Original post on mastodon.nzoss.nz

#TIL about #monotropism

"One of the positive aspects of being monotropic is the capacity to enter a ‘flow state’ – a term used to describe deep immersion in an activity, heightened focus, creativity and satisfaction.

For Autistic individuals, engaging in activities aligned with their special […]

Monotropism the mind as an interest system

a client encountered #Monotropism in the wild from a content creator I have not yet encountered

it was well done

i am stoked to see the concepts getting out into the world

it can be difficult to see when social media gets stuff like this wrong, but teaching about Monotropism can help SO MANY

#Monotropism is the basis for so much of the Autistic (& many's Neurodivergent) experience

the more we understand it, the more we can make it work for us

but we have to believe it's true before we can make those changes because imposter syndrome & internalized ableism

adult identification matters

The Thought Spot: "Is Traditional Talk Therapy Unhelpful for Autistic Folks?" | #Disability #ADtistic #Autistic #ADHD #CBT #Rumination #Metacognition #SelfObservation #SelfAwareness #Monotropism #EMDR #OccupationalTherapy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5Bz...

Closely followed by:

🎵 Fim music and story structure

🐋 Whale songs

🧍🏻Embodied multi-sensory approaches to composition

#Monotropism #Hyperfocus

My top 3 niche monotropic music interests right now:

1. Musical Neuroqueering (easy : my #PhD topic!).

2. Neuronormativity in music education.

3. Monotropism in Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George.

#Hyperfocus #Neurodivergent #Monotropism

Beyond School Refusal: Autistic Burnout in Children — canary SEND Clinical research reveals non-attending autistic children show burnout, not refusal. Understanding the signs, recovery requirements, and SEND legal framework.

This is great from Canary SEND

Beyond “School Refusal”: What Happens When a Child’s Nervous System Says Enough
Rethinking Burnout, Attendance, and the Limits of Endurance

www.canarysend.co.uk/canarysendbl...

#burnout #neuroaffirming #monotropism

Original post on mastodon.social

In my latest article, I explore how monotropism creates a vertical temporality. This concept bridges quantum physics and Jung's Spirit of the Depths. It represents a form of existence that functions elsewhere, far from the logic of the clock.
Read the full piece here […]

- it needs to move - to shift focus - it takes a long time and a lot of strength and gear manipulation to get that big rock to turn.

This is today's metaphor for #monotropism and #autistic focus and how difficult it can be to change focus when immersed in a process or idea or plan!

A graphic titled "@jennipher's January 2026 Reads" featuring a grid of 10 book covers with star ratings overlaying the bottom right corner of each. Top Row: • Made in Manhattan by Lauren Layne: 2.0 stars • The Last Neanderthal by Claire Cameron: 1.0 star • The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage: 3.0 stars • Everyone is Lying to You by Jo Piazza: 4.0 stars Middle Row: • How to Read a Book by Monica Wood: 4.0 stars • The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue: 3.5 stars • Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen: 5.0 stars • The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Reed Petty: 4.0 stars Bottom Row: • Bluebird Day by Megan Abbott: 3.0 stars • Just Watch Me by Lior Torenberg: 5.0 stars The image features a clean, light-blue header and a minimalist design with a small book-stack icon in the bottom right corner.

A reading data summary titled "@jennipher's January 2026 Wrap-Up" from The StoryGraph. Summary Statistics: • Books Read: 10 • Total Pages: 3,362 • Average Rating: 3.45 stars • Average Book Length: 309 pages • Average Time to Finish: 2 days Highest Rated Reads: • Just Watch Me (5.0 stars) • Patricia Wants to Cuddle (5.0 stars) • The Three Lives of Cate Kay (4.0 stars) Reading Progress Graph: A line graph titled "Pages read" showing daily activity throughout January. It shows frequent, sharp peaks of reading activity, with several days reaching between 300 and 400+ pages read in a single day, interspersed with shorter periods of rest.

A detailed infographic titled "@jennipher's January 2026 Wrap-Up" showing reading habits and genre breakdowns. Top Row (Charts and Percentages): • Fiction/nonfiction: A solid pink pie chart showing 100% fiction. • Page number: A pie chart split exactly in half—50% of books were under 300 pages, and 50% were between 300 and 499 pages. • Format: A solid light-pink pie chart showing 100% digital reading. Bottom Section (Genre Bar Graph): A horizontal bar graph titled "No. of books" showing the following genre distribution: • Contemporary: 6 books • LGBTQIA+: 3 books • Historical: 2 books • Literary: 1 book • Thriller: 1 book The StoryGraph logo is in the bottom right corner.

