Monotropism.org

From Deficit to Strength: Autistic Adults’ Lived Experiences and the Case for Strength-Based Education and Employment Practices | Formazione & insegnamento Formazione & insegnamento is an Open Access Journal that publishes research on education and training, with focus on continuing education, educational policies in a European and global context, pedago...

New research

Calleja, C., & Chetcuti, L. (2026). From Deficit to Strength: Autistic Adults’ Lived Experiences and the Case for Strength-Based Education and Employment Practices. Formazione & Insegnamento, 24.

ojs.pensamultimedia.it/index.php/si...

From Deficit to Strength: Autistic Adults’ Lived Experiences and the Case for Strength-Based Education and Employment Practices | Formazione & insegnamento Formazione & insegnamento is an Open Access Journal that publishes research on education and training, with focus on continuing education, educational policies in a European and global context, pedago...

New research

Calleja, C., & Chetcuti, L. (2026). From Deficit to Strength: Autistic Adults’ Lived Experiences and the Case for Strength-Based Education and Employment Practices. Formazione & Insegnamento, 24.

ojs.pensamultimedia.it/index.php/si...

Autistic people seem to feel joy differently – here’s what it can tell us about neurodivergence It’s a common misperception that autistic people are always unemotional.

“Lining things up is fun because it’s pleasurable. It’s odd that [non-autistic people] don’t understand it. Sorting/organising is one of the deepest pleasures in life, as intense/as sought after as delicious food.”

Explanations Whether you are new to the theory or interested in digging deeper, there are many possible places to start. In Brief… The animation below is an accessible 4-minute introduction to the key ide…

Monotropism Explained

Whether you are new to the theory or interested in digging deeper, there are many possible places to start.

Check out our website:

monotropism.org/explanations/

Explanations Whether you are new to the theory or interested in digging deeper, there are many possible places to start. In Brief… The animation below is an accessible 4-minute introduction to the key ide…

Monotropism Explained

Whether you are new to the theory or interested in digging deeper, there are many possible places to start.

Check out our website:

monotropism.org/explanations/

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

New pre-print: Exploring The Phenomenology Of Autistic Attention from @danpoole.bsky.social @beatrixbird.bsky.social & team.

Relevant to the theory of monotropism - about improving accessibility for Autistic people in the workplace.
osf.io/preprints/ps...

Blog: Beyond behaviour … respecting your child's monotropic flow | Autism Central Autistic psychotherapist Alexis Quinn explains how understanding monotropism has been the key to reducing conflict, supporting learning and protecting her children's sense of self (and her sanity).

Respecting your child's flow: @aquinnunbroken.bsky.social for Autism Central
www.autismcentral.org.uk/news/blog-be...

Monotropism as an Autistic Parent Monotropism is a neurodiversity-affirming theory of autism, developed by Autistic people, that explains many common Autistic experiences. Parenting as a monotropic Autistic person brings both challenges and strengths.

Read now: www.autisticparentsu...

Thanks to our members who contributed their comments for this blog post ♥️
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History of Monotropism Fergus Murray and Wenn Lawson (2022) See also the archive of Dinah Murray’s work. Dinah Murray completed her PhD in psycholinguistics at University College London in 1985, with the title ‘Lan…

Find out about the history of monotropism.

Dinah Murray presented ‘Attention Tunnelling and Autism‘ at the Durham autism conference in 1992. This was the first ever publication about monotropism.

monotropism.org/history/

We’re published in “It Takes All Kinds of Minds: Fostering Neurodivergent Thriving at School” Stimpunks Co-Creative Director Helen has a chapter in "It Takes All Kinds of Minds: Fostering Neurodivergent Thriving at School" on “Embracing Monotropism and Flow”.

We’re published in “It Takes All Kinds of Minds: Fostering Neurodivergent Thriving at School”.

Stimpunks Co-Creative Director Helen, @autisticrealms.bsky.social, has a chapter in “It Takes All Kinds of Minds” on “Embracing Monotropism and Flow”.

stimpunks.org/2026/01/14/w...

