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Interesting Links<a href="https://dlcincluded.github.io/MQ/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">MQ Assessment</a> Monotropism questionaire<a href="https://bookmarks.kvibber.com/tagged/self-evaluation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#self-evaluation</a> <a href="https://bookmarks.kvibber.com/tagged/autism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#autism</a> <a href="https://bookmarks.kvibber.com/tagged/neurodivergence" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#neurodivergence</a> <a href="https://bookmarks.kvibber.com/tagged/monotropism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#monotropism</a>

Douglas Edwards :neurodiv:<a href="https://autistics.life/@Ferrous" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@Ferrous</a> <a href="https://neurodifferent.me/@autoperipatetikos" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@autoperipatetikos</a> <a href="https://a.gup.pe/u/actuallyautistic" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@actuallyautistic</a> This is true; precursors of the changes you've made in the theory of <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/monotropism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#monotropism</a> were already present in the original version. And I just finished Wenn Lawson's "The Passionate Mind" (the first, and so far only, book [as opposed to articles!] on autism I've read since my self-diagnosis), where he notes that <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/monotropic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#monotropic</a> autistics CAN actually distribute attention effectively IF their interest is engaged. But to me, that's an indication that the relevant factor is the <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/autotropic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#autotropic</a> decoupling of attention from the social and physical environment — rather than restriction or narrowness or singleness of attention or interest in any sense, however liberally interpreted. Decoupling of attention and interest from the world should, so to speak, be treated as an axiom definitive of the subject matter, rather than a theorem to be derived.And <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/monotropic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#monotropic</a> attention is a special case, not a fully general theory. I felt it necessary to introduce the concept of <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/kaleidotropy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#kaleidotropy</a> because the phenomenology of my experience has been very different from what Wenn Lawson reports. It's much closer to what Kelter reports — except that what he experiences as a curse, to me is very much a blessing: "Every possible thought is instantly ten alternate thoughts that quickly grow to many more".Kelter, M. Being hyperverbal is a real — and disabling — autistic experience. Thinking Person's Guide to Autism. 2019 July 11. Available from: <a href="https://thinkingautismguide.com/2019/07/being-hyper-verbal-is-realand.html" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://thinkingautismguide.com/2019/07/being-hyper-verbal-is-realand.html</a>

Fergus Murray<a href="https://zeroes.ca/@dedicto" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@dedicto</a> <a href="https://neurodifferent.me/@autoperipatetikos" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@autoperipatetikos</a> this is true, but I would suggest that even there, they significantly alter the meaning of 'restricted range of interests' relative to how people tend to interpret it: 'attention may be broadly distributed over many interests or may be concentrated in a few interests'; 'it is the difference between having few interests highly aroused, the monotropic tendency, and having many interests less highly aroused, the polytropic tendency.'<a href="https://autistics.life/tags/monotropism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#monotropism</a> <a href="https://a.gup.pe/u/actuallyautistic" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@actuallyautistic</a>

Douglas Edwards :neurodiv:<a href="https://neurodifferent.me/@autoperipatetikos" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@autoperipatetikos</a> <a href="https://piaille.fr/@adelinej" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@adelinej</a> <a href="https://ottawa.place/@Dianora" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@Dianora</a> <a href="https://beige.party/@pathfinder" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@pathfinder</a> <a href="https://aus.social/@Tooden" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@Tooden</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/@filmfreak75" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@filmfreak75</a> <a href="https://a.gup.pe/u/actuallyautistic" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@actuallyautistic</a> There's a great deal more to it. The later theory of <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/monotropism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#monotropism</a> tends to draw distinctions between restriction of interests at a single time versus restriction of interests over a lifetime; the former can be restricted while the latter very much is not. And similar fine distinctions. But my theory of <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/kaleidotropy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#kaleidotropy</a>, although an outgrowth and further development of <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/monotropism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#monotropism</a> theory, goes beyond even these newer versions, primarily in two ways, both of which to my knowledge represent new departures:(1) For at least some of us, the idea that our interests are in ANY way narrow or restricted — except transiently on SOME occasions — is not just in need of refinement or clarification, it's completely wrong, and even backwards. From our point of view, it is the interests of NEUROTYPICALS that are narrow and restricted! Note that this observation invalidates not only current versions of the theory of monotropism, but also the official DSM criteria for diagnosis of autism.(2) The fundamental difference between neurotypical and autistic interest and focus of attention has nothing directly to do with wide or narrow focus. It is that neurotypical interest and attention is strongly yoked to the social and physical environment (<a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/ecotropic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ecotropic</a>), while autistic interest and attention is NOT yoked to the environment, but is autonomous (<a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/autotropic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#autotropic</a>). Classical monotropism theory acknowledges, and even emphasizes, this difference, but sees it not as fundamental, but rather as a downstream effect of restricted focus; autistics do not focus on the environment because they CANNOT — too much is going on for their restricted attentional focus to handle. But this <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/autotropic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#autotropic</a> decoupling from the environment can occur even in the complete absence of any quantitative limitations on the amount of attention available. <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/Autotropism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Autotropism</a>, not limited interest and attention, is fundamental. <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/Autotropic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Autotropic</a> attention and interest is simply under far fewer constraints than <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/ecotropic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ecotropic</a> attention and interest. It can indeed be more restricted (<a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/monotropic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#monotropic</a>), but it can also be LESS restricted — wider-ranging and more rapidly labile (<a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/kaleidotropic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#kaleidotropic</a>).

