The Map of Monotropic Experiences: Reframing Autism Through A Neurodiversity-Affirming Lens

FREE Training for Professionals, Families and Community Groups to Support Autistic People

At Autistic Realms and Stimpunks, we believe in telling our own stories and validating each others experiences.

The Map of Monotropic Experiences is a collaborative project by Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms) and the Stimpunks Foundation (Ryan Boren, Norah Hobbs and Chelsea Adams), created by and for Autistic people.

The original map was created by Helen Edgar in 2024 as a reflection of her own monotropic bodymind experiences. We have developed this futher and are offering a space for everyone to reflect on their authentic identity as Autistic/ADHD people and discover how by embracing the theory of monotropism it may help develop a stronger understanding of identity and support wellbeing.

Reframing Deficit Models of Autism & Valuing Autistic Lived Experience

Our training helps to reframe how we understand ourselves and Autistic people, not through the deficit-focused lens of traditional autism research, but through lived experience and Autistic voices.

Our free training open source training offers a radical, affirming reframe of Autism, grounded in the theory of monotropism — a way of understanding the deep, focused attention patterns common among Autistic and ADHD individuals.

Rather than seeing Autistic traits as deficits, monotropism recognises our monotropic “interest-based nervous system” as a natural and meaningful way of engaging with the world.

At the heart of our work is the importance of embracing authentic Autistic identity, not as something broken or needing correction, but as a valuable and vibrant way of being. Building strong community connections and validating lived experiences are central to this journey.

You’ll Learn To:

✅ Understand the theory of monotropism and the importance of flow
✅ Recognise how environments can create “stuck states”
✅ Explore the detrimental impact of neuronormative domination on Autistic well-being
✅ Create flow-supportive environments where ALL minds can thrive
✅ Understand intersectionality and the Double Empathy Problem for deeper inclusion
✅ Celebrate authentic Autistic identity and the strength of community storytelling and shared experiences

Perfect for: schools, healthcare settings, workplaces, and community networks.
A creative tool for reflection, connection, and meaningful change.

Timing and Preparation: The training content is approximately 4,000 words, designed to cover around 45 minutes of presentation time. Delivered live as a workshop with space for discussion and Q&A, it typically runs for 1-2 hours and can be expanded into a full-day session if preferred.

Mapping Monotropic Experiences: A New Lens on Autism

Monotropism explains why many Autistic and ADHD people experience the world differently: our attention naturally flows into deep, immersive “tunnels” of focus rather than spreading broadly. These flow states are vital for our well-being, helping us recharge our bodyminds and regulate sensory experiences.

However, environments shaped by neuronormative expectations often push us out of positive flow and into “stuck states,” leading to exhaustion, burnout, and a profound sense of disconnection from our authentic self and leave us isolated from our community.

By exploring the Map of Monotropic Experiences our training invites you:

• To recognise the systemic forces that create stuck states
• To better understand Autistic sensory, social, and emotional landscapes
• To foster environments that enable thriving, not just surviving
• To affirm and validate Autistic ways of being and experiencing the world

By embracing the neurodiversity paradigm and reconnecting to community, we can create spaces where everyone can thrive.

From Deficit to Difference

For decades, Autism was described from the outside by non-autistic researchers, resulting in deficit-based frameworks. The Theory of Monotropism (Murray, Lesser, & Lawson, 2005) offers an insider perspective: it frames Autistic ways of being not as failures of broader engagement but as deeply meaningful modes of interacting with the world.

The Monotropism Questionnaire was developed in 2023 by Garau et al. You can take the Monotropism Questionnaire and find out your own score.

Recognising and validating monotropic ways of being is essential for self-acceptance and to support well-being. Community spaces that celebrate monotropic flow, shared passions, and neurodivergent experiences can become places of healing and empowerment.

Neuronormative Domination: Systemic Barriers

Capitalist, ableist societies often demand polytropic (broad-attention) functioning, marginalising those whose minds work differently. The systemic pressures of neuronormative domination are represented by the Shark Infested Waters and Marshes of Masking, which perpetuate cycles of Autistic burnout (Raymaker, 2020) and can leave people in Burnout Whirlpools. These are not just metaphors, they represent real, daily systemic and societal obstacles that arise when Autistic needs, communication styles, and sensory experiences are invalidated or ignored.

Intersectionality and the Double Empathy Problem

Kimberlé Crenshaw’s concept of intersectionality (1991) brings our attention to the fact that our experiences are shaped by overlapping identities, race, gender, class, and disability, each shaping how we move through the world.

Milton’s “Double Empathy Problem” (2012) reframes communication breakdowns that many Autistic people experience as mutual and not the sole fault of Autistic individuals.

When we recognise the importance of understanding intersectionality and the Double Empathy Problem, we can validate people’s experiences and start to build spaces that are truly inclusive where all forms of neurodivergence are respected and authentic Autistic identities are celebrated.

The Value of Community Connections

True validation of Autistic experiences happens through community connection.
When Autistic people come together to share stories, celebrate each other’s passions, and support each other, a deep sense of belonging can ripple out to other spaces and networks.

The Map of Monotropic Experiences is not just a tool for self-understanding; it is a community-building map. It invites you to:
🌱 Share your experiences and landscapes
🌱 Acknowledge your hurdles
🌱 Celebrate your own flow and your collective flow with others
🌱 And honour the diverse ways we exist and connect

Create Your Own Maps

The Map of Monotropic Experiences invites you to move beyond outdated deficit-based models of Autism and instead embrace neurodiversity-affirmative theories and to value the lived experience and shared stories told by Autistic people. We want a future that is grounded in radical acceptance and community care, and we believe we need to:

🌿 Adapt environments rather than forcing individuals to conform
🌿 Honour flow states in wellbeing
🌿 Build rhizomatic community networks of belonging and support
🌿 Validate Autistic ways of being

We invite you to create your own map to explore what your internal landscape looks like, consider how you can navigate your life safely with a greater understanding of your monotropic identity. Your map may change over time or some areas may feel bigger than others at certain times.

Get the Training

Here’s an embedded preview of the training slides:

Download the full training pack here.
The Map of Monotropic Experiences Training Pack consists of:
1 x PDF version with presenter notes and suggestions
1 x PDF version slides only
1 x PowerPoint 
1x PDF script only

A suggested donation for organisations and professionals is $100 (£75 GBP). This is also available as free open-source training for individuals and those with limited funds through Autistic Realms and Stimpunks. 

Get the Workbook: A creative, neuroaffirming workbook for Autistic people of all ages, and those who support them

Our interactive workbook brings the Map of Monotropic Experiences to life as a practical and reflective guide for exploring how Autistic attention, sensory systems, and energy flow. It includes engaging activities designed to support personal insight and promote wellbeing through meaningful, affirming strategies.

What’s Inside:

• Themed chapters based on key aspects of monotropism
• A wide range of accessible reflective questions and practical creative activities to support self-understanding and communication
• Original metaphors and illustrations that make complex ideas easier to grasp
• Co-reflection tasks and collaborative prompts for family members, carers, educators, or support workers
• Grounded in lived experience, affirming language, and neurodiversity-affirming approaches

Whether you’re an Autistic adult, young person, parent/carer, teacher, counsellor or therapist, this workbook supports deeper understanding, more effective communication, and pathways to wellbeing.

Explore Autistic passions, time spirals, attention tunnels, burnout and more through a compassionate and strengths-based lens.

Available as a downloadable PDF

Purchase A Poster of
The Map of Monotropic Experiences

Want to know more about monotropism?

Autistic Realms

Stimpunks

Monotropism.org

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