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Autistic Play & Monotropism Resources and Signposting

Image of child lining up toy cars. Text: Monotropism and Autistic play. What may look like a child "just" lining up toys is much more meaningful! If a child is Autistic they may play differently to others. They may find comfort in repetitive play and prefer playing by themselves or alongside others. Providing opportunities to embrace their own monotropic learning style will enable children's minds and bodies to regulate. It will enable deeper thought processes and new knowledge and skills to develop.

A collection of neuro-affirming resources that embrace authentic Autistic ways of playing. Some of the resources and research focus on, and honour, the ways the theory of monotropism can help us understand and validate the differences in how Autistic children (and adults!) play and learn through play. I have collected many of these resources through social media and various Discord groups, so thank you to everyone who has shared them.

All play is OK. There is no right way to play.

Read the blog

My longer piece on monotropism, flow and why Autistic play matters.

Monotropism and Autistic play

“Play doesn’t need to teach anything to be worthy. A child spinning in circles, digging a hole for no reason, or talking to a stick isn’t wasting time—they’re claiming space in a world obsessed with outcomes. Play is not preparation for life. It is life…..Too often, play is tolerated only when it leads to something “productive.” But research tells a different story. Real play—freely chosen, self-directed, often nonsensical—is where children build their sense of self, explore emotional landscapes, and experience joy on their own terms (Hughes, 2011; Lester & Russell, 2008).”

Quoted from Rooted in Play (March 2025).

Websites and resources

Research and posters

Lisa Chapman (MSc research project): Autistic teenagers’ special interests and wellbeing.

Autistic teenagers' special interests and wellbeing: MSc research by Lisa Chapman in collaboration with Autistic teenagers and their families from a UK-based gaming charity, with rainbow stripes.

Elise Guthrie Stirling (PhD research about Autistic play): UNCRC Article 31, the right to play.

Post by Elise Guthrie Stirling for Playday 2023 sharing her academic poster UNCRC Article 31: The Right to Play, with a roadmap to implementation in Scotland, a SWOT analysis and the question: is age-appropriate appropriate for all? #AllPlayIsOk

Autistic play is appropriate play

Illustration by autisticamente_marcela: Autistic play is appropriate play. A child sits drawing, surrounded by toys, lined-up objects, a dinosaur, stacking rings and books, dreaming of a fried egg with a smiley face.

Image and text from @autisticamente_marcela:

“The pathological medical model defines #Autistic play as inappropriate, restricted, and repetitive with DEFICITS in imagination, imitation, symbolism and joint attention.

A paradigm that focuses on deficits rather than strengths. In this context, playing “appropriately” means playing with toys exactly as a typical child would play with toys.

When an autistic child plays in an unusual way, it is considered “inappropriate play.” In other words, “it’s different, therefore it’s bad.”

It’s not that autistic children don’t know how to play. There is no correct way to play. Play is play.

Autistic children’s exploration and interaction with the world is outside of society’s understanding, and just because society doesn’t understand the value of doing things a certain way, it doesn’t mean it’s wrong.

There is nothing wrong with lining up toys.
There is nothing wrong with spinning the wheels of a car.
There is nothing wrong with playing with nature.
There is nothing wrong with playing with a cardboard box.

Autistic play is appropriate play. Autistic children are not broken versions of neurotypical children. Same thing goes for autistic adults (we exist by the way). #Autism is a natural part of the spectrum of human diversity… and diversity is beautiful.

We learn, interact and play AUTISTICALLY.”

Autísticamente Marcela

Play is for all ages

From Aurora Consulting:

“Autistic play is a wonderful expression of our identity and culture. And while others may not always play like we do, our play is just as valid. Here is a slide from our webinar on play back in April (2025) where we reminded people that we don’t grow out of play! Playing is for everyone of all ages. You can support Autistic play by:

  • 🧸 buying toys and games we actually like, rather than ones society expects us to like.
  • 🧸 don’t wait for special occasions: if you buy something and squirrel it away for a couple of months until a birthday, we may have moved on by then.
  • 🧸 be patient: if you want to join in our play that’s great, but it has to be when we are ready.
  • 🧸 seek genuine shared interests, things you both love together, like movies, games and books.
  • 🧸 seek permission if you want to join in with the play, and make sure we are happy for you to join in. If we aren’t ready, perhaps we can parallel play instead.
  • 🧸 show genuine interest in what we are doing. We can often tell when people are feigning interest.
  • 🧸 embrace the repetition. We may play the same game over and over, but repetition often brings security and comfort in an unpredictable world.

