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BonsaiForest Since: Jan, 2001
#7176: Apr 29th 2024 at 8:23:01 PM

I wasn't into trains as a kid, but interestingly, my allistic older brother was!

Edited by BonsaiForest on May 31st 2024 at 6:01:43 AM

Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#7177: Apr 29th 2024 at 8:27:21 PM

People with Autism often have special interests that they're very fixated on. It's not uncommon for these interests to be things others might regard as dull, childish, or geeky.

Trains are an example of a nerdy interest that the layman might find dull.

For my part I have no special interest in trains. Maybe if I spent some time learning about trains I would be, I suppose they're neat.

My special interest was/is mostly dinosaurs. It does change over time, for example there was a long stretch I was really into astronomy, currently interested in history around WWI Iish.

Leviticus 19:34
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#7178: Apr 30th 2024 at 1:24:09 PM

The factors autism has is that it means people are more likely to take hobbies to an unusual level/obsession and that they are less likely to notice and act on social stigma around hobbies that would make a neurotypical personal switch hobby.

Trains also may be especially interesting to autistic people due to their (in concept) regimented, planned, logical and predictable behaviour. Such traits are going to resonate with a lot of autistic people.

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DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#7179: Apr 30th 2024 at 2:01:37 PM

I heard it was more transportation technology rather than trains per se. Aircraft, for example.

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BigBadShadow25 With my last breath, I curse Zoidberg. from Basement at the Alamo (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: Desperate
With my last breath, I curse Zoidberg.
#7180: Apr 30th 2024 at 2:38:47 PM

I don’t have that interest but I DO prefer trains to airplanes due to my fear of flying…

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BonsaiForest Since: Jan, 2001
#7181: Apr 30th 2024 at 2:47:09 PM

Airplanes... I know someone on a Discord server who's really into them! She also talks about her car a lot, and cars in general to some extent.

HalfFaust Since: Jan, 2019
#7182: Apr 30th 2024 at 3:33:44 PM

I'm not entirely sure what it is, but most forms of transport do seem like very "suitable" special interests. I suppose since there's a lot to learn about them, loads of different types with various fun facts, some more detailed engineering if that's your thing, you can get miniatures, if you're in the right area you can make a trip to go look at real ones, just ticks a lot of the boxes. And of course the more popular a hobby is, the more likely you can find other people who share your interest. There's also a degree of confirmation bias, since trains especially have a bit of a reputation you're more likely to notice it, while other hobbies may go unquestioned.

I'm not particularly into trains myself, but I do think they're neat. My flatmate is very into trains, and I'll happily listen to him talk when he's infodumping about them (he's not diagnosed autistic, but I wouldn't be surprised). I'll sometimes find myself watching a video about trains, there's definitely some interesting stuff there.

That said, I live in the UK so here any appreciation of trains has to fight against hatred for the way our train companies are run.

Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#7183: Apr 30th 2024 at 4:23:03 PM

I'd say trains are probably a common special interest because:

  • Trains are in a middle ground of being kind of neat but also prosaic and utilitarian. In essence, dull enough to the layman to be a niche interest, but cool enough to be a popular niche interest.

  • Trains are toyetic by nature, which means children are often exposed to them.

  • Trains being toyetic also means that they provide endless collectible goodies you can get into.

  • There are lots of different types of trains.

  • Trains are complicated mechanical devices which means that there's a very big rabbit hole there; once you get into trains you likely find lots of minor details interesting one can be fascinated by.

Leviticus 19:34
dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#7184: Apr 30th 2024 at 4:48:12 PM

People with Autism often have special interests that they're very fixated on. It's not uncommon for these interests to be things others might regard as dull, childish, or geeky.

Oh, I already know this part: I was just wondering why it was trains.

Trains also may be especially interesting to autistic people due to their (in concept) regimented, planned, logical and predictable behaviour. Such traits are going to resonate with a lot of autistic people.

And of course the more popular a hobby is, the more likely you can find other people who share your interest. There's also a degree of confirmation bias, since trains especially have a bit of a reputation you're more likely to notice it, while other hobbies may go unquestioned.

Trains are complicated mechanical devices which means that there's a very big rabbit hole there; once you get into trains you likely find lots of minor details interesting one can be fascinated by.

First of all, thanks for the answers, truly fascinating!

Secondly...uhh...I'm already diagnosed with ADHD and maybe I should check my psychiatrist to see if I also have undiagnosed autism...

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#7185: Apr 30th 2024 at 7:56:54 PM

I had a lot of train stuff as a kid and it just kinda stuck.

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SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#7186: Apr 30th 2024 at 10:06:27 PM

Hmm. My grandfather was a railway engineer who left several toy train sets. I always chalked it up to that.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Demongodofchaos2 Face me now, bitch! from In a Cultivation World (Ancient one) Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
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#7187: May 1st 2024 at 5:56:44 AM

I've noticed for years that Asian media (Anime, Manga, Japanese games, and more recently Korean and Chinese comics) have gained a similar reputation to trains as a major obsession in people with Autism.

As an autistic man myself, guilty as charged. tongue

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CosmosAndChaos Peach from Brazil (Don’t ask) Relationship Status: Hugging my pillow
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#7188: May 1st 2024 at 11:32:37 AM

I'm autistic and I'm neutral on trains, honestly.

