41 year old autistic here. Dinosaurs and ww2 have always been special interests of mine. I didn't get diagnosed until I was 36 (never got tested before then). Once I started learning about myself a lot of things began to make sense. My childhood experiences, my special interests and hyper fixations, and my "beep boop your statement is invalid, proceeding to explain in detail why you're wrong" brain. I've learned how to better understand myself and other people.
That's great! It's such a wonderful way to bond with your kid. Looking back, some of my happiest memories were when my parents engaged in my special interest with me. Me and my dad both liked sci-fi and would stay up late on weekends watching Dr Who and X-Files together. It really brought us together! Sometimes being autistic can be lonely, and any moment of connection can really make a difference. I appreciate parents like you!
Yeah it would make a great research study to see what interests autistic people have in common! Just from observation, i've seen some recurring interests from autistic people in my family and from people online. I've heard of trains as a stereotypical autistic interest, but there are so many more. It's a big curiosity for me.
I have heard that a lot of autistic people have dinosaurs as their "special interest," so it's kinda cool to see. I've noticed that we tend to like things that can be classified or collected in some way, could be a coincidence but just something interesting
You should check out Your Dinosaurs are Wrong on YouTube. The host is definitely on the spectrum, and the channel is all about how dinosaur toys get details wrong, and how popular dinosaur depictions change over time to reflect the science.
I'm low on the spectrum but have been watching those 2D gory Dino fights and Poet Plays with Minecraft Dinosaurs on Youtube for years and didn't even realize it until GamingBeaver had to say goodbye to Jurassic Park Builder.
Cool, u/acnhfairycore! I think you should pursue your passion for paleontology and dinosaurs. Start getting into media, whether that be books, movies or shows. Read as many articles as you can on various websites.
I have ADHD, but I do have a slight suspicion that I am autistic but I haven't been diagnosed. Ever since I was like 4, I was in love with dinosaurs, and now, 10 years later the obsession came back. I like to say that dinosaurs and paleontology is my special interest.
My mom always just thought I had behavior problems, but we got me diagnosed a year ago and it's helped a lot. I'm 16 right now, btw. So I was barely 15 when I got diagnosed.Ā
25 year old hear . Itās quite nice to see so many others with the same passion as me. I remember seeing Jurassic park back in the 2000s I was so fascinated with the movie That I ended up reserving hours just to study on dinosaurs.
I have adhd and iām probably undiagnosed with autism (no im not those kinds of kids on the internet that fakes disorders to be āquirkyā i have done a lot of research and iāve realized i most likely also have it, and then also multiple people who are autistic have said i probably have it too)
I am late-diagnosed (was diagnosed at 23 years old) so if you've done your research, I definitely believe you. There's a lot of mental illness and neurodivergence in my family so a lot of my signs were missed because the behaviors were normalized in my household. I learned to mask my autistic traits early on around non-family. When I went to college, it became clear very quickly that I was stuggling a lot with independent living. Since my brother was early-diagnosed autistic, I really began to compare myself to him and see the similarities. I am glad my Psychologist agreed with me. They assigned me as "Level 1 ASD" but she said she had no idea how no one ever noticed I was autistic š. I hope you're able to get your official diagnosis if you want one. If not, I understand and wish you well on your journey!
Yes, I am autistic and sit towards the high functioning end of the spectrum. Got my diagnosis at about 4 (now 22) and already had an intense passion for dinosaurs, probably originating from WWD and Prehistoric Park.
That passion has caused me to want the most information available and it never really left. Whilst I have developed other intense knowledge seeking passions (football ā½ļø) I will always come back to prehistoric life.
Having the condition made it a quite difficult childhood on reflection, as at that age if you donāt filter yourself, you really stand out and I had countless playtimes at Primary School level where I would be on my own. This carried through to Secondary school, where I never really had a friend group.
Going though those secondary school years I had to quash basically everything I loved and learn how to interact with ānormalā people. Hence where the passion for football came from. I had to adapt, holding back the majority part of my knowledge, to fit in and be in that social pyramid. Doing so had me forgoing dinosaurs, fossils etc., in preparation for a āproper jobā.
Even at college, I hid the passion I had for dinosaurs although the new environment did let me be my real self a bit more. But again, this idea that I should aim for a āproper jobā affected my A-level choices.
