says that special interests start at about 2 or 3 years of age. That was certainly true for me!

I only know for definite I was interested in history from 7 when I went to Italy. I was interested in history before then, but have no idea how long before. So before 7, but not sure what age. I think interests develop as soon as they become properly aware of things. I can't remember when I first started becoming interested in history or cats, I just always have

That's probably true, with my three main interests I had as a child, I had members of my family who were also interested in them. So I probably initially got it from that when I was young.

I was 3-4 when I found my first obsessive interest.... erm, interests actually. I was obsessed with classic DOS games, especially Prince of Persia, Aladdin and Supaplex I really loved playing them (I could solve up to level 12 in Supaplex) and my imaginary world that developped around that age had four important people with the following names: 1- my name 2- Aladdin 3- Prince or P1 4- Prince 2 or P2.

Actually, you know, obsessed with food and cooking from 3.

I remember doing a lot of repetitive things like rubbing my eyes to watch the sparkly things come...(best description I have for it...just do it and you will 'see' what I mean! )

Lining up Golden books over and over again to make steps....just had to have as many of those books as I could.

A lot of early memories are about anxiety for me...like fear of water

How come so many people seem to remember things from when they were 3 or 4? I only have a couple of vague memories from then and I'm not even sure what they are. My earliest proper memories are from 7 onwards.

As a toddler my special intrest was trains. I would play with toy trains constanty, watch Thomas The Tank as much as I could, take any train toys etc from shops when my nan dared take me in any, i would make trains using chairs, tables etc. I absolutly hate anything to do with trains now

And I think lots of kids have special interests even at that young age.

My first memory is before I was 15 months old..being in a walker and sucking on a facewasher....problem is when I told my family they freaked out because I described the whole house plan to them....we moved out of the house when I was around that age, so it must be before then.

For me:

Where it all started; where it all ended: Four.

("A New Hope" in the VCR on loop....)

I remember 5 like it was yesterday.(It was almost 40 years ago). Earlier times are harder, but there. As I recall, I was about 3 when I picked a light switch off the rack, and asked for it. It was a regular switch like the ones often used in homes for the past several decades. I examined that more than anyone, right down to the insides. One of the few things I dismantled while it was working, and couldn't put back together(As I recall, it was rivited. 8-() Anyway, I TRIED to remember earlier times. And SOME things just stick out.

Steve

I've tried remembering early things, but what I do remember then is too vague so I can't put an exact age on it. Sometimes I think I can remember things but then I'm not sure if they're actually proper memories...