Ruling Passions: Exploring the value of autistic adults’ interests

What’s on offer?

This talk will summarise a research project that explored the ‘special interests’ of autistic adults. Dr Chris Bailey  will show how these interests have played really important roles in the participants' lives, helping them to develop their identities, enabling them to maintain positive wellbeing at various stages of their lives.

The event will launch a booklet summary of the research and its findings

What’s it about?

Autistic people are often recognised as having intense or focussed interests on particular topics or activities. However, this aspect of autistic experience is very rarely researched, and the interests are often referred to negatively as being ‘restrictive and repetitive’. To provide an alternative perspective, this talk uses words and images provided by participants to show how complex and valuable these ‘ruling passions’ can actually be to the lives of the people involved

Who’s leading the event?

Dr Chris Bailey

Open to

All are welcome to attend

Of particular interest to

Will be of interest to autistic and other neurodivergent people, their families and friends and those working in professional roles with autistic and other neurodivergent people