To explore how restricted interests are perceived by individuals with pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) and their relatives, 18 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with six high-functioning individuals with PDD, their parents and/or siblings. Results revealed that restricted interests play a significant role in the person’s life that is acknowledged by most of their relatives. They provide a sense of well-being, a positive way of occupying one’s time, a source of personal validation, and an incentive for personal growth. However, these positive dimensions are counterbalanced by their negative consequences. Following the demands and the support from their environment, the participants in the study reported to have involved themselves in an active process to adapt, reduce or diversify their restricted interests. These findings on transformation of restricted interests under development and social pressure may have theoretical (for cognitive models of autism) and clinical consequences (in their use for rehabilitation).
BAILEY, A. , PHILIPPS, W. & RUTTER, M. (1996) ‘Autism: Towards an Integration of Clinical, Genetic, Neuropsychological and Neurobiological Perspectives’, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry37: 89-126.
2.
BOWLER, D. M. (1992) ‘“Theory of Mind” in Asperger’s Syndrome’, Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry33 (5): 877-893.
3.
BRYSON, S. E. (1997) ‘Epidemiology of Autism: Overview and Issues Outstanding’, in D. J. COHEN & F. R. VOLKMAR (eds) Handbook of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2nd edn., pp. 41-46. Toronto: Wiley.
4.
BURT, D. B. , FULLER, P. & LEWIS, K. R. (1991) ‘Brief Report: Competitive Employment of Adults with Autism’, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders21 (2): 237-242.
5.
CESARONI, L. (1990) ‘Exploring the Experience of Autism through First-Hand Accounts from High-Functioning Individuals with Autism’, master’s thesis, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
6.
CESARONI, L. & GARBER, M. (1991) ‘Exploring the Experience of Autism through Firsthand Accounts’, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders21 (3): 303-313.
7.
CHARLOP-CHRISTY, M. H. & HAYMES, L. K. (1996) ‘Using Obsessions as Reinforcers with and without Mild Reductive Procedures to Decrease Inappropriate Behaviors of Children’, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders26 (5): 527-546.
8.
CHARLOP-CHRISTY, M. H. , KURTZ, P. F. & CASEY, F. (1990) ‘Using Aberrant Behaviors as Reinforcers for Autistic Children’, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis23: 163-181.
9.
DENZIN, N. K. & LINCOLN, Y. S. (eds) (1994) Handbook of Qualitative Research. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
10.
DEWEY, M. (1991) ‘Living with Asperger’s Syndrome’, in U. FRITH (ed.) Autism and Asperger Syndrome, pp. 184-206. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
11.
EAVES, L. C. , HO, H. H. & EAVES, D. M. (1994) ‘Subtypes of Autism by Cluster Analysis’, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders24 (1): 3-22.
12.
ERLANDSON, D. , HARRIS, E., SKIPPER, B. & ALLEN, S. (1993) Doing Naturalistic Inquiry: A Guide to Methods. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
13.
GRAY, D. E. (1993) ‘Negotiating Autism: Relations between Parents and Treatment Staff’, Social Science and Medicine36 (8): 1037-1046.
14.
GRAY, D. E. (1994) ‘Coping with Autism: Stresses and Strategies’, Sociology of Health and Illness16 (3): 275-300.
15.
GRAY, D. E. (1997) ‘High Functioning Autistic Children and the Construction of “Normal Family Life”’, Social Science and Medicine44 (8): 1097-1106.
16.
HAPPÉ, F. G. E. (1991) ‘The Autobiographical Writings of Three Asperger Syndrome Adults: Problems of Interpretation and Implications for Theory’, in U. FRITH (ed.) Autism and Asperger Syndrome, pp. 207-242. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
17.
HAPPÉ, F. G. E. & FRITH, U. (1996) ‘The Neuropsychology of Autism’, Brain119: 1377-1400.
18.
JAMBAQUÉ, I. , MOTTRON, L., PONSOT, G. & CHIRON, C. (1998) ‘Autism and Visual Agnosia in a Child with Right Occipital Lobectomy’, Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry65: 555-560.
19.