Douglas Edwards :neurodiv:<a href="https://autistics.life/@SilverArrows" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@SilverArrows</a> <a href="https://a.gup.pe/u/actuallyautistic" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@actuallyautistic</a> As usual, I also couldn't resist taking the <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/monotropism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#monotropism</a> test myself. My score was even higher than yours, though only slightly. And this, despite having to answer "Neither agree nor disagree" to a few questions because the test doesn't allow for the possibility of <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/kaleidotropy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#kaleidotropy</a> (my own concept), which closely resembles <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/monotropism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#monotropism</a> but differs at a few crucial points. On a hypothetical test for <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/autotropy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#autotropy</a> (the umbrella concept that covers both <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/monotropism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#monotropism</a> as described in the published literature, and also <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/kaleidotropy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#kaleidotropy</a>), I believe I would have scored higher yet.

Douglas Edwards :neurodiv:<a href="https://a.gup.pe/u/actuallyautistic" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@actuallyautistic</a> I just finished reading "The Passionate Mind: How People with Autism Learn" (Lawson 2011). This book has further reinforced my conviction that the <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/monotropism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#monotropism</a> theory of autism could benefit from the modifications proposed in my new theory of <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/kaleidotropy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#kaleidotropy</a>.But now I'm wondering: what book(s) about autism should I read next? I'm open to suggestions, and since my self-diagnosis less than a year ago, I'm fascinated with the topic, and looking forward to learning more.

AutisticRealms✨ What Are Glimmers? ✨ Glimmers are small, powerful moments of Autistic joy that emerge when we’re deeply immersed in what matters to us. 🌱 Discover how monotropism & flow create space for joy in an overwhelming world. 💫 <a href="https://neurodifferent.me/tags/AutisticJoy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AutisticJoy</a> <a href="https://neurodifferent.me/tags/monotropism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#monotropism</a> <a href="https://neurodifferent.me/tags/Glimmers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Glimmers</a> <a href="https://neurodifferent.me/tags/ADHD" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ADHD</a> <a href="https://neurodifferent.me/tags/AuDHD" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AuDHD</a><a href="https://autisticrealms.com/glimmers-autistic-joy-and-monotropism/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://autisticrealms.com/glimmers-autistic-joy-and-monotropism/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social</a>

Douglas Edwards :neurodiv:<a href="https://deadrobots.social/@shye" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@shye</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/@SteveClough" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@SteveClough</a> I've given this thought pattern — characteristic of some (not, I believe, all) <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/autistics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#autistics</a> — the name <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/kaleidotropy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#kaleidotropy</a>. Others have termed it <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/hyperverbality" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#hyperverbality</a>, although it's really related more to thought per se — verbal or not — than to speech in particular. Its existence shows the limitations of the <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/monotropism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#monotropism</a> theory of autism. I've written more about the <a href="https://zeroes.ca/tags/kaleidotropic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#kaleidotropic</a> mindset in a pinned post:<a href="https://zeroes.ca/@dedicto/114024979306024802" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://zeroes.ca/@dedicto/114024979306024802</a>