My work focuses on the power of focused interests for autistic female well-being. This is partially rooted in my own monotropism centered on books and the joy and peace I get from reading.

Here is what that looked like for me in January. ❤️📖

#ActualAutistic #Monotropism #BookSky

Blue and gold graphic titled “Research Reshare” with the Thriving Autistic infinity logo. Title reads: “Transitioning In And Out Of Autistic Flow (Wain et al., 2026).” Quote states that autistic flow theory offers opportunities for interventions that promote autistic thriving and support psychotherapeutic approaches that embrace autistic ways of being. Full academic citation appears in small text at the bottom.

Blue and gold slide titled “Research Reshare” with the Thriving Autistic logo. Heading: “Transitioning In And Out Of Autistic Flow (Wain et al., 2026).” Subheading: “Three Themes.” Bullet points explain that (1) flow supports autistic wellbeing and regulation, (2) monotropic attention, sensory sensitivity and repetitive behaviours can intensify experiences of flow and non-flow, and (3) predictability supports feeling safe enough to enter flow. Academic citation shown at bottom.

Blue and gold slide titled “Research Reshare” with Thriving Autistic logo. Heading: “Transitioning In And Out Of Autistic Flow (Wain et al., 2026).” Quote explains that autistic flow is adaptive, enriching and self-regulatory, supporting emotional and sensory regulation, reducing anxiety, and improving life management. Full reference text appears at the bottom.

Blue and gold slide titled “Research Reshare” with Thriving Autistic logo. Heading: “Transitioning In And Out Of Autistic Flow (Wain et al., 2026).” Quote highlights the role of the environment in enabling or inhibiting access to flow, and the importance of predictability, sensory engagement, and uninterrupted immersion for supporting sustained autistic flow and quality of life. Full academic citation shown at bottom.

Research Reshare!
Wain, D. et. al., (2026) Transitioning in and out of autistic flow: A qualitative study presenting a non-pathologising approach to neurodivergent wellbeing and conceptualising autistic ways of being in clinical and therapeutic settings.
kar.kent.ac.uk/112495/

#flow #monotropism

Transitioning in and out of autistic flow: A qualitative study presenting a non-pathologising approach to neurodivergent wellbeing and conceptualising autistic ways of being in clinical and therapeut...

Wain et al (2026) Transitioning in and out of autistic flow: A qualitative study presenting a non-pathologising approach to neurodivergent wellbeing and conceptualising autistic ways of being in clinical and therapeutic settings.
kar.kent.ac.uk/112495/

#monotropism #Autisticflow #inertia

Neuro-Affirming Research in Practice: Supporting Autistic Students, Embracing Monotropism In The Classroom And Beyond | Autistic Realms Written by Tanya Adkin and Helen Edgar, based on the presentation we delivered to the National Autistic Society Professionals’ Conference in March, 2025. Sh ...

Since schs often struggle to include #autistic & other #neurodivergent students, it would be great if govs could engage with autistic- & other ND-authored theory & #EdRes.

There is a super helpful summary here:

autisticrealms.com/neuro-affirm...

#monotropism
#neurodiversity
#doubleempathy

We can improve KS3 provision by learning from #autistic & other ND-authored theory & #EdRes.

#Neuro-affirming T&L approaches allow ALL learners to thrive.

#monotropism
#neurodiversity
#doubleempathy

autisticrealms.com/neuro-affirm...

I’m a magnet for random interruptions today, and I’m feeling overwhelmed. Both of the ADHD people in my home seem to be on full random and I’m not equipped with a polite shut-the-fuck-up mechanism. #monotropism

Alice would probably find it easier to concentrate if lessons were #neuro-affirming.

It would be great to see #neurodivergent -authored theory & #EdRes referenced in these discussions.

#neurodiversity
#monotropism
#doubleempathyproblem

interoceptive awareness (inattention & hyperfocus) is such a problem for us sometimes!

not realizing we're hungry
not realizing we're full
gotta pee
thirsty
fatigue
gotta poop
intuition

so many things!

I think it's a manifestation of #monotropism

I guess if you’re trying to build a #neuro-affirming environment you’ll leave most of the tools in the box. Did TLAC ever update to incorporate ND-authored theory & #EdRes, I wonder?