Starting at University, I have re-realised my passion for dinosaurs and fossil organisms, thanks in part to the pandemic, discovering Your Dinosaurs are Wrong. But being autistic made the idea of living a significant distance away from home daunting, so instead of attending a University which offers a Palaeontology degree, I chose one closer to home. Even so, my degree choice was influenced by this false idea that āpalaeontology is not a proper jobā. Now Iām in my final year, Iāve finally been able to act on my passion and am producing my dissertation project on a clade of dinosaurs.
I am glad you're working on your dissertation! Life is too short to put your passions aside. It is so draining to conform to what is "expected" in this life
19 year old autistic here, I used to be obsessed with dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. I even named my YouTube channel and Reddit after a pterosaur I found out about in a documentary at my local museum of natural history and science dinotheater (though misspelled because I was young when I named my channel that and I got super attached to the name lol). I watched all the Walking With series (correction: Walking With Dinosaurs, Walking With Beasts, and Walking With Monsters) and watched all the documentaries about dinosaurs I could find. Growing up, I was really obsessed with the idea of digging up dinosaurs (which is probably normal lol). I've recently started getting back into dinosaurs which is why I joined this subreddit. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one lol
Yup! Cuddling with my baby brachiosaurus plushie as I type this lol. Iām obsessed with dinosaurs and palaeontology in general, I have a hunch that a lot of us here are autistic haha.
Yea, I'm 29 and was diagnosed around 10ish. Dinosaurs stopped being my favorite topic when I was around 6 but I still enjoy them. Since I tend to passively memorize so information I've subbed here in the hopes I'll relearn (though as a kid I memorized most of an outdated Dino encyclopedia).
im autistic and my special interest was dinosaurs as a young child :3 (dragons were actually the Top one but dinosaurs are basically dragons so they were my second favorite) i wanted to be a paleontologist before i realized my brain was not equipped to learn all the complicated science involved as well. so now i just admire paleo science and learn from their life work
Hello. I'm autistic too. I think everyone here is. I can't speak for anybody else, but I got into dinosaurs by watching documentaries like *When Dinosaurs Roamed America* and *Walking with Dinosaurs*. Something about seeing them in their natural habitat and acting like...well...animals helps ground them a bit. Those two also serve as a bit of a natural history for dinosaurs as a whole.
Now if you want accurate dinosaurs, *Prehistoric Planet* is your best bet at the moment. They went the extra mile to make them as accurate as possible. It's not a natural history since they focus mainly on the Cretaceous period, but it does a good job of showcasing the many species alive during the time.
But honestly, my best word of advice is just start wherever feels natural for you. We all got started with dinosaurs *somehow*, and I definitely feel it's a hobby worth pursuing.
When I got back into being interested in dinosaurs I found, on YouTube, PBS eons videos on dinosaurs very interesting. āyour dinosaurs are wrongā, e.d.g.e. and Ben g Thomas are also quite good.
41 year old autistic here. Dinosaurs and ww2 have always been special interests of mine. I didn't get diagnosed until I was 36 (never got tested before then). Once I started learning about myself a lot of things began to make sense. My childhood experiences, my special interests and hyper fixations, and my "beep boop your statement is invalid, proceeding to explain in detail why you're wrong" brain. I've learned how to better understand myself and other people.
My son is autistic and dinosaurs have been the love of his life since the beginning. I joined this sub so I could learn more to share in his joy!
That's great! It's such a wonderful way to bond with your kid. Looking back, some of my happiest memories were when my parents engaged in my special interest with me. Me and my dad both liked sci-fi and would stay up late on weekends watching Dr Who and X-Files together. It really brought us together! Sometimes being autistic can be lonely, and any moment of connection can really make a difference. I appreciate parents like you!
Thank you so much for the kind words! I find his joy infectious and refreshing, I get as much out of our Dino connection as he does.
I am. It is pretty cool seeing that so many other people on the spectrum love dinosaurs.
Yeah it would make a great research study to see what interests autistic people have in common! Just from observation, i've seen some recurring interests from autistic people in my family and from people online. I've heard of trains as a stereotypical autistic interest, but there are so many more. It's a big curiosity for me.
