Understanding Monotropism

Strategies For Protecting Your Autistic Child from Burnout.

As a parent of an Autistic child or teen, understanding the unique ways their brain processes information can be incredibly helpful in giving them the support they need and protecting them from Autistic Burnout. One such concept is Monotropism—a term that refers to a person’s ability to focus intensely on just a few things at a time while tuning out everything else. This deep focus can lead to intense experiences and deep thinking, especially for Autistic individuals. (Murray, Lawson, Lesser, 1990)

What Is Monotropism?

Monotropism is when someone whose brain has the tendency to focus deeply on one thing at a time. This is often described as “tunnel vision,” where a person with a monotropic brain can become deeply engaged in specific tasks or interests. This is different from the majority of people, who have polytropic brains, allowing them to focus on multiple things at once and switch tasks more easily.

For Autistic individuals, this intense focus can affect how they process information and communicate. Since monotropic and polytropic people experience the world differently, it can sometimes lead to misunderstanding and a phenomenon known as the “double empathy problem”.

Sensory Overwhelm

Because of their monotropic focus, your Autistic child or teen may experience the world very intensely through their senses.

Many classrooms are filled with loud noises, other students, and visual distractions. An Autistic child or teen may struggle to focus on their learning because their attention is consumed by the sensory environment.

Sensory input like loud noises, bright lights, or uncomfortable clothing can consume their full attention. This means that if they’re dealing with sensory overwhelm, they might not hear or respond to your requests.

What You Can Do:

• Recognise the Intensity: Understand that their sensory experience is taking up all their focus.
• Reduce Overwhelm: Minimize or remove the source of overstimulation whenever possible.
• Give Them Time: Allow them time to regulate their nervous system before making requests or giving instructions.

Understanding Monotropism And Autistic Inertia

Autistic inertia refers to the difficulty many Autistic individuals experience when starting, stopping, or switching tasks.

Understanding monotropism plays a significant role here because of the intense focus on a limited number of interests or tasks. Once your child is deeply engaged in an activity, shifting their attention can be incredibly challenging.

Autistic inertia can also affect your child during transitions between different parts of their routine. For instance, such as going from being asleep to waking up and getting out of bed.

Additionally, if your child is anticipating an upcoming event, it might consume a lot of their focus. They may seem “stuck” waiting for the event to occur. This might mean that they may struggle to remember or complete other tasks until the event has passed.

What You Can Do:

• Acknowledge the Challenge: Understand that transitions are difficult not because they don’t want to, but because it’s hard for them to shift their focus.
• Allow Completion: Let your child finish a stage of their activity before asking them to move on.
• Use Visual Aids: Tools like sand timers or picture schedules can help ease transitions.
• Use Declarative Language: Declarative language is an indirect, observational way of speaking that helps a child feel safe, as there’s no right or wrong response. It encourages them to notice their surroundings, learn through discovery, and solve problems independently, maintaining their sense of autonomy.
• Start the Next Step for Them: When an Autistic child or teen seems stuck, beginning the task for them can provide helpful support. For instance, you could write the title and date on their assignment page to get them started or lay out their clothes to assist with morning transitions.

Understanding The Link Between Monotropism And Burnout

Monotropic Split

A monotropic split occurs when your Autistic child is suddenly pulled out of their hyperfocus and asked to pay attention to multiple things at once. This can cause significant stress, leading to overwhelm, meltdowns, or even rage.

Autistic children tend to process information in ‘chunks’ (gestalt learners). This means that they approach a task, activity or playscape with a specific framework of how things need to go. The Autistic child will have a desired endpoint that allows them to feel like what they have been finished with is complete. When they are pulled away from their hyperfocus before they are ready child has to split their focus.

On the one hand, they have not stopped thinking about their hyperfocus and are being forced to focus on the new task which can cause stress on their brain.

Repeatedly experiencing monotropic split puts a strain on your child’s internal resources, increasing the risk of Autistic burnout and mental health challenges.

‘Environments where they must perform like a polytropic person, the amount of attention to detail they apply to multiple attention streams doesn’t decrease, all that happens is the monotropic mind experiences trauma by being pushed into trying to give more attention than any individual can cognitively give’.  ‘The monotropic mind is having to split its attention and give more mental energy and attention than it has available to be able to withstand the environment it is in and remain safe’. Tanya Adkin.

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Co-Occurring Conditions And Monotropic Split

Being Autistic often involves co-occurring conditions like poor interoception, chronic illness, or chronic pain. These co-occurring conditions can significantly affect an Autistic person’s ability to meet their basic needs. Understanding monotropism is crucial for supporting their well-being and preventing burnout.

For instance, when your child is hyperfocused on a task or special interest, they may not notice signals from their body, such as hunger, thirst, fatigue, or the need to use the toilet. Consistently missing these cues can strain their health and increase the risk of burnout.

Similarly, if your child experiences chronic pain or a health condition, much of their attention may be absorbed by the discomfort, leaving them with limited energy and executive functioning for other tasks or even activities they enjoy.

