Image of green forest in background. Text reads: Autistic Realms News Letter: New blogs:  Neuro-Affirming Autistic Play and Monotropism  New Webinars:  Autistic Well-Being Awareness or Acceptance?  Sharing new research and community projects and events !

Autistic Realms Weekly Round-Up!

Autistic Realms

Helen Edgar – Autistic Advocate, Author & Consultant

Neurodiversity-Affirming Support To Help Autistic People Thrive And Grow

Welcome to Autistic Realms Newsletter!

I have a new blog about Autistic Play and the importance of understanding and embracing the theory of monotropism.

This is supported by a comprehensive resource page about Autistic Play – jam packed with neuro-affirming signposting, research, websites and lots of other useful information!


Earlier this month I presented at the National Autistic Society Professional’s Conference alongside Tanya Adkin. Our blog is now published on their website with all other conference material for those who have tickets.

An edited version of our blog is available on Autistic Realms: Neuro-affirming research into practice – monotropism in the classroom and beyond.


Upcoming Webinars

Upcoming webinar with David Gray-Hammond and Tanya Adkin.
Autistic Wellbeing Series –
Autism Awareness or Autism Acceptance?
16th April 6pm GMT.
What does it really mean to move from awareness to acceptance—and why does it matter?




Sponsor Stimpunks


I volunteer with Stimpunks as their co-creative director and support with advocacy and training.

We have created a map of monotropic experiences and have started a new community story project if you’d like to join in and share your experiences of being monotropic – stories, poems, art, music – all welcome from all age groups!

I will also be talking about this with Dr Wenn Lawson and the Yellow Ladybugs Team at their annual conference later this year.

Date: Online and in-person 3-5 June 2025

Focus: Mapping the Monotropic Mind: An Introduction to This Autistic Thinking and Processing Style alongside Wenn Lawson

A deep exploration of monotropism and mapping the autistic mind as an interest system. Learn about this affirming theory of Autism and how we can better support young people through understanding concepts including attention tunnels and flow states.

National Neurodiversity Awards

It is soon time for the National Neurodiversity Awards. It is an honour to have been nominated for the second year. If you’d like to vote for me or anyone else please follow the link – many thanks!

Exciting newly published research related to Autistic Experience (and some specifically related to Monotropism!)

Aiston, J., Koteyko, N., & Van Driel, M. (2025). Discourse-based approaches to autistic focussed interests: Understanding shared focus, mutual accommodation, and multimodal expression. Applied Linguistics. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amaf006

Bruno, G., Lindblom, A., Masternes, J., Tupou, J., Waisman, T., Toby, S., Vining, C., & Magiati, I. (2025b). Global Indigenous perspectives on autism and autism research: Colonialism, cultural insights and ways forward. Autism. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251318399

Fearon, B., Pearson, A., & Kapp, S. K. (2025b). Exploring the social and emotional impact of puberty and adolescence on autistic people assigned female at birth. Autism in Adulthood. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2024.0298

Hughes, E., Ekdahl, D., & Boldsen, S. (2025). Between essence and diversity: Challenges for phenomenological Autism research. Theory & Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/09593543251315074

Kiera, A., Jonahs, S., Mary, B., Geoffrey, B., & Polly, W. (2025). Experiences of interoception and anxiety in autistic adolescents: A reflexive thematic analysis. Autism. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251314595

LaPoint, S. C., Kiernan, B., Heinly, J., Hector, B. L., Benevides, T. W., & Maddox, B. (2025). Quality of Life Defined by Autistic People: A Thematic analysis. Autism in Adulthood. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2024.0180

Tarragnat, O. (2025). Biodiversity, neurodiversity, ethodiversity: towards a morethan-human and more-than-neurological turn in neurodiversity studies. Laboratoire d’Études de Genre et de Sexualité (LEGS) Université Paris 8 Vincennes Saint-Denis, France

Looking forward to sharing more blogs, resources, research and upcoming events soon!

If you find this news letter valuable please do share and encourage people to sign up and visit Autistic Realms.