SleepyCattenPSA - some maybe useful terms for autistic, ADHD, and AuDHD folks

Hannah C. RosenblattStarre unterscheidenEs gibt an meinem autistischen und komplex traumatisiertem Er.Leben etwas, das im Konfliktfall oft falsch verstanden oder eingeordnet wird: Meine autistische Trägheit. Und meine traumabedingte (Angst)Starre. Was beide gemeinsam haben, ist die relative Starre.<a href="https://einblogvonvielen.org/starre-unterscheiden/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://einblogvonvielen.org/starre-unterscheiden/</a><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Blog" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Blog</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Autismus" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Autismus</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Trauma" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Trauma</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/kPTBS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#kPTBS</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Monotropism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Monotropism</a>

AutisticRealmsAutistic burnout doesn’t always need “switching off.” Sometimes we heal by going deeper into flow, into interests, into monotropic spiral time. Rest can look like immersion, not stillness. Find out more! <a href="https://neurodifferent.me/tags/Monotropism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Monotropism</a> <a href="https://neurodifferent.me/tags/AutisticBurnout" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AutisticBurnout</a> <a href="https://neurodifferent.me/tags/NeurodivergentRest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NeurodivergentRest</a> <a href="https://neurodifferent.me/tags/ActuallyAutistic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ActuallyAutistic</a><a href="https://autisticrealms.com/going-deeper-rest-burnout-and-monotropic-flow/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://autisticrealms.com/going-deeper-rest-burnout-and-monotropic-flow/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social</a>

David Gray-HammondMonotropism, and the subsequent work of Tanya Adkin in conceptualising Monotropic split, has been an incredibly meaningful set of ideas for the neurodivergent community. One of the most common questions, however, has been- How do we fix it?This article aims to answer that question. This is a solution to Monotropic split.<a href="https://emergentdivergence.com/2025/06/07/lilipadding-for-autistic-people-reducing-transitional-trauma-for-monotropic-minds/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://emergentdivergence.com/2025/06/07/lilipadding-for-autistic-people-reducing-transitional-trauma-for-monotropic-minds/</a><a href="https://disabled.social/tags/ActuallyAutistic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ActuallyAutistic</a> <a href="https://disabled.social/tags/autism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#autism</a> <a href="https://disabled.social/tags/monotropism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#monotropism</a> <a href="https://disabled.social/tags/MonotropicSplit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MonotropicSplit</a> <a href="https://disabled.social/tags/AutisticWellbeing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AutisticWellbeing</a>

Fergus MurrayMy copy of The Joys and Shapes of Autistic Play has arrived! By Max Alexander (Play Radical), this beautiful 80-page book playfully explores autistic approaches to play. Download for free and order a physical copy here: <a href="https://playradical.com/the-joys-and-shapes-of-autistic-play/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">playradical.com/the-joys-and...</a> <a class="hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://bsky.app/search?q=%23monotropism" target="_blank">#monotropism</a> <a class="hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://bsky.app/search?q=%23playTherapy" target="_blank">#playTherapy</a> <a class="hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://bsky.app/search?q=%23Neurodiversity" target="_blank">#Neurodiversity</a>

AndrocatEver get the feeling, when learning about something really complex, that you're trying to reach an understand that it just beyond your grasp?It is quite obvious that the human brain, if narrowly focused enough, and given good enough perceptions, could make sense of pretty much any natural or artificial system.Not as conscious knowledge, but as instinctual understanding, getting the predictions as gut feelings rather than as analyzable information.Visceral, not cerebral.In this light, monotropism could be seen to be an evolutionary counterpart to science. A drive to focus on narrow topics, to build intuitive understanding by hooking the brain to the topic directly, at a much lower level than conscious thought.<a href="https://a.gup.pe/u/actuallyautistic" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@actuallyautistic</a> <a href="https://a.gup.pe/u/philosophy" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@philosophy</a> <a href="https://toot.cat/tags/Monotropism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Monotropism</a> <a href="https://toot.cat/tags/Observation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Observation</a> <a href="https://toot.cat/tags/science" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#science</a> <a href="https://toot.cat/tags/philosophyOfScience" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#philosophyOfScience</a>