Blog: Beyond behaviour … respecting your child's monotropic flow | Autism Central Autistic psychotherapist Alexis Quinn explains how understanding monotropism has been the key to reducing conflict, supporting learning and protecting her children's sense of self (and her sanity).

"Recognising that distressed behaviour is often not the child, but the pressure to conform, allows us to move from ‘fixing’ to ‘facilitating’ belonging."

#NothingAboutUsWithoutUs

I had one of my poems, Far From Equilibrium, published in @internationaltimes.bsky.social; it seemed a fitting home for it, since it was inspired by Mike Lesser, its former editor (also my one-time mentor & one of the co-developers of the theory of Monotropism).
internationaltimes.it/mike-lesser-...

Monotropic Spiral Tanya’s original concept of Monotropic spiral results from the inertia of monotropic flow. It may involve obsessive-compulsive type occurrences of rumination about a particular subject of experience t...

Came across this article about monotropic spiral on the @stimpunks.org site and all I can say is that this feels like what's happening to me combined with active CPTSD symptoms and general burnout.

Promotional graphic for the book It Takes All Kinds of Minds: Fostering Neurodivergent Thriving at School. On the left is the colourful geometric book cover, edited by Rachael Davis, Claire O’Neill, and Sue Fletcher-Watson (Speechmark). On the right, text reads “Published December 2025” and highlights a chapter titled Embracing Monotropism and Flow by Fergus Murray and Helen Edgar, alongside a contents excerpt showing chapter sections. Along the bottom are three black-and-white illustrated pages labelled “Environments,” “Practice & Pedagogy,” and “Relationships,” credited to illustrator Sonny Hallett.

It's here!
It Takes All Kinds of Minds: Fostering Neurodivergent Thriving at School
Edited By Rachael Davis, @claruineill.bsky.social
@suereviews.bsky.social

Excited to finally share the chapter I wrote with
@fergus.oolong.co.uk alongside fab illustrations from @scrappapertiger.bsky.social

www.autismcentral.org.uk/events/brain...

YouTube video by Tunnel Visionary Monotropism @ Cafe Autistique 2025 | Beatrix Butnicu

If you've ever zoned in so hard the world disappeared, this is for you. Check out my accessible presentation on measuring Monotropism @ Cafe Autistique in Manchester, 11 June 2025.

youtu.be/tz2XpO1tg0Y?...

NEW EVENT: The brain motorway - how monotropism is a foundation of Autistic experience
With Pete Wharmby
19 Dec 2025 12-1pm UK
A chance to hear the latest insights, ask questions & explore how evidence and lived experience meet in practice
FREE TICKETS
www.autismcentral.org.uk/events/brain...

Discovery Programme Resources Gentle, neuroaffirming resources created by and for Autistic adults.

New resources added to our free open access e-books to support our Discovery Programme for Autistic adults.
Covering topics such as Masking, Internalised Ableism, Sensory Systems, Relationships, Monotropism, Burnout and more!

www.thrivingautistic.org/discovery-pr...

I needed a new lens How lived experience reshaped what I thought I knew

I’ve been holding these reflections quietly for a long time.
I’m finally ready to begin writing about autism, monotropism, attention, and what I’ve learned along the way.
Excited to share my first post!
aliabreonmd.substack.com/p/why-im-wri...

Autism and Physical Disability What does it mean to live at the intersection of autism, physical disability, trauma, and resilience? In Autism and Physical Disability, Wenn B. Lawson shares a deeply personal account of late-diagnos...

Just published!

Autism and Physical Disability
Dual Experiences, Challenges, and Inclusion Solutions
Author(s): Wenn B. Lawson

livedplacespublishing.com/book/isbn/97...

doi.org/10.62859/c.1...

For anyone interested in ADHD and especially its relation with autism, there has been a sustained discussion of ADHD & monotropism over on Hacker News today...

news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4601...

