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Autistic Burnout – Supporting Young People At Home & School
Autistic burnout in young people is real—and recovery starts with understanding. This post offers neuroaffirming ways to spot the signs,…
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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…
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Map of Monotropic Experiences
Monotropism seeks to explain Autism in terms of attention distribution and interests. OSF Preprints | Development and Validation of a…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Monotropism Questionnaire & Inner Autistic/ADHD Experiences
Post first published 28th July 2023 Over the past few weeks, there has been a sudden surge of interest in…
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Penguin Pebbling: An Autistic Love Language
Penguin Pebbling is a neurodivergent way of showing you care, like sharing a meme or twig or pretty stone to…
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Inclusion Needs Recognition, Not Erasure: A Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach
When headlines claim that autism and ADHD are “invented labels,” it’s more than rhetoric, it’s erasure. A explores why removing…
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Χάρτης Μονοτροπικών Εμπειριών
ThalloMinds has kindly translated The Map of Monotropic Experiences (Χάρτης Μονοτροπικών Εμπειριών) that I created in collaboration with Stimpunks! Huge…
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Why “Interest-Led” Isn’t Enough: Embracing Monotropism & Neuro-Affirming Practice
Many approaches claim to be “interest-led,” but true neuroaffirming practice goes deeper. Being monotropism-informed means honouring Autistic attention, autonomy, and…
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Navigating PANS/PANDAS & Neurodivergence
Our new PANS/PANDAS info-gathering templates help families, schools & clinicians understand the overlap between neurodivergence and PANS/PANDAS.
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Shared Flow: Turning Attention To Support Children Together
Discover Dinah Murray’s concept of co-tropicality—turning our attention together. Explore how joining Autistic children in their flow builds trust, co-regulation,…
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Protecting the Meaning of Neuro-Affirming Practice
Discover what genuine neuro-affirming practice looks like — beyond tokenism and “neurodiversity-lite.” Explore how to protect the heart of the…
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Discovering Belonging: Creating Neuro-Affirming Animations with Thriving Autistic
Discovering Belonging: Neuro-Affirming Animations with Thriving Autistic. Celebrate Autistic identity through the Discovery Programme and new animations that explore belonging,…
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Being Autistic shapes grief: Explore unique paths through loss and affirming support
Explore how Autistic people experience grief differently and discover affirming resources, support, and strategies for navigating loss with compassion.
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Reflections on the Autistic Mental Health Conference 2025
Reflections On The Autistic Mental Health Conference. An Interview between David Gray-Hammond & Helen Edgar
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Monotropism vs Polytropism: ADHD, AuDHD & Autistic Attention
Explore how monotropism shapes Autistic, ADHD, and AuDHD attention. Dispelling myths, uncovering research and exploring why neuroaffirming support matters for…
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SPACE-TIME: A Monotropism Informed Framework for Autistic People
SPACE-TIME: A Monotropism-Informed Neuroaffirming Framework for Autistic People
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Building Connections: Teachers Starting the Year with Pupils with PMLD
Connection comes first. Relationships, trust, & small shared moments are the real foundations of learning.
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Creating Autistic Safety and Belonging: 10 Ideas for Neurodivergent Competency
10 Principles of Neuro-Affirming Practice: Building Neurodivergent Competency Together
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Beyond “Neurodiversity Lite”: Why Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice Matters
Explore the difference between true neurodiversity-affirming practice and “neurodiversity-lite,” and why justice, and lived experience matter.
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Autistic Mental Health: Beyond the Pathology Paradigm
Autistic mental health is often framed through a narrow, deficit-based lens — one that focuses on pathology, risk, and what’s…
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Monotropism and Polytropism Explained
Learn how monotropism differs from polytropism, plus research showing ADHDers and AuDHDers score higher on the Monotropism Questionnaire.
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Autistic Realms: Community Events and New Resources
Autistic RealmsHelen Edgar Autistic Advocate, Author & ConsultantNeurodiversity-Affirming Supporting Autistic People To Thrive And Grow Welcome to Autistic Realms Newsletter!…
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Why PBS is Harmful for Autistic and Neurodivergent Young People
Exploring why and how Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) can harm Autistic people. #Neurodiversity #AutismAcceptance #PBS #DisabilityJustice
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From Autistic Realms to More Realms: Exploring Other Ways of Being
Journey from Autistic Realms into More Realms—where neuro-affirming support meets creative, sensory, and neuroqueer explorations of other ways of being.