Ryan BorenMonotropism Reflected in the Communication Style of Artistic Expression<a href="https://www.instagram.com/beccacookart/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Becca Cook</a> is an AuDHD artist, animal communicator, and writer.Monotropism is a cognitive tendency often present in autistic individuals, characterized by an intense focus on one or two interests at a time. My attention feels like a narrow beam of light, bright, deep, and consuming. This focus creates a rich inner world, one where thoughts and emotions spiral into deep connections of complex understanding. While this kind of focus can seem limiting to those who process information in a more multi-tracked way, monotropism has its own unique power. It creates depth, meaning, and complexity that might not be reachable through broader, surface-level engagement.Artistic expression, in my experience, becomes more than a medium, it’s a language. I often say artistic expression is my second language, my first being energetic communication and third being language and words. Artistic expression is a bridge between inner experience and outer reality, where the intensity of focus condenses into a form that can be shared with the world. I have always felt communication through traditional verbal or social means can feel restrictive. Words often feel too linear, too fragile to hold the weight of multi-dimensional thoughts and emotions. But art? Art is a vessel wide enough to carry that depth.Art made through monotropism tends to be layered and complex. The work may not be consciously planned, but emerges as a natural outcome of deep immersion. Like the fruiting body of a mycelial network, what appears on the surface is just the culmination of much deeper, hidden processes. This artistic communication often feels oracular, holding meaning that even I may not fully understand until later. The art becomes a mirror, a map, a code. It’s a kind of communication that is less about explaining and more about revealing, with layers of interpretation available to anyone who looks deeply enough. In my experience art is a way in which I communicate with myself, primarily in feelings and emotional states. When I work on an art piece, I rarely start with a specific goal. Instead, I follow the pull of my focus, allowing the process to guide me. The art grows organically, shaped by my emotional and intellectual rumination. It feels like dreaming, where symbols arise naturally, carrying insights that only make sense with time. Often, I’ll finish a piece and only later recognize what it was expressing. Sometimes, I realize it predicted patterns or trends I wasn’t aware of at the time. This is not about mysticism but about how deeply the monotropic mind processes information, connecting threads beneath conscious awareness.In this way, monotropism becomes an artistic strength. It allows for prolonged immersion, enabling me to build work that carries a kind of depth not easily reachable through fleeting, surface-level engagement. Each piece is multi-dimensional, layered with emotions, concepts, and connections. It becomes a conversation with the self, but also with the world an offering for others to explore and interpret.My approach to art created through monotropism doesn’t aim to please or entertain. It isn’t designed for quick consumption or easy interpretation. Instead, it holds an invitation to slow down, to feel, to notice. It asks the viewer to enter into its depth, to experience the layers of thought and emotion woven into its creation.This is why artistic expression is one of the most authentic and powerful forms of communication for my monotropic mind. It’s not about conforming to linear explanation but about holding space for complexity. It’s about allowing the unconscious to speak, trusting that meaning will unfold in its own time, in its own way.In a world that often rewards speed, efficiency, and clarity, monotropic art defies these expectations. It values depth over breadth, process over product, patience over quickness. It holds the quiet power of being wholly present with one thing at a time, allowing that presence to shape what is born.By: Becca Cook Instagram: <a href="https://www.threads.net/@beccacookart?xmt=AQGzexin8jBzJNh1SwjFMMAcnDfuFIzkvXm5gFumY-4LcvI" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beccacookart/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">beccacookart</a> License: All Rights Reserved<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://stimpunks.org/tag/art/" target="_blank">#art</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://stimpunks.org/tag/monotropism/" target="_blank">#monotropism</a>

Fergus MurrayMy interview with Jesse Meadows for 'Sluggish' is up! Podcast + transcript.We talked about <a href="https://autistics.life/tags/WeirdPride" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WeirdPride</a>, <a href="https://autistics.life/tags/monotropism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#monotropism</a>, being <a href="https://autistics.life/tags/autistic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#autistic</a> and <a href="https://autistics.life/tags/ADHD" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ADHD</a>, <a href="https://autistics.life/tags/flow" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#flow</a> states and a bunch of other stuff. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did! Jesse is an excellent interviewer.<a href="https://open.substack.com/pub/sluggish/p/autistic-pride-is-impossible-without?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=t1o" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://open.substack.com/pub/sluggish/p/autistic-pride-is-impossible-without?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=t1o</a>

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