#neurodiversity
#monotropism
#doubleempathy

Understanding Autism: Monotropism - DGH Neurodivergent Consultancy This first installment of the Understanding Autism series explores the theory of monotropism and what it actually means for Autistic people. This blog series will explore key concepts of Autistjc expe...

The first installment of "Understanding Autism", a blog series that will explore concepts from Autistic lived experience. First installment looks at the theory of monotropism.

dghndconsultancy.co.uk/2025/12/19/u...

#UnderstandingAutism #Monotropism #Monotropic #ActuallyAutistic #autism

Monotropism Resources and Signposting | Autistic Realms Monotropism&Being Monotropic The theory of Monotropism was developed by Dr Dinah Murray, Wenn Lawson and Mike Lesser (2005) in the late 1990's and ...

#Monotropism is an way of attending to and processing sensory info that appears to underlie many autistic & ADHD people’s internal experience. It’s not a diagnosable condition - it’s neither better nor worse than (NT-style) polytropism.

Fab info here ✨

autisticrealms.com/monotropism/

Attention, monotropism and the diagnostic criteria for autism - Dinah Murray, Mike Lesser, Wendy Lawson, 2005 The authors conclude from a range of literature relevant to the autistic condition that atypical strategies for the allocation of attention are ...

Perceptual differences? These have been theorised in peer-reviewed research by autistic scholars for a generation, beginning with Murray, Lesser & Lawson (2005).

#monotropism

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

I disagree. The ‘humour theory’ way of understanding autism is the medical paradigm that sees autistic differences as deficits - eg the 1980s & 90s ‘theory of mind’ nonsense. Autistic-authored theory, eg #monotropism, #doubleempathy & #neurodiversity, is helpful. @autisticrealms.bsky.social has

Monotropism Resources and Signposting | Autistic Realms Monotropism&Being Monotropic The theory of Monotropism was developed by Dr Dinah Murray, Wenn Lawson and Mike Lesser (2005) in the late 1990's and ...

Have you come across #monotropism theory in relation to autism & ADHD Christian? I think you would find it super interesting as it’s to do with attention.

Obvs ref to other ND-authored theory & research - eg re #doubleempathy - would also benefit this thread!

autisticrealms.com/monotropism/

Autism, intense interests and support in school: from wasted efforts to shared understandings Having intense or “special” interests and a tendency to focus in depth to the exclusion of other inputs, is associated with autistic cognition, sometimes framed as “monotropism”. Despite some drawb...

This is also a #neuro-affirming & integrative approach that suits autistic and other neurodivergent YP.

@thewoodbug.bsky.social is fab on this topic!

www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...

#monotropism

Neuro-Affirming Research in Practice: Supporting Autistic Students, Embracing Monotropism In The Classroom And Beyond | Autistic Realms Written by Tanya Adkin and Helen Edgar, based on the presentation we delivered to the National Autistic Society Professionals’ Conference in March, 2025. Sh ...

Ooh, I am! It’s often the #neurodivergent and/or #neuro-affirming teachers, parents, carers, researchers & allied professionals. Check out @autisticrealms.bsky.social and @tanyaadkin.bsky.social’s fab info ✨

autisticrealms.com/neuro-affirm...

#monotropism
#doubleempathy
#neurodiversity

I think it’s a paradigm thing. The edu Twitter bubble mostly ignores the rise of the #neurodiversity movement. From a critical ND perspective, some of the edu Twitter stars miss the point. They don’t appear to know their ND-authored theory, eg #monotropism & #doubleempathy - while ND CYP suffer 🤷‍♀️

I'm Autistic, Now What?: "The WEIRDEST Theory of Autism You've Probably Never Heard of..." | #Disability #ActuallyAutistic #Monotropism #AttentionDifference #MonotropicSplit #MonotropicSpiral #CognitiveTrauma #CognitiveCapacity #MentalHealth #AutisticMeerkatMode
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cIa...

Part of a slide, with a photo of a magnificent rain frog taken from iNaturalist: passionate interests, monotropic focus, and flow states (Garau et al. 2023; Heasman et al. 2024; McDonnell & Milton, 2014, Murray et al. 2005; Wood, 2019) Play and learning

Lovely to see Katie starting with this!

#monotropism #eduSky

ADHD and Monotropism Fergus Murray with Sonny Hallett (2023) Monotropism was formulated as a theory of autism. It seeks to explain the experiences and traits of autistic people in terms of a tendency for resources like…

#ADHD and #Monotropism

monotropism.org/adhd/