Autism Monotropism: Understanding Focus and Attention

My son, Jeremy, loves chess. He talks about it almost nonstop. It’s one of the very few topics that he can talk about incessantly without a break, along with football and music. His love of chess, while bordering and often crossing into fixation, is an example of monotropism.

This focused attention on a smaller number of interests has helped us recognize ways to communicate with him when nothing seems to be getting through to him. While autistic people don’t always have monotropic minds, knowing when they do can make it easier for parents and caregivers to tend to the person’s needs.

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CHILDREN WITH AUTISM AND THEIR SPECIAL INTERESTS

What is monotropism in autism?

In its simplest definition, monotropism is a theory of autism developed by autistic people that tries to explain why some people on the spectrum may have fewer interests than others.

It was developed by Dinah Murray, Wenn Lawson, and Mike Lesser and first published in 2005.

According to the theory, monotropic minds tend to focus on one or a smaller number of interests at a given time. Much like any other cognitive theory, there are pros and cons to monotropism.

Some pros include:

• a strong focus on areas of interest,
• efficiently tackling intricate tasks,
• development of expertise on certain subjects,
• and creative and novel approaches to problem-solving.

Meanwhile, cons include not noticing subjects that fall outside their specific areas of interest. They may also quickly forget about things no longer in their focus.

According to research, monotropism can help explain why many autistic people struggle when switching between tasks.

Signs of monotropic autism

As monotropism is commonly associated with autism, there are some clear signs for parents and caregivers to be on the lookout for if they believe their autistic children’s minds may be monotropic.

Monotropism tends to manifest through hyperfixation, difficulty with social interaction, and sensory sensitivities.

Hyperfocus

As previously mentioned, autistic people with monotropic minds tend to become deeply absorbed in special interests.

It can lead to an attention tunnel where autistic people will spend significant time researching these interests. They may collect items that relate to them and engage in repetitive behaviors related to their intense focus.

Over the past week when I have been writing this, my son has played and watched chess games online. He even reviewed the ones he’s played to see what he could’ve done better.

He has a tunnel vision for chess, where he will spend hours solely focused on one game, ignoring requests from his mother and me. This often leads to bigger problems when we need him to do his chores.

Difficulty with social interaction 

Many people with autism spectrum disorders may struggle with social interactions.

The intense focus on a single topic may make it harder for them to do these tasks:

• maintain eye contact, 
• follow conversations on topics that aren’t of interest to them, 
• pick up on social cues.

Once again, this happens often with my son. His mother and I may be discussing something about our plans when he will insert himself into the conversation and try to change the topic, mostly to chess, music, or football.

His monotropic mind pushes him towards these topics, leaving fewer resources for any other topic of conversation.

Sensory sensitivities

Many autistic children tend to suffer from sensory sensitivities. Monotropism has been shown to heighten these sensitivities to certain sensory inputs. This can make certain environments feel overwhelming.

My wife and I have noticed this with our son in certain loud environments. He likes to go to a coffee shop near our house that also has video games and karaoke.

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It’s an overall fun experience, but sometimes, we see him covering his ears even when it doesn’t seem too loud to us. It’s clear at that moment he’s experiencing heightened sensitivity to sound and needs a break from the noise.

Effect of monotropism on daily life

Much like any other processes commonly associated with autism, monotropic minds tend to impact how autistic people react in school, work, and social settings.

Monotropic people experience both strengths and challenges due to their focus on a smaller number of interests.

Strengths

The so-called “autistic focus” on these special interests can lead to intense attention to detail that allows them to excel on tasks associated with those topics.

It can lead to better grades in school, more appreciation for work on these interests, and finding friends through shared interests.

Plus, the attention tunnel can lead to “flow states” of intense concentration. Autistic adults with a monotropic mind often find improved mental health through the predictable input provided by repetitive interests.

Montropism has been linked to improved sensory regulation, reduced anxiety and depression, and overall improved mental health.

Challenges

Monotropic minds tend to experience challenges when demands on their mental load start exceeding what they have the capacity to manage. Attention pulled away from their desired interests can lead to struggles in refocusing on the new task.

This energy shift can make it harder to complete everyday tasks and affect planning and organizational skills.

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CHILDREN WITH AUTISM AND THEIR SPECIAL INTERESTS

While monotropism’s attention tunnels can reduce anxiety when focused on special interests, it can actually increase anxiety as autistic people struggle with the tonal shift.

It can lead to autistic burnout and sensory overload and sometimes even cause autistic minds to shut down while they try to recharge.

How to support autistic people with monotropism

People with autism and their parents have long explained how much of a struggle the autistic experience can be, and that doesn’t necessarily get easier for monotropic people. 

However, there are some key ideas parents and caregivers can use to help support autistic people in their lives:

• Embrace special interests – These interests are clearly important to our loved ones with autism. Embracing them can help them view these interests as strengths to incorporate into their daily lives.
• Provide dedicated “focus time” – Setting aside specific allotted times for these special areas of focus will allow them to fully immerse themselves in topics they love without interruption.
• Provide smooth transitions – Giving your loved ones clear warnings about when they will need to move to a new task will allow them time to mentally prepare and cut down on potential meltdowns.
• Minimize distractions – Monotropic minds tend to have fewer resources available to handle distracting stimuli. Creating a calm environment with less noise and clutter can help your autistic loved one stay focused.
• Communicate openly – Talk to your loved one with autism about what they need to make smooth transitions from one interest to another. This also allows them to voice their preferences to make things easier for all involved.
• Encourage exploration – Encourage your loved one with autism to expand their knowledge of the subject. It could lead to different interests presenting themselves as the person learns more about other topics connected to their primary interest.
• Educate others – Informing family and friends about monotropism can help foster understanding and support for our loved ones with autism.

Embracing monotropism and autism in daily life

For many parents and caregivers, monotropism is commonly associated with autism. Those with monotropic minds tend to have a laser focus on topics that interest them while often neglecting topics that don’t align with those interests. It can serve as both a strength and a challenge for people with autism.

However, parents and caregivers can help encourage their loved ones with both autism and monotropism. Fostering interests through the monotropic mind can help people with autism learn new traits and develop expanded interests. Working together, caregivers and their loved ones can make life a little easier for those who may experience monotropism.

FAQs

Q: What are the symptoms of monotropism?

A: Monotropism is a theory about a person’s tendency to focus strongly on a smaller number of interests. Some symptoms include special interests, difficulty multitasking, sensory differences, getting overwhelmed, and flow states.

Q: What is the difference between hyperfocus and monotropism?

A: Hyperfocus is when a person enters an intense state of concentration on a specific task, while monotropism refers to a broader developmental aspect where the person focuses on a smaller number of interests. Hyperfocus can sometimes be a symptom of monotropism.

Q: Are people with ADHD monotropic?

A: While monotropism is often commonly associated with autism, it can also be associated with ADHD, as they are often focused heavily on a select group of interests. Autism and ADHD also co-occur with each other often, making it easy for someone to have autism, ADHD, and monotropism.

Q: What is an example of monotropic thinking?

A: Monotropic thinking tends to be when an autistic person becomes so deeply focused on a topic that they struggle to engage in other conversations. They may divert any conversation about other topics toward that specialized interest.