Monotropic Split And Burnout

When your child has to divide their attention between managing basic needs, coping with health conditions, and completing tasks, this can lead to a monotropic split. This split in focus can negatively impact their well-being, as it drains their limited mental resources and makes it harder to function effectively.

As mentioned previously, monotropic split significantly increases your Autistic child’s risk of burnout. Burnout happens when the demands placed on an Autistic person exceed their capacity to cope, often leading to physical and emotional exhaustion.

Do You Want To Learn More About Autistic Burnout? Click HERE To Read More About Autistic Burnout.

What You Can Do To Manage Monotropic Split

Here are strategies to minimize stress maximize focus and help manage this monotropic split effectively:

Prioritize Needs

• Basic Needs First: Ensure that your child’s basic needs, like eating, drinking, and using the bathroom, are regularly met before starting tasks. Set reminders or use visual schedules to prompt them.
• Health Condition Management: If your child has a chronic condition, make sure it’s well-managed with medication, routines, or other treatments to minimize its impact on their focus.

Simplify Tasks

• Break Tasks Into Steps: Divide larger tasks into smaller, manageable steps. This helps reduce cognitive load and allows your child to focus on one thing at a time.
• Use Visual Supports: Visual aids like checklists, schedules, or timers can help your child stay on track without having to remember all the steps at once.

Minimize Transitions

• Streamline Transitions: Transitions between tasks or from one part of the routine to another can cause stress. Reduce the number of transitions or allow extra time for them to adjust.
• Predictable Routines: Keep daily routines predictable and consistent. Help your child focus on one thing at a time. Unpredictability and sudden changes can be overwhelming for a person with a monotropic brain.

Reduce Sensory Overload

• Create a Calming Environment: Limit sensory distractions in the environment (e.g., loud noises, bright lights) to help your child focus better on the task at hand.
• Use Sensory Breaks: Allow sensory breaks during tasks, where your child can decompress and reset, helping them refocus their attention afterwards.

Address Hyperfocus

• Gently Interrupt Hyperfocus: If your child becomes overly absorbed in one task or special interest, gently remind them of their other needs, like eating or resting.
• Set Timers: Timers can help your child transition away from hyperfocus and prompt them to check in with their body or move to the next task.

Build In Flexibility

• Flexible Expectations: Adjust expectations based on how your child is feeling, especially if they are dealing with pain, fatigue, or stress. It’s okay to allow more time or fewer tasks on challenging days.
• Rest and Recharge: Encourage regular breaks between tasks to give their brain a chance to recover and refocus. Make sure these breaks are restorative, such as engaging in a calming activity or taking time to rest.

Use External Supports

• Technology Assistance: Use tools like reminder apps or alarms to cue your child when it’s time to eat, drink, or complete a task.
• Co-Regulation: Help your child manage their attention and emotional state by co-regulating with them. This could mean working alongside them or body doubling, providing gentle guidance, or modelling calming strategies.

Focus On Emotional Regulation

• Teach Self-Regulation: Help your child recognise when they’re becoming overwhelmed by a split focus. Use this as an opportunity to teach coping strategies like deep breathing, asking for help, or taking a sensory break. Using visual communication aids or other forms of communication can be helpful in preserving their energy and internal resources.
• Offer Emotional Support: Create an environment where your child feels safe to express frustration or stress. Help them to process these emotions in an empathetic and validating way.

By prioritizing needs, simplifying tasks, and providing sensory and emotional support, you can help your child manage a monotropic split more effectively. This goes a long way to improving their focus and well-being.

Understanding Monotropism And Its Impact On Mental Health

Monotropism can have both positive and challenging aspects, especially when it intersects with mental health issues like negative thoughts, obsessive behaviours, and self-harm.

Monotropism And Negative Thoughts

When a person is deeply focused on a single line of thought, they may struggle to shift their attention elsewhere, making it difficult to break free from negative or distressing thoughts. These can become overwhelming, especially if they are related to anxiety, fear, or low self-esteem. Since the brain is locked into a hyper-focus state, it can be difficult to access more positive or neutral thought patterns.

Obsessive Behaviors

Obsessive behaviours can sometimes be linked to the intense focus seen in monotropism. When distressing thoughts become the focus, an individual may engage in repetitive actions as a way to cope or regain control. These behaviours might provide temporary relief or a sense of routine but may exacerbate the negative cycle if they reinforce anxious or harmful thinking.

Self-Harm

In some cases, the combination of overwhelming negative thoughts and obsessive behaviours may lead to self-harm or suicidal ideation. For some Autistic individuals, self-harm can serve as a release or distraction from emotional distress, or it may be a way to regain a sense of control. The lack of ability to shift attention away from negative thoughts can make it harder to break free from harmful patterns.

Support And Intervention

• Mindfulness and Redirection: Encouraging mindfulness practices can help individuals gradually shift their focus from distressing thoughts to more neutral or positive stimuli. Mindfullness and redirection should be approached in a trauma-informed way that respects the person’s unique wiring.
• Safe Outlets for Obsession: It can be helpful to redirect obsessive behaviours toward safer outlets or interests, offering a more positive focus.
• Therapeutic Support: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) adapted for Autistic individuals can be effective in addressing obsessive thoughts and self-harm, especially when integrated with a deeper understanding of monotropism.

