Their access to past memories of who they were in the past seems to be related to the content that is capturing their attention now. When surprising comments about the past are made, an association with a perceivable cue can usually be confirmed by the person. When asked to describe their past, their narratives name significant contents but are usually silent or vague about salient details such as how well, what was the best and worst part, how often, under what circumstances, or who else was there.
With lifelong cognitive disabilities, interest in doing the same pre-onset activities have been reported by a person for 20 years; but not done during those years. Without assistance in initiating activities that they can do and enjoy, new interests do not seem to be developed. The effects of providing assistance in relation to forming new interests are unknown because very few long-term programs exist for people functioning within this range, and the activities are severely restricted too.