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Caring for children comes with unique challenges—but also incredible rewards. As a nanny, you play a vital role in helping children navigate their world with confidence. This guide is part of ‘Understanding Neurodivergence,’ an 8-part series designed to give you practical, easy-to-use strategies to support children in their daily lives. From managing transitions and sensory needs, to supporting emotional regulation and communication skills, we’ll help equip you with real, actionable techniques to create a nurturing, structured, and empowering environment for the children in your care. Whether you’re new to these challenges or looking to refine your approach, this series will help you support each child’s unique strengths and needs—one step at a time.
Special interests: Unlocking a hidden superpower
All children have likes, dislikes, hobbies and aversions – they’re part of what makes them unique! For some children though, special interests aren’t just hobbies; they’re lifelines. These intense fascinations, whether it’s dinosaurs, trains, specific TV characters, or space exploration, can serve both as an important purpose and as a powerful anchor in a child’s life. As a nanny, working with these special interests, rather than trying to redirect them, can make a world of difference in your day-to-day caregiving.
Why Special Interests Matter
You know that feeling when you’re doing something you love and everything else just fades away? That’s what special interests provide for neurodivergent kids – a comforting space where the world makes sense. When they’re engaged with their passion, you’ll notice how anxiety and frustration seem to melt away, and a tendency for distraction suddenly turns into laser focus. These moments give them a chance to feel like experts in a world that often feels confusing and overwhelming. Instead of worrying that they’re too fixated on one thing, try seeing these interests as their superpower – a natural resource you can tap into for learning, calming big emotions, and even building bridges to other people.
Using Special Interests to Support Learning
Learning doesn’t have to be separate from what kids love. In fact, it works best when it isn’t! If a child is fascinated by dinosaurs, help them count their dinosaur toys, or measure the heights of different species. If they love a particular cartoon character, read books featuring that character or encourage them to create their own stories about them. Even mundane daily tasks can take on new life when you frame them through the lens of their interests – suddenly tidying up isn’t a chore, it’s a rescue mission for toys that need to get back to their proper homes. When kids feel successful and engaged through their interests, they’re much more willing to tackle areas that might otherwise feel intimidating or boring.
Managing Emotions and Transitions
We all know that transitioning from one activity to another can be especially tough for some kids, but their special interests can be your secret weapon here. Next time you need to end a fun activity, try giving a heads-up with the promise of returning to their interest later. For example, you might say: “I know you’re enjoying building that Lego spaceship, and after lunch, you’ll have time to keep working on it.” Having something small related to their interest that they can hold or look at during transitions can also help – maybe a small toy in their pocket or a keychain with their favourite character. If emotions are running high and a meltdown is looming, redirecting to their special interest can sometimes be just the emotional reset button they need.
Building Social Connections
One of the best things about special interests is how they can help children build social bridges. If you know another child who shares a similar interest, arranging time together gives them a natural conversation starter and shared activity. You might find it helpful to practice social scenarios using characters or themes from their interest – it’s amazing how much more engaging practicing social skills becomes when it involves something they really care about! Even preparing them with a few interesting facts about their passion to share with others can give them confidence in social situations where they might otherwise feel lost. These interests aren’t barriers to connection – they’re potential pathways when handled with care and creativity.
Practical Tips for Everyday Support
Having a dedicated space in the home where books, toys, and materials related to their interest are kept shows that you value what matters to them. Rotate activities based on their interest to prevent boredom while maintaining the engaging theme – new dinosaur puzzles one week, dinosaur colouring sheets the next. Help them document their knowledge in scrapbooks or recordings, showing that you value what they know and understand.
Of course, there will be times when boundaries are needed, but these can be set gently: “I can see you’re excited about trains right now, but during dinner we need to focus on eating. How about we look at your train book together as soon as we finish?”
Final Thoughts:
As with the other elements of your nanny role, open communication with parents is essential. Discuss their child’s specific needs and effective strategies. By working together, you can provide a consistent and supportive environment that helps the child thrive.
Working with special interests rather than against them builds trust and shows that you respect the child’s unique way of experiencing the world. This approach matches perfectly with how we’re increasingly understanding neurodiversity in the UK – it’s about adapting environments to work with the child’s natural tendencies rather than constantly pushing them to conform to neurotypical expectations.
At the end of the day, remember that these special interests aren’t quirks to be managed or obsessions to be tolerated. They’re valuable windows into how these amazing kids learn, cope, and connect with the world around them—and that’s something worth celebrating.
If you’d like further support or advice, you can check out the resources below, or reach out to the team at Koru Kids to speak to one of our in-house support team.
Further resources:
- National Autistic Society – A personal perspective: How special interests can help autistic students thrive & Obsessions and repetitive behaviour – a guide for all audiences
- Leicester Partnership NHS Trust – How schools can help autistic children by encouraging their hobbies and interests & Hobbies and interests for autistic people
- Authentically Emily – Autistic Special Interests: Our Brain’s In-Built Coping Strategy
- The Mini Adhd Coach – The ADHD Cycle Of A Special Interest