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dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#7189: May 1st 2024 at 5:47:02 PM

[up][up]...Huh, I never really noticed it yet.

Honestly, I personally love trains mostly because railoads and other forms of public transportation are fundamentally important to any society.

...Also, I can actually read books in trains. [lol]

Continuously reading, studying, and (hopefully) growing.
BigBadShadow25 With my last breath, I curse Zoidberg. from Basement at the Alamo (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: Desperate
With my last breath, I curse Zoidberg.
#7190: May 1st 2024 at 5:56:35 PM

I love trains because I don’t have to worry about falling to my death if the engine stops working.

You’re Gonna Carry That Weight.
BonsaiForest Since: Jan, 2001
#7191: May 2nd 2024 at 6:17:59 AM

My friend Amy has an interest in travel, and she points out that due to heavy regulations, commercial flights are the safest form of transportation right now. Generally, companies (Boeing possibly excepted right now) recognize that if their planes are seen as unsafe, they lose a massive ton of money from customers being afraid to fly on them. So, Boeing excepted, they don't mess around.

The-Azure-Star-Of-Orion Long time lurker from a deep dark hole Since: Mar, 2022 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
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#7192: May 2nd 2024 at 1:56:25 PM

My grandfather was interested in trains and because of that I believed he was slightly neurodivergent or at least the start of neurodivergent in my dad's side of the family.

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#7193: May 2nd 2024 at 3:14:00 PM

Trains also may be especially interesting to autistic people due to their (in concept) regimented, planned, logical and predictable behaviour. Such traits are going to resonate with a lot of autistic people.

Trains are complicated mechanical devices which means that there's a very big rabbit hole there; once you get into trains you likely find lots of minor details interesting one can be fascinated by.

Mechanisms are extremely satisfying, especially mechanisms that behave logically but unintuitively.

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BigBadShadow25 With my last breath, I curse Zoidberg. from Basement at the Alamo (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: Desperate
With my last breath, I curse Zoidberg.
#7194: May 18th 2024 at 2:08:20 PM

You guys think there’s a close link between Autism and Anxiety? I basically have both.

You’re Gonna Carry That Weight.
Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#7195: May 18th 2024 at 2:12:21 PM

Autism does seem to have a slew of various co-maladies. I think anxiety is on the list as well.

BonsaiForest Since: Jan, 2001
#7196: May 18th 2024 at 3:38:35 PM

I'd assume that autistic life experiences cause anxiety, not autism itself.

HalfFaust Since: Jan, 2019
#7197: May 19th 2024 at 2:59:13 AM

I think it can certainly go either way; I won't go too deep into my own case but I both am autistic and have been diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder, and after some introspection I think I can kind of distinguish between different types of worries which may well come from different sources. Some of the things I worry about (e.g. socializing, relationships) seem quite standard for autistic people, whereas others aren't. There is also what I think is a fairly common thread for anxiet, whereby it would be reasonable to be somewhat worried about whatever thing, but I'm far too stressed about it to the point of it impairing my functioning.

As said above, autistic life experiences can be quite anxiety-inducing, so it probably exacerbates things for anyone prone to anxiety disorders. Autistic people may also be more likely to seek psychiatric help and thus get diagnosed, although I'm not sure about that one.

MDLuder Since: May, 2022
Booplesnoot Since: Aug, 2023
#7199: May 30th 2024 at 7:37:16 AM

I know I'm going to get some flack for this, but since I have autism myself I think this is as valid a take to have as any. It's something I've noticed in fiction in general, but especially in cartoons, where you get characters who are given very autism-coded traits, but aren't actually established as autistic onscreen. In a way, I see it as a sort of "plausible deniability" on the part of the writers— these characters aren't officially autistic, so it's up to the audience to interpret them as such. Kind of like how a lot of would-be queer rep in recent cartoons is really just queer-coded.

Not to mention, when we do get a character who's confirmed onscreen to have autism? They tend to fall into stereotypes that real autistic people like myself are not fond of. They're always antisocial savants. Always borderline sociopaths with no empathy. But whenever you see an apparently autistic character who isn't those things— who has a more well-developed personality, and who doesn't fit the autism stereotype— they don't explicitly get called autistic. It's a double standard. The reason I'm not a fan of this kind of autism-coding is because it reinforces the notion that people with autism aren't, well, human and and anyone with autism who can "pass" as a normal person must not really be autistic.

Characters like Marcy from Amphibia or Entrapta from the She-Ra reboot technically meet a lot of the qualifications for autism, but you're never going to see that mentioned onscreen, because the writers usually don't want the stigma that comes with the label. So they go with this sort of plausible deniability where the audience can interpret them as having autism if they want to, but they don't have to. And that's bad representation. This stuff needs to be confirmed onscreen.

Which brings me to my ultimate question. Are there any examples of cartoons (other than educational ones like Arthur) where a major character is explicitly confirmed to have autism onscreen?

DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#7200: May 30th 2024 at 12:40:26 PM

The closest one I can think of is that one puppet from Sesame Street, but that's educational.

As for Manic Pixie Dream Girls, I think that comes closer to a stereotype of a certain kind of girl than anything in real life.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.

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