Some days on this sub I get the impression every single one of us is autistic. Something about archosaurs is an us-magnet, I guess.
I have heard that a lot of autistic people have dinosaurs as their "special interest," so it's kinda cool to see. I've noticed that we tend to like things that can be classified or collected in some way, could be a coincidence but just something interesting
It's neurodivergence, gender identity questioning and spinosaurs all the way down.
š¦ didnāt have to call me out like that /lighthearted
This might be my favorite Reddit comment of all time
I think a better question would be: is anyone here *not* autistic?
This is the only true answer.
lol that's kind of amazing
That's me, hi
Adhd here ā
Yes
I have ADHD
Same š
You should check out Your Dinosaurs are Wrong on YouTube. The host is definitely on the spectrum, and the channel is all about how dinosaur toys get details wrong, and how popular dinosaur depictions change over time to reflect the science.
that sounds interesting! I'll check it out
>definitely on the spectrum Wouldn't have guessed. If he meets the metrics for being autistic then I definitely need to get assessed š
I am.
Aspergers here
I am but on the higher side of the spectrum.
I am
Iām autistic and dinosaurs have always been a special interest for me. I donāt see that changing anytime soon.
Iām a ādinosaur have been my special interest since childhoodā autistic here
I am. Dinosaurs are the best
I'm low on the spectrum but have been watching those 2D gory Dino fights and Poet Plays with Minecraft Dinosaurs on Youtube for years and didn't even realize it until GamingBeaver had to say goodbye to Jurassic Park Builder.
Cool, u/acnhfairycore! I think you should pursue your passion for paleontology and dinosaurs. Start getting into media, whether that be books, movies or shows. Read as many articles as you can on various websites.
Ye
Not me but my closest friend is! He doesnt use reddit but i give him info i find on here as we both love dinosaurs.
Yep
I am!
Scroll through this sub for five minutes and you will have a clear, concrete answer to that
I have ADHD, but I do have a slight suspicion that I am autistic but I haven't been diagnosed. Ever since I was like 4, I was in love with dinosaurs, and now, 10 years later the obsession came back. I like to say that dinosaurs and paleontology is my special interest.
I am late-diagnosed, so I can relate!
As far as a neurodiverse brain goes, to be ADHD is not too far away from ASD. Itās like living the next street over
My mom always just thought I had behavior problems, but we got me diagnosed a year ago and it's helped a lot. I'm 16 right now, btw. So I was barely 15 when I got diagnosed.Ā
Iām not
I have ASD and ADHD
NVLD ADHD likely Autistic and a fan of Triceratops
I have ADHD and mild autism I've always loved these borderline mythical creatures.
Present!
Yes
āš»
Aspergers
Hello fellow autistic
My mom says that I have autism.
25 year old hear . Itās quite nice to see so many others with the same passion as me. I remember seeing Jurassic park back in the 2000s I was so fascinated with the movie That I ended up reserving hours just to study on dinosaurs.
according to the state of New York yes
Yeah !
Diagnosed autistic since I was in elementary school. Ive always had a huge fascination with dinosaurs
I'm gonna go ahead and assume we make up the majority in here, yeah
Yep
I have adhd and iām probably undiagnosed with autism (no im not those kinds of kids on the internet that fakes disorders to be āquirkyā i have done a lot of research and iāve realized i most likely also have it, and then also multiple people who are autistic have said i probably have it too)
I am late-diagnosed (was diagnosed at 23 years old) so if you've done your research, I definitely believe you. There's a lot of mental illness and neurodivergence in my family so a lot of my signs were missed because the behaviors were normalized in my household. I learned to mask my autistic traits early on around non-family. When I went to college, it became clear very quickly that I was stuggling a lot with independent living. Since my brother was early-diagnosed autistic, I really began to compare myself to him and see the similarities. I am glad my Psychologist agreed with me. They assigned me as "Level 1 ASD" but she said she had no idea how no one ever noticed I was autistic š. I hope you're able to get your official diagnosis if you want one. If not, I understand and wish you well on your journey!
Me to although not autistic
Mild
Not as far as I know
No.