Reducing the demand for constant change and allowing space for special interests and periods of deep focus can alleviate some of the stressors that lead to negative thought spirals and self-harming behaviour.

Protective Factors For Monotropic Brains

Special interests—intense passions for specific subjects or hobbies—are a protective factor for many Autistic individuals. These interests provide joy, comfort, and a sense of mastery, allowing your child to enter an Autistic flow state. This is when they become so deeply immersed in their special interest that they lose track of time and feel fulfilled. Autistic flow state is important for the well-being of Autistic individuals.

“For many autistic monotropic people, their ‘special’ or ‘strong’ interests create flow states; this may be due to their interests being a source of safety, reliability, and predictability, which are all key factors to consider when reducing anxiety. Instead of learning being an effort, if you are in a flow state, it may feel like a joyful, fluid, meaningful, rejuvenating experience.” Helen Edgar.

What You Can Do:

• Honour Special Interests: Recognize the importance of your child’s special interests and give them uninterrupted time to engage in them.
• Encourage Flow States: Ensure they have the space and time to enter these deeply fulfilling states regularly.

Understanding monotropism and supporting your child’s monotropic brain can go a long way in protecting them from burnout and helping them thrive.

By recognizing the challenges and honouring the unique ways they engage with the world, you’re not only protecting their mental health but also helping them build a fulfilling and balanced life.

Additional Support:

Did you find this article helpful?

Would like to learn more ways to support your Autistic/ADHD child?

The Neurodivergent Family Toolbox is for parents of neurodivergent (Autistic, ADHD or AuDHD) children or teens, who are looking for a way to support themselves and their child in a neuro-affirming way.

This programme is suitable for families who:

• Know that there is something ‘different’ about their child and recognise that they are neurodivergent (You may or may not be on a waiting list for an official assessment).
• Recently received their child’s diagnosis of Autism or ADHD.
• Have been processing their child’s diagnosis and are now ready to learn more.

This wrap-around toolbox program which incorporates prerecorded education modules, live weekly group coaching sessions and community, teaches you important tools to help you understand your child’s unique wiring, safeguard your child’s (and your) mental health and improve your relationship with your child.

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References

Research on monotropism, particularly in relation to autism, is a growing area of study. Monotropism was first formally introduced by Dinah Murray and Wenn Lawson in 2005 as a theory to explain the cognitive differences seen in Autistic individuals. Below are some academic references and key studies that have explored this concept:

Monotropism: An Interest-Based Account of Autism, Dinah Murray, Mike Lesser, Wenn Lawson, Autism, 2005

Monotropism, the Demand for Relevance, and the Disorder-Identity Trade-Off, Wenn Lawson, Good Autism Practice, 2010

Autistic Perception, Monotropism, and the Importance of Context in Autistic Intelligence, Dinah Murray, Autism and the Edges of the Known World: Sensitivities, Language and Constructed Reality, edited by Olga Bogdashina and Harry Procter, 2010

The Double Empathy Problem, Damian Milton, Autism, 2012

Monotropism and Joint Attention in Autism: A Developmental Perspective, Nicola Grove, C. Fisher, Research in Developmental Disabilities, 2015, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891422215300163

Monotropism in Autism and Related Disorders: Reflections on Dinah Murray’s Legacy, Damian Milton, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2022, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-022-05620-9

Adkin, T. (2022). What is Monotropic split? 

cited: https://emergentdivergence.com/2022/07/14/guest-post-what-is-monotropic-split/

Adkin, T. & Gray-Hammond, D. (2022) Autistic people and the burnout-psychosis cycle – Emergent Divergence.
cited: https://emergentdivergence.com/2022/07/12/autistic-people-and-the-burnout-psychosis-cycle/ 

Edgar, H. (2023) https://ndconnection.co.uk/blog/embracing-autistic-childrens-monotropic-flow-states

Meet Tanya

Tanya Valentin is a Trauma-Informed and Neuro-Affirming Family Coach, NZ Registered Teacher, Lecturer (Te Pukenga – Early Childhood Education and Care), Author and Podcaster.

Tanya is a Neurodivergent person and a proud Mama of 3 Neurodivergent humans. She works to support, educate and foster inclusion, acceptance and positive life outcomes for all neurodivergent children, teenagers and adults in all her areas of life.

Tanya lives with her family in beautiful Northland, New Zealand. She has authored several books and blogs and co-hosts the Seen Heard Accepted Podcast with her family. She is the founder of the Neurodivergent Family Toolbox, Autistic Burnout Care and Recovery and Parenting Neurodivergent Kids Together podcast.

Tanya is committed to making a difference in the world by supporting parents with practical tools and strategies to help them understand their child and their unique wiring, feel confident in their parenting and nurture strong connections between themselves and their children.