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”.
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. We also draw attention to why we need to reframe the narrative around autism. A deeper understanding of monotropism can support the wellbeing of young people and improve educational outcomes by setting up radically inclusive learning environments and working collaboratively.
Embracing Monotropism and Flow | 8 | It Takes All Kinds of Minds: Fost
Redirecting monotropic attention once it is invested takes time, like turning a tanker. This difficulty directing and redirecting attention is key to understanding the school experiences of autistic and/or ADHD learners. For some, this is likely to manifest in “autistic inertia” – difficulty starting, stopping, or changing tracks. For others, it more often looks like the “inattention” associated with ADHD: struggling to keep attention on tasks, particularly those assigned by others. Some may develop severe demand avoidance (also referred to as pathological demand avoidance, PDA) in response to others trying to direct their attention. Difficulty splitting attention may also help explain some of the challenges faced by dyspraxic and dyslexic learners, although this has not been formally researched.
In the right environment, most monotropic learners have a powerful ability to hyper-focus on their interests, bringing joy and deep learning.
Read the chapter, and check out our website, which is full of information on neurodivergent thriving at school.
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