Best Wishes,

Helen


Latest Posts

  • Autistic Burnout – Supporting Young People At Home & School

    Autistic Burnout – Supporting Young People At Home & School

    This is a revised and updated version of the article I previously published with Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism  ‘Supporting Your Young Person Through Autistic Burnout’ (Sep 2023). Click here to download  ‘Autistic Burnout: A Family Guide‘ (137-page PDF resource) Being autistic is not an illness or a disorder in itself, but being autistic can…


  • Monotropic Interests and Looping Thoughts

    Monotropic Interests and Looping Thoughts

    The theory of monotropism was developed by Murray, Lawson and Lesser in their article, Attention, monotropism and the diagnostic criteria for autism (2005). ​ Monotropism is increasingly considered to be the underlying principle behind autism and is becoming more widely recognised, especially within autistic and neurodivergent communities. Fergus Murray, in their article Me and Monotropism:…


  • Map of Monotropic Experiences

    Map of Monotropic Experiences

    Monotropism seeks to explain Autism in terms of attention distribution and interests.  OSF Preprints | Development and Validation of a Novel Self-Report Measure of Monotropism in Autistic and Non-Autistic People: The Monotropism Questionnaire This map highlights 20 common aspects of my personal monotropic experiences. How many do you experience? Where are you on the map…


  • Autistic Burnout – Supporting Young People At Home & School

    Autistic Burnout – Supporting Young People At Home & School

    Being autistic is not an illness or a disorder in itself, but being autistic can have an impact on a person’s mental and physical health. This is due to the often unmet needs of living in a world that is generally designed for the well-being of people who are not autistic. In addition, three-quarters of…


  • The Double Empathy Problem is DEEP

    The Double Empathy Problem is DEEP

    “The growing cracks in the thin veneer of our “civilised” economic and social operating model are impossible to ignore”, Jorn Bettin (2021). The double empathy problem (Milton, 2012) creates a gap of disconnect experienced between people due to misunderstood shared lived experiences. It is “a breakdown in reciprocity and mutual understanding that can happen between people…


  • Top 5 Neurodivergent-Informed Strategies

    Top 5 Neurodivergent-Informed Strategies

    Top 5 Neurodivergent-Informed Strategies By Helen Edgar, Autistic Realms, June 2024. 1. Be Kind Take time to listen and be with people in meaningful ways to help bridge the Double Empathy Problem (Milton, 2012). Be embodied and listen not only to people’s words but also to their bodies and sensory systems. Be responsive to people’s…


  • Autistic Community: Connections and Becoming

    Autistic Community: Connections and Becoming

    Everyone seeks connection in some way or another. Connections may look different for autistic people. In line with the motto from Anna Freud’s National Autism Trainer Programme (Acceptance, Belonging and Connection), creating a sense of acceptance and belonging is likely to be more meaningful for autistic people than putting pressure on them to try and…


  • Monotropism, Autism & OCD

    Monotropism, Autism & OCD

    This blog has been inspired by Dr Jeremy Shuman’s (PsyD) presentation, ‘Neurodiversity-Affirming OCD Care‘ (August 2023), available here. Exploring similarities and differences between Autistic and OCD monotropic flow states. Can attention tunnels freeze, and thoughts get stuck? Autism research is shifting; many people are moving away from the medical deficit model and seeing the value…


  • Monotropism Questionnaire & Inner Autistic/ADHD Experiences

    Monotropism Questionnaire & Inner Autistic/ADHD Experiences

     Over the past few weeks, there has been a sudden surge of interest in the Monotropism Questionnaire (MQ), pre-print released in June 2023 in the research paper ‘Development and Validation of a Novel Self-Report Measure of Monotropism in Autistic and Non-Autistic People: The Monotropism Questionnaire.‘ by Garau, V., Murray, A. L., Woods, R., Chown, N.,…


  • Penguin Pebbling – An Autistic Love Language

    Penguin Pebbling – An Autistic Love Language

        What is Penguin Pebbling? I think it was Amythest Schaber that first came up with the concept as part of the 5 neurodivergent love languages. Penguins pass pebbles to other penguins to show they care. Penguin Pebbling is a little exchange between two people to show that they care and want to build…


  • Autistic Realms Weekly Round-Up!

    Autistic Realms Weekly Round-Up!

    Autistic Realms News Letter: Neuro-Affirming resources and blogs, up-coming webinars, sharing new research and community events.


  • Testimonials for Autistic Realms

    Testimonials for Autistic Realms

    Testimonials gathered from National Neurodiversity Awards nomination feedback 2024 and 2025. Feel free to vote for me and others here: Helen is breaking new ground in the dismantling of neuronormativity while working tirelessly to grow and deliver her practice as an Autistic Advocate. I have known of Helen’s work for over 20 years and she…


  • Welcome Newsletter

    Welcome Newsletter

    Autistic RealmsHelen Edgar – Autistic Advocate, Author & ConsultantNeurodiversity-Affirming Support To Help Autistic People Thrive And Grow Welcome to Autistic Realms Newsletter! I will be sharing blogs, resources and upcoming events. Please check out this weeks new resources about neuro-affirming language. Click here Looking forward to sharing more soon!Best Wishes, Helen Contact: helen@autisticrealms.comUnsubscribe · Preferences


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