Autistic play is a huge source of comfort and joy! Just remember to check in with your body and see if you need the loo, a drink, or some food every once in a while!”

Shared via Aurora Consulting on LinkedIn (2025).

Aurora slide: Play for all ages, with tips around a photo of an older woman smiling and holding playing cards: don't wait for special occasions, be patient, shared interests, seek permission, genuine interest, toys or games they like, embrace repetition.

Self-directed neurodivergent play

Kerry Murphy’s free beginner’s guide for Tapestry (Murphy, 2024).

Cover of A Beginner's Guide to Self-Directed Neurodivergent Play by Kerry Murphy for Tapestry, with the quote: "Play is serious, yet not serious, trivial yet profound, imaginative and spontaneous, yet bound by rules and anchored in the real world..." (Gray, 2013, p. 139).

The Joys and Shapes of Autistic Play by Max Alexander

Front cover of The Joys and Shapes of Autistic Play by Max Alexander.

This publication gives an affirming, non-pathologised and joyful perspective on Autistic play, informed by a decade or so of play with and alongside hundreds of Autistic folks. It presents eight “Autistic Play Shapes” describing common patterns in the play of Autistic people, developed over years of presenting, teaching and ongoing play with many wonderful Autistic and Autistic-adjacent folks.

It is available as a free digital download and as a physical copy from the Play Radical store. Find out more at playradical.com.

Image of child playing with a stick in water. Text: Monotropism and play. Autistic people may have strong interests. If a child is Autistic they may play differently to others. They may find comfort in repetitive play and prefer playing by themselves or alongside others. Providing opportunities to embrace their own monotropic learning style will enable children's minds and bodies to regulate. It will enable deeper thought processes and new knowledge and skills to develop.

Videos and podcasts

Notes from O’Keeffe and McNally (2025)

  • Play is central to children’s lives, wellbeing and quality of life.
  • Play is a fundamental right of all children.
  • Our understanding of Autistic play has focused on deficit views, using normative assumptions to describe it.
  • We need an Autistic understanding of play, from Autistic players themselves.
  • Play as fun and escapism, including flow states.
  • Play, friendships, and social demands and negotiations.
  • Play as engagement with meaningful activities that support creativity and imagination.

Recommendations for research and practice: the findings challenge deficit views of Autistic children’s play and emphasise dispositional qualities. They matter for upholding children’s right to play, and for providing authentic play experiences where fun and happiness are present, rather than activities that only “look like play”. Celebrate difference and diversity in play, and respect children’s playful preferences when creating inclusive play environments.

Free downloads and books

Cover of A guide to neurodiversity in the early years by Kerry Murphy, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, showing an adult reading with children on the floor and a neurodiversity infinity symbol.

Free download: A guide to neurodiversity in the early years by Kerry Murphy, for the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families (with signposting that recommends Autistic Realms).

Book cover: Embracing Monotropism and Supporting Young People to Help Prevent Autistic Burnout by Helen Edgar.

Reading and research

References in APA style, listed alphabetically.

Image of child playing with bricks. Text: Monotropism and Autistic play. "Play must be the right of every child. Not a privilege. After all, when regarded as a privilege, it is granted to some and denied to others, creating further inequalities" (Souto-Manning, 2020). Autistic and ADHD children may play differently and have a monotropic way of learning. They should not be made to fit into neurotypical expectations of what people think play "should" look like.
Sunset image. Text: "Inclusion is not a matter of where you are geographically, but of where you feel you belong" Mary Warnock (2005), cited in Murray, D., & Lawson, W. (2006). Inclusion through technology for autistic children. In Routledge eBooks (pp. 181-187).

What would you add?

Do you know of a resource, organisation, book or piece of research that should be here, or have you spotted a link that has stopped working? I would love to hear from you, as this guide grows with our community.

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Last reviewed: October 2026

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