Special interests and inclusive academic learning: an autistic perspective

Metadata sources used for this reference

OpenAlex Crossref OpenCitations
Learn more about the sources used

Boven, F. (2018). Special interests and inclusive academic learning: an autistic perspective. Advances in Autism, 4(4), 155-164. https://doi.org/10.1108/aia-05-2018-0020

Publication date: 6 Sep 2018 Added to AutiHub: 5 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
OpenAlex source Publisher source (DOI) Full text

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
1
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 1 (100.0%)
  1. Frederik Boven *

Abstract

Purpose Many people with an autistic spectrum condition have one or more “special interests” which is more restricted, and which they pursue with more than average intensity. The purpose of this paper is to offer a first-person perspective on inclusion of special interests in academic learning. The paper describes examples of special interests of university students and offers recommendations for university teachers. Design/methodology/approach The author combines the emerging strategy of using his own autobiographical material as research object with the more establish method of conceptual analysis. Findings The author finds that special interests can be a source of academic strength, but can also interfere with learning. The paper argues that including special interests in academic learning is an effective way of including students with autism in higher education, but requires some special provisions. Originality/value Existing research has focused either on the special interests of persons with autism or on their inclusion in education, but the combination of these two issues has rarely been considered. The paper addresses this neglected topic from the inside perspective of a former student with autism who, after completing a research master’s in philosophy, was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at age 34. The author combines this inside perspective with knowledge of the theory and history of autism.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Bibliography inclusion overview

These indicators describe the cited bibliography imported for this publication. Cited-reference metrics use the cited-reference total as denominator. Cited-author metrics state whether they use all cited-author occurrences or only occurrences linked to authors already integrated in the AutiHub database. They use cached links between cited authors and authors integrated in the AutiHub database. Last computed: 16 Aug 2026 11:30.