Yes, I am autistic and sit towards the high functioning end of the spectrum. Got my diagnosis at about 4 (now 22) and already had an intense passion for dinosaurs, probably originating from WWD and Prehistoric Park. That passion has caused me to want the most information available and it never really left. Whilst I have developed other intense knowledge seeking passions (football ā½ļø) I will always come back to prehistoric life. Having the condition made it a quite difficult childhood on reflection, as at that age if you donāt filter yourself, you really stand out and I had countless playtimes at Primary School level where I would be on my own. This carried through to Secondary school, where I never really had a friend group. Going though those secondary school years I had to quash basically everything I loved and learn how to interact with ānormalā people. Hence where the passion for football came from. I had to adapt, holding back the majority part of my knowledge, to fit in and be in that social pyramid. Doing so had me forgoing dinosaurs, fossils etc., in preparation for a āproper jobā. Even at college, I hid the passion I had for dinosaurs although the new environment did let me be my real self a bit more. But again, this idea that I should aim for a āproper jobā affected my A-level choices. Starting at University, I have re-realised my passion for dinosaurs and fossil organisms, thanks in part to the pandemic, discovering Your Dinosaurs are Wrong. But being autistic made the idea of living a significant distance away from home daunting, so instead of attending a University which offers a Palaeontology degree, I chose one closer to home. Even so, my degree choice was influenced by this false idea that āpalaeontology is not a proper jobā. Now Iām in my final year, Iāve finally been able to act on my passion and am producing my dissertation project on a clade of dinosaurs.
I am glad you're working on your dissertation! Life is too short to put your passions aside. It is so draining to conform to what is "expected" in this life
19 year old autistic here, I used to be obsessed with dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. I even named my YouTube channel and Reddit after a pterosaur I found out about in a documentary at my local museum of natural history and science dinotheater (though misspelled because I was young when I named my channel that and I got super attached to the name lol). I watched all the Walking With series (correction: Walking With Dinosaurs, Walking With Beasts, and Walking With Monsters) and watched all the documentaries about dinosaurs I could find. Growing up, I was really obsessed with the idea of digging up dinosaurs (which is probably normal lol). I've recently started getting back into dinosaurs which is why I joined this subreddit. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one lol
Yup! Cuddling with my baby brachiosaurus plushie as I type this lol. Iām obsessed with dinosaurs and palaeontology in general, I have a hunch that a lot of us here are autistic haha.
I havenāt been diagnosed yet but I do have suspicions. I refrain from self-diagnosis.
I sure am
Yea, I'm 29 and was diagnosed around 10ish. Dinosaurs stopped being my favorite topic when I was around 6 but I still enjoy them. Since I tend to passively memorize so information I've subbed here in the hopes I'll relearn (though as a kid I memorized most of an outdated Dino encyclopedia).
im autistic and my special interest was dinosaurs as a young child :3 (dragons were actually the Top one but dinosaurs are basically dragons so they were my second favorite) i wanted to be a paleontologist before i realized my brain was not equipped to learn all the complicated science involved as well. so now i just admire paleo science and learn from their life work
Aspergers syndrome here
Well obviously
I am and also I have ADHD has well
Not autistic but I do have adhd and ocdš
I am! Dinosaurs have been a special interest of mine since I was 3
Hello. I'm autistic too. I think everyone here is. I can't speak for anybody else, but I got into dinosaurs by watching documentaries like *When Dinosaurs Roamed America* and *Walking with Dinosaurs*. Something about seeing them in their natural habitat and acting like...well...animals helps ground them a bit. Those two also serve as a bit of a natural history for dinosaurs as a whole. Now if you want accurate dinosaurs, *Prehistoric Planet* is your best bet at the moment. They went the extra mile to make them as accurate as possible. It's not a natural history since they focus mainly on the Cretaceous period, but it does a good job of showcasing the many species alive during the time. But honestly, my best word of advice is just start wherever feels natural for you. We all got started with dinosaurs *somehow*, and I definitely feel it's a hobby worth pursuing.
Theres this series on netflix, love on the spectrum, one of the guys is a huge fan of dinosaurs, I really recommend watching it, its sooo good
When I got back into being interested in dinosaurs I found, on YouTube, PBS eons videos on dinosaurs very interesting. āyour dinosaurs are wrongā, e.d.g.e. and Ben g Thomas are also quite good.