Focused Interests, Motivation, and Museum/Gallery Attendance – A Mixed-Methods Survey Exploring Autistic Adults’ Experiences and Wellbeing Outcomes - Sarah Dantas, Aimee Fletcher, 2025 Focused interests are characterised by high attention and focus, and are commonly experienced by autistic people. While some research frames these interests as ...

"The theory of monotropism frames the difference in cognitive functioning between autistic and non-autistic people in a value-neutral way. However, the broader autism literature has traditionally described focused interests in a negative light"
@aimeespeaks.bsky.social & Sarah Dantas, Neurodiversity

This is fabulous! Thank you for sharing!

"Creating spaces where autistic people can express their authentic selves and be valued can greatly improve their wellbeing....neurodiversity- affirming practice can encourage more inclusive research and revitalise clinical and therapeutic practice".

'Neurodiversity-affirming autism assessment and support: a scoping review' includes monotropism in its table of important neurodiversity-affirming theoretical concepts, along with the social model of disability, double empathy, stimming, stigma and camouflaging.
helda.helsinki.fi/items/4e1849...

the image shows the cover of It Takes All Kinds of Minds: Fostering Neurodivergent Thriving at School, edited by Rachael Davis, Claire O’Neill, and Sue Fletcher-Watson. Beneath it is a section introducing the chapter: Chapter: Embracing Monotropism and Flow By Fergus Murray and Helen Edgar This chapter discusses the benefits of embracing the theory of monotropism (Murray et al., 2005) and the associated phenomenon of flow for Autistic and ADHD young people in educational settings. It highlights why reframing the narrative around autism is crucial. A deeper understanding of monotropism can support the wellbeing of young people and improve educational outcomes by creating radically inclusive learning environments and fostering collaborative approaches. Available for pre-order on December 5, 2025 https://www.routledge.com/It-Takes-All-Kinds-of-Minds-Fostering-Neurodivergent-Thriving-at-School/Davis-ONeill-Fletcher-Watson/p/book/9781032796222

Sharing an upcoming publication with the chapter I co-authored with @fergus.oolong.co.uk

Embracing Monotropism and Flow

It Takes All Kinds of Minds: Fostering Neurodivergent Thriving at School
Ed. Rachael Davis @claruineill.bsky.social & @suereviews.bsky.social

www.routledge.com/It-Takes-All...

I'm looking to create an advisory group for a project on Monotropism, an attention-based theory of autism and potentially ADHD. If you or anybody you know is interested, please fill out the form below. Thank you!

forms.office.com/Pages/Respon...

YouTube video by Autism From The Inside Autism and Monotropism: How to Leverage Your Monotropic Brain

A 15-minute monotropism explainer video from @autismfrominside.bsky.social: "Monotropism has its own strengths and challenges. In today’s video we’ll explore what it means, some of the pros and cons, and also talk about strategies to help you leverage your monotropic brain."
youtu.be/5p8BD73xXxI?...

Frontiers | Research by autistic researchers: an “insider’s view” into autism. The autistic way of being This paper introduces us to an increasingly popular understanding of autism, but as understood and experienced by Autistic people: the descriptive theory of ...

Wenn Lawson, one of the originators of the theory, writes about Monotropism for Frontiers in Psychiatry.

"Uncovering how monotropism explains autism and Autistic experience takes the reader into the very heart of Autistic experience in ways not previously shown."
www.frontiersin.org/journals/psy...

Monotropism: Always a part of my life before I had even heard of it. The first time I came across the term Monotropism was an appearance of Dr Wenn Lawson on the excellent podcast, “1800 seconds on Autism”. A BBC podcast series presented by Robyn Steward…

What links Tom Cruise, Monotropism and @jamieandlion.bsky.social ?
Read my latest blog post to find out :o)
tumblepenny.wordpress.com/2025/10/16/m...
#monotropism #autism
@monotropism.bsky.social