Cited references
53
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
1 / 53 (1.9%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
1 / 75 (1.3%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 1 / 17 (5.9%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 1 / 73 (1.4%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
17 / 75 (22.7%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 16 / 73 (21.9%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
16 / 17 (94.1%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 16 / 75 (21.3%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 15 / 16 (93.8%).
  1. Kimberly Armstrong (2014). Interests in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder . Summit (Simon Fraser University).
    Type: Dissertation OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W183297510
    Crossref OpenAlex
  2. Adams, L. W. (1998), “Incorporating narrow interests into the school tasks of children with autism”, PhD, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  3. Debra Hart , Meg Grigal , Cate Weir (2010). Expanding the Paradigm: Postsecondary Education Options for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disabilities . Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 25(3), 134-150. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/1088357610373759 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2114887887
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  4. Ru Ying Cai , Amanda L. Richdale (2016). Educational Experiences and Needs of Higher Education Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(1), 31-41. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-015-2535-1 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1457101468
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  5. (2011). Special interests and mental lealth in autism spectrum disorders .
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  6. Diane Adreon , Jennifer Stella Durocher (2007). Evaluating the College Transition Needs of Individuals With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders . Intervention in School and Clinic, 42(5), 271-279. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/10534512070420050201 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2074538506
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  7. Francesca Happé (1991). The autobiographical writings of three Asperger syndrome adults: problems of interpretation and implications for theory . In Autism and Asperger syndrome (pp. 207-242). Cambridge University Press.
    Type: Book chapter DOI: 10.1017/cbo9780511526770.007 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1516124385
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  8. Andrea Wilson Nightingale (2004). Spectacles of Truth in Classical Greek Philosophy . Cambridge University Press.
    Type: Book DOI: 10.1017/cbo9780511482564 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4211086855
    Crossref OpenCitations
  9. APA (American Psychiatric Association) (2012). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . SpringerReference, 5. Springer-Verlag.
    Type: Other DOI: 10.1007/springerreference_121117 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1604476085
    OpenAlex
  10. (2010). College students on the autism spectrum: social experiences and self-disclosure .
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  11. Susan W. White , Thomas H. Ollendick , Bethany C. Bray (2011). College students on the autism spectrum . Autism, 15(6), 683-701. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/1362361310393363 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2133291294
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  12. Kerry C. M. Gunn , Jonathan T. Delafield-Butt (2016). Teaching Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder With Restricted Interests . Review of Educational Research, 86(2), 408-430. American Educational Research Association (AERA).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.3102/0034654315604027 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1926765932
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  13. (2013). Plato the Teacher: The Crisis of the Republic . Plato the Teacher: The Crisis of the Republic.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  14. Hans Asperger (1944). Die „Autistischen Psychopathen” im Kindesalter . Archiv für Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheiten, 117(1), 76-136. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/bf01837709 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1965210252
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  15. American Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  16. Marissa L. Diener , Cheryl A. Wright , Louise Dunn , Scott D. Wright , Laura Linnell Anderson , Katherine Newbold Smith (2016). A Creative 3D Design Programme: Building on Interests and Social Engagement for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) . International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 63(2), 181-200. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/1034912x.2015.1053436 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2125413516
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  17. Hannah Soong , Ly Thi Tran , Pham Hoa Hiep (2015). Being and becoming an intercultural doctoral student: reflective autobiographical narratives . Reflective Practice, 16(4), 435-448. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/14623943.2015.1023276 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1991070058
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  18. González Moreno, Andrés Santiago (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . American Psychiatric Association.
    Type: Book DOI: 10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4247665917
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  19. Rachel Grove , Rosa A. Hoekstra , Marlies Wierda , Sander Begeer (2018). Special interests and subjective wellbeing in autistic adults . Autism Research, 11(5), 766-775. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1002/aur.1931 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2789112474
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  21. Simon Baron-Cohen (1989). Do autistic children have obsessions and compulsions? British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 28(3), 193-200. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1111/j.2044-8260.1989.tb01369.x OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1996605430
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  22. Farah El Zein , Michael Solis , Russell Lang , Min Kyung Kim (2014). Embedding perseverative interest of a child with autism in text may result in improved reading comprehension: A pilot study . Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 19(3), 1-5. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.3109/17518423.2014.915893 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2053928019
    OpenAlex
  23. (2012). Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders — autism and developmental disabilities monitoring network, 14 Sites, United States, 2008 . Surveillance Summaries, 61(SS03), 1.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  24. Ami Klin , Judith H. Danovitch , Amanda B. Merz , Fred R. Volkmar (2007). Circumscribed Interests in Higher Functioning Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Exploratory Study . Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 32(2), 89-100. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.2511/rpsd.32.2.89 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2096953596
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  25. Ernst VanBergeijk , Ami Klin , Fred Volkmar (2008). Supporting More Able Students on the Autism Spectrum: College and Beyond . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(7), 1359-1370. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-007-0524-8 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2080898584
