A Therapy Center for Autistic Girls & Women
She Rocks the Spectrum
Special Interest Week
Seven days of giving your special interest the room it deserves — and watching what that does to the rest of you.
Most autistic adults have, somewhere along the way, learned to apologize for their special interests. To squeeze them into the cracks between obligations. To call them silly when other people are listening. To grow out of them. To be embarrassed when someone notices.
We are asking you, for seven days, to do the opposite. Not because special interests are a hobby. Because for many autistic people they are the most regulating, restorative, and energising activity available to the nervous system — and they have been quietly carrying you for years.
What counts as a special interest: The thing you'd talk about for two hours if someone asked. The thing your tabs are full of. The thing that gives you the same satisfaction a meal does. Niche is fine. Long-running is fine. Recent is fine. It does not need to be productive or marketable.
Setting the Week Up
This week's special interest is:
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How long has this interest been with me, and what shape has it taken over the years?
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What usually gets in the way of giving it real time? (Be specific — work hours, partner expectations, internalized shame, executive function tax, screen guilt.)
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Minutes I will protect for it each day this week (suggested: at least 30): (15–240)
____
The time of day I'll do it (so it actually happens):
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The Daily Log
After each session, take a minute and answer these. Brief is fine.
Day 1
What I did:
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Energy BEFORE (1 depleted – 10 fully charged):
Rate from 1 to 10: ____
Energy AFTER:
Rate from 1 to 10: ____
One thing I noticed:
______________________________________________
Day 2
What I did:
______________________________________________
Energy BEFORE:
Rate from 1 to 10: ____
Energy AFTER:
Rate from 1 to 10: ____
One thing I noticed:
______________________________________________
Day 3
What I did:
______________________________________________
Energy BEFORE:
Rate from 1 to 10: ____
Energy AFTER:
Rate from 1 to 10: ____
One thing I noticed:
______________________________________________
Day 4
What I did:
______________________________________________
Energy BEFORE:
Rate from 1 to 10: ____
Energy AFTER:
Rate from 1 to 10: ____
One thing I noticed:
______________________________________________
Day 5
What I did:
______________________________________________
Energy BEFORE:
Rate from 1 to 10: ____
Energy AFTER:
Rate from 1 to 10: ____
One thing I noticed:
______________________________________________
Day 6
What I did:
______________________________________________
Energy BEFORE:
Rate from 1 to 10: ____
Energy AFTER:
Rate from 1 to 10: ____
One thing I noticed:
______________________________________________
Day 7
What I did:
______________________________________________
Energy BEFORE:
Rate from 1 to 10: ____
Energy AFTER:
Rate from 1 to 10: ____
One thing I noticed:
______________________________________________
End-of-Week Reflection
What changed across the week — in my body, my mood, my sleep, my tolerance for the rest of life?
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What surprised me?
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How much time per week am I willing to give this from now on — and what will I move out of the way to protect it?
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Inspired by: Inspired by a worksheet in Devon Price's Unmasking Autism (Harmony, 2022). Our framing, prompts, and structure are original.
A gentle note: This worksheet is a learning tool, not treatment. If what comes up for you feels too big to hold alone, please work with a qualified clinician.