LORD, C. , RUTTER, M., GOODE, S., HEEMSBERGEN, J., JORDAN, H., MAWHOOD, L. & SCHOPLER, E. (1989) ‘Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule: A Standardized Observation of Communicative and Social Behavior’, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders19 (2): 185-212.
20.
MCCRACKEN, G. (1988) The Long Interview. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
21.
MILES, M. B. & HUBERMAN, A. M. (1994) Qualitative Data Analysis, 2nd edn.Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
22.
MOTTRON, L. & BELLEVILLE, S. (1993) ‘A Study of Perceptual Analysis in a High-Level Autistic Subject with Exceptional Graphic Abilities’, Brain and Cognition23: 279-309.
23.
MOTTRON, L. & BELLEVILLE, S. (1995) ‘Perspective Production in a Savant-Autistic Draughtsman’, Psychological Medicine25: 639-648.
24.
MOTTRON, L. & BURACK, J. (in press) ‘Exploring the Implications of Enhanced Perceptual Functioning for Understanding the Development of Persons with Autism’, in J. BURACK, T. CHARMAN, N. YIRMIYA & P. D. ZELAZO (eds) Perspectives on Development in Autism. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
25.
MOTTRON, L. , BELLEVILLE, S. & STIP, E. (1996) ‘Proper Name Hyperamnesia in an Autistic Subject’, Brain and Language53: 326-350.
26.
MOTTRON, L. , MINEAU, S., DÉCARIE, J.- C., JAMBAQUÉ, I., LABRECQUE, R., PÉPIN, J.- P. & AROICHANE, M. (1997) ‘Visual Agnosia with Temporo-Occipital Brain Lesions in an Autistic Child: A Case Study’, Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology39: 699-705.
27.
MOTTRON, L. , BELLEVILLE, S., STIP, E. & MORASSE, K. (1998) ‘Atypical Memory Performance in an Autistic Savant’, Memory6 (6): 593-607.
28.
MOTTRON, L. , BURACK, J., STAUDER, J. & ROBAEY, P. (1999a) Perceptual Processing among High-Functioning Persons with Autism: Modification of the Local/Global Imbalancing in Hierarchical Stimuli’, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry40 (2): 203-211.
29.
MOTTRON, L. , BELLEVILLE, S. & MÉNARD, E. (1999b) ‘Local Bias in Autistic Subjects as Evidenced by Graphic Tasks: Perceptual Hierarchization or Working Memory Deficit?’, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry40 (5): 743-756.
30.
MOTTRON, L. , PERETZ, I., BELLEVILLE, S. & ROULEAU, N. (1999c) ‘Absolute Pitch in Autism: A Case Study’, Neurocase5 (7): 485-502.
31.
MOTTRON, L. , LIMOGES, E. & JELENIC, P. (in press) ‘Can a Cognitive Deficit Elicit an Exceptional Ability? The Case of Nadia’, in C. CODE, C. WALLESCH, Y. JOANETTE & A. R. LECOURS (eds) Classic Cases in Neuropsychology, vol. II.
32.
RATEY, J. J. , GRANDIN, T. & MILLER, A. (1992) ‘Defense Behavior and Coping in an Autistic Savant: The Story of Temple Grandin, PhD’, Psychiatry55: 382-391.
33.
RICHARDS, L. & RICHARDS, T. J. (1991) ‘The Transformation of Qualitative Method: Computational Paradigms and Research Processes’, in N. G. FIELDING & R. M. LEE (eds) Using Computers in Qualitative Research, pp. 38-53. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
34.
TANTAM, D. (1991) ‘Asperger Syndrome in Adulthood’, in U. FRITH (ed.) Autism and Asperger Syndrome, pp. 147-183. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
35.
TURNER, M. (1997) ‘Towards an Executive Dysfunction Account on Repetitive Behavior in Autism’, in J. RUSSELL (ed.) Autism as an Executive Disorder, pp. 57-100. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
36.
WILEY, L. H. (1999) Pretending to be Normal: Living with Asperger Syndrome. London: Jessica
37.
Kingsley. WILLIAMS, P. G. , ALLARD, A. M. & SEARS, L. (1996) ‘Case Study: Cross-Gender Preoccupations in Two Male Children with Autism’, Journal of Autism and Development Disorders26 (6): 635-642.