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  26. Simon Baron-Cohen , Sally Wheelwright (1999). ‘Obsessions' in children with autism or Asperger syndrome . British Journal of Psychiatry, 175(5), 484-490. Royal College of Psychiatrists.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1192/bjp.175.5.484 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2112571905
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  27. Tiara Saufley Brown , Tina Stanton-Chapman (2015). Strategies for Teaching Children With Autism Who Display or Demonstrate Circumscribed Interests . Young Exceptional Children, 18(4), 31-40. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/1096250614558851 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2323547587
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  28. Brigitte Chamak , Beatrice Bonniau , Emmanuel Jaunay , David Cohen (2008). What Can We Learn about Autism from Autistic Persons? Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 77(5), 271-279. S. Karger AG.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1159/000140086 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2087079636
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  29. (2014). key2021041412264426900_ref300 Cultural Citizenship: An Integrative Agenda for a Transdisciplinary Debate.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  30. Joyce Davidson , Mick Smith (2009). Autistic Autobiographies and More-Than-Human Emotional Geographies . Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 27(5), 898-916. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1068/d4308 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2098565910
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  31. Danielle Ward , Amanda A. Webster (2018). Understanding the Lived Experiences of University Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Phenomenological Study . International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 65(4), 373-392. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/1034912x.2017.1403573 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2770517542
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  32. Carranza, V. (2017), “Community college students on the autism spectrum”, PhD, San Diego State University, San Diego.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  33. Colleen Tenni , Anne Smith , Carlene Boucher (2015). The Researcher as Autobiographer: Analysing Data Written About Oneself . The Qualitative Report. Nova Southeastern University.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.46743/2160-3715/2003.1895 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2120727074
    OpenAlex
  34. Colclough, M. N. (2016), “Exploring the social experiences of college students who have autism spectrum disorders: examining neurodiversity on campus”, PhD, Old Dominion University, Norfolk.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  35. Lorcan Kenny , Caroline Hattersley , Bonnie Molins , Carole Buckley , Carol Povey , Elizabeth Pellicano (2016). Which terms should be used to describe autism? Perspectives from the UK autism community . Autism, 20(4), 442-462. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/1362361315588200 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2227393071
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  36. Kate Altman (2013). College students on the autism spectrum: Social experiences and self-disclosure . In ProQuest LLC eBooks.
    Type: Book chapter OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2144385087
    OpenAlex
  37. Scott Christopher Eckhardt (2017). Social Media Use As A Third Place For Community College Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder . In Maryland Shared Open Access Repository (USMAI Consortium). My University.
    Type: Book chapter DOI: 10.13016/m2js9hb14 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2885022938
    Crossref OpenAlex
  38. Mary Ann Winter-Messiers (2007). From Tarantulas to Toilet Brushes . Remedial and Special Education, 28(3), 140-152. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/07419325070280030301 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2151278763
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  39. (2016). Embedding perseverative interest of a child with autism in text may result in improved reading comprehension: a pilot study . Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 19(3), 141.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  40. Tara J. Glennon (2001). The stress of the university experience for students with Asperger syndrome . WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation, 17(3), 183-190. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.3233/wor-2001-00188 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2161896962
    Crossref OpenAlex
  41. Ian Hacking (2009). Autistic autobiography . Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 364(1522), 1467-1473. The Royal Society.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2008.0329 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4244526978
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  42. L Kanner (1968). Autistic disturbances of affective contact. Acta Paedopsychiatr, 35(4), 100.
    Type: Article OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2192638454
    OpenAlex
  43. Léo Kanner (1943). Autistic disturbances of affective contact . Nervous Child, 2(3), 217.
    Type: Article OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2255119171
    OpenAlex
  44. Monique N. Colclough (2016). Exploring the Social Experiences of College Students Who Have Autism Spectrum Disorders: Examining Neurodiversity on Campus . ODU Digital Commons (Old Dominion University). Old Dominion University Libraries.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.25777/cvbc-xy19 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2540995544
    OpenAlex
  45. (2011). Information seeking in the context of a hobby: a case study of a young adult with Asperger’s syndrome . The Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults, 1(2).
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  46. (2006). Realizing the College Dream with Autism Or Asperger Syndrome: A Parent’s Guide to Student Success . Realizing the College Dream with Autism Or Asperger Syndrome: A Parent’s Guide to Student Success.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  47. (2002). Aquamarine Blue 5: Personal Stories of College Students with Autism . Aquamarine Blue 5: Personal Stories of College Students with Autism.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  48. (1992). Oneself as Another . Oneself as Another.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  49. Runswick-Cole, K. (2016), “Understanding this thing called autism”, in Runswick-Cole, K., Mallet, R. and Mimini, S. (Eds), Rethinking Autism: Diagnosis, Identity and Equality, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London, pp. 19-29.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  50. Schlabach, T. (2008), “The college experience of students with Asperger’s disorder: perceptions of the students themselves and of college disability service providers who work with these students”, PhD, Illinois State University, Normal.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  51. (2003). The researcher as autobiographer: analysing data written about oneself . The Qualitative Report, 8(1), 1.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  52. Welkowitz, L. A. and Baker, L. J. (2005), “Supporting college students with Asperger’s syndrome”, in Baker, L. J. and Welkowitz, L. A. (Eds), Asperger’s Syndrome: Intervening in Schools, Clinics, and Communities, Routledge, New York, NY, pp. 173-90.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  53. (1943). Autistic disturbances of affective contact . Nervous Child.
    Type: Other
    Crossref