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Neuroqueer Learning Spaces: Free Training for Reimagining Education
Neuroqueer Learning Spaces: Free Training for Reimagining Education By Autistic Realms & Stimpunks Foundation
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Neuro-Affirming Neurodivergent & Disabled Wheel of Life: Reclaiming Flow on Our Own Terms
Neuro-Affirming Neurodivergent & Disabled Wheel of Life: Reclaiming Flow on Our Own Terms Workbook available for instant download.
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Glimmers: Autistic Joy and Monotropism
Glimmers are small, powerful moments of Autistic joy that emerge when we’re deeply immersed in what matters to us. Learn…
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Summer Rhythms for Autistic Parents & Carers: Low‑Demand Parenting, Managing Energy & Sensory Needs
A practical guide for Autistic parents and carers to support energy flow, sensory regulation, and family balance through the summer…
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Ethodivergent Hearth Building: A Relational Neuroqueering Community Practice
Explore ethodivergent hearth building as a neuroqueer, relational practice of care, kinship, and more-than-human community with Autistic Realms & Stimpunks.
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Going Deeper: Rest, Burnout, and Monotropic Flow
Autistic burnout recovery often means going deeper into flow, not switching off. Find out about reclaiming rest through monotropic focus,…
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Awe, Wonder and Different Ways of Knowing: Cavendish Space and Helen De Cruz
Honouring the brilliant philosopher Helen De Cruz, whose work on wonder, thinking, and inclusion helped shape and inspire our Neuroqueer Learning…
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Mingling with the universe: Autistic Perception
Mingling with the Universe” exploring Autistic meaning-making as sensory, felt, and more-than-human, where solitude becomes connection, and the world speaks…
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Unmasking: Reclaiming Our Monotropic Attentional Resources?
Exploring masking and unmasking: reclaiming our monotropic attentional resources, reconnecting with ourselves and community
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Mossy Minds & Monotropism
An exploration of moss and monotropic ways of being. An invitation to slow down, sink in, and reconnect through sensory…
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Autistic Pride: Restorying & Unknowing Autism
Restorying is how we reclaim our Autistic voices, honour our ways of knowing, and build futures rooted in connection, not…
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Being With People with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities Through Attunement and Shared Time
There’s something incredibly powerful in the simple idea of being with someone. Not doing to or even doing with or…
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The Power of Monotropic Flow: Reclaiming Ourselves Through Creative Practice
“Art opens up space for healing and a way of reclaiming your own narrative”. Letting go of how we should…
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Empowering Advocacy: Neuro-Affirming Support for Your Autistic Young Person at School
By Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms), with David Gray-Hammond & Tanya Adkin Navigating the education system as the parent or carer…
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Toileting: A Neuroaffirming Approach to Support your Autistic Child
Toileting is not a race. For many Autistic children, the journey may look different. Respecting a child’s pace, sensory needs,…
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Neurodiversity Affirming Reading Recommendations
Looking for neurodiversity-affirming reads? I’ve have a growing collection of books listed by autistic authors, advocates, and researchers. Perfect for…
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Monotropism, Spiral Time, and the Rhizome of Memories
Memory may not be linear for neurodivergent people. It may feel like a spiral of felt sensations. Being monotropic shapes…
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Sintering: Neurodivergent Community Building
When snow first falls, its flakes are delicate and vulnerable, but over time, a quiet transformation begins. Sintering is the…
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NEW Map of Monotropic Experiences: FREE Open Source Training Resources
Map of Monotropic Experiences: FREE Open Source Training ResourcesThe Map of Monotropic Experiences:Reframing Autism Through A Neurodiversity-Affirming Lens Training for…
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Reclaiming Rest: Autistic Burnout, Monotropism, and Resistance
Rest can become a radical act in a world that often equates our worth with productivity, especially for Autistic or…
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Map of Monotropic Experiences: Open Source Training Resources
The Map of Monotropic Experiences: Reframing Autism Through A Neurodiversity-Affirming Lens. Training Pack
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Neuroqueering Monotropic Time: A short summary
Autistic/ADHD people are more likely to be monotropic and resonate with the theory of monotropism. Dinah Murray, Wenn Lawson, and…
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Neuroqueering Time: Bergson, Deleuze, and Monotropism (an exploration)
Time as a double temporality problem, exploring interest gravity for monotropic people and flow as a temporal home…..
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Monotropic Time – A Short Blog
Monotropic Time: A Different Rhythm If you are Autistic, ADHD, or AuDHD, time may not feel like a straight line,…
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Autistic Young People: Skills Regression, Burnout or a shift in Monotropic Attentional Resources?
Autistic individuals may not lose skills but instead redirect their monotropic attention toward new interests or areas of development.
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Autistic Realms News!
Autistic RealmsHelen Edgar Autistic Advocate, Author & ConsultantNeurodiversity-Affirming Support Supporting Autistic People Thrive And Grow Welcome to Autistic Realms Newsletter!…
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Monotropic Time & Neuroqueering Temporalities
Dwelling in Resonance: Monotropism, Monotropic Time, Spirals & Neuroqueer Temporalities “Lodged in all is a set metronome” – (W. H.…
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Monotropic Time
Each person’s experience of time is likely to be influenced by culture, age, disability and neurodivergence. For Autistic/ADHD/AuDHD people, time…
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Autistic Realms Weekly Round-Up!
Autistic Realms News Letter: Neuro-Affirming resources and blogs, up-coming webinars, sharing new research and community events.
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Testimonials for Autistic Realms
Testimonials gathered from National Neurodiversity Awards nomination feedback 2024 and 2025. Feel free to vote for me and others here:…
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Welcome Newsletter
Autistic RealmsHelen Edgar – Autistic Advocate, Author & ConsultantNeurodiversity-Affirming Support To Help Autistic People Thrive And Grow Welcome to Autistic…
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Neuro-Affirming Research in Practice: Supporting Autistic Students, Embracing Monotropism In The Classroom And Beyond
Written by Tanya Adkin and Helen Edgar, based on the presentation we delivered to the National Autistic Society Professionals’ Conference…
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Monotropism and Autistic Play
All play is ok! There is no right way to play! All play is ok! There is no right way…
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Could it be PANS/PANDAS… Be Curious!
This collection of text and images was created collaboratively by neurodivergent educators, working together to shine a light on this…
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Challenges for Autistic & Neurodivergent Families Navigating the SEND System: We Need to Understand the Double Empathy Problem & Embrace Monotropism
(Blog based on a presentation I delivered to London Met University 14th March 2025, updated April 24th 2025 following the…
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Weird Pride and Being Weird
Weird Pride Day: Why Be Normal When You Can Be You? Every day can be a Weird Pride day if…
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What does ‘neuro-affirming’ mean for Autistic young people?
This blog was written by myself, Helen Edgar of @autisticrealms for GROVE. I am delighted to work with Grove Neurodivergent Mentoring and…
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Autistic Young People & Friendships
Discover how Autistic young people experience and build friendships in a way that honors their unique communication styles and interests.
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Tides of burnout and being monotropic
“Once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through. But one thing is certain. When you…
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Call for Submissions: Share your experiences of being monotropic.
Open Invite: Share your experiences of being monotropic. Share poems, art, blogs, essays, videos, podcasts, music, etc., that reflect your…
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Obstacles in the way of Neuro-Affirming Practice in Educational Settings & Ways Forward
Implementing neurodiversity-affirming practices in education, healthcare, and other systems is often hindered by pervasive narratives and biases. Recognizing and addressing…
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Behaviourism/PBS/ABA/PECs: There are alternative ways
‘The path isn’t a straight line; it’s a spiral. You continually come back to things you thought you understood and…
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Autism & The Map of Neuronormative Domination: Stuck States vs Flow States
In collaboration with Ryan Boren, Chelsea Adams and Norah Hobbs from Stimpunks I have created: Autism & The Map of…
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The Map of Monotropic Experiences: A Summary
The Map of Monotropic Experiences, created by Helen Edgar of Autistic Realms in collaboration with the Stimpunks Foundation, visually represents…
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Words: Inspired By The Experience Of Being Monotropic
Monotropism is a neurodiversity-affirming theory of autism (Murray et al., 2005). Autistic /ADHD/ AuDHD people are more likely to be…
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Book Review: I didn’t see you there. By Charlotte Gale
I didn’t see you there by Charlotte Gale is a powerful journey of poetic memoirs of one family’s path through…
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Neuronormative Domination, Monotropism & The Map of Monotropic Experiences
In collaboration with Stimpunks, I created a Map of Monotropic Experiences. This is a revised edition of the original map…
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Radical Resilience
Image of pink flower growing between gaps in pavement. Text:Wild flowers offer hope. Be radically resilient. Find possibilities in-between hard…
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Gestalt Language Processing, Monotropism & Young People
Monotropic (Autistic/ ADHD) people have fewer tunnels of interest to process and use their energy than polytropic people (non-Autistic/ADHD). Polytropic…
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Caverns, Pleats and Folds
Cartographers are people who create maps, and they transform physical geography into an accessible format so people can navigate in…
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Monotropism and Collective Flow
In Milan Kundera’s novel, ‘The Unbearable Lightness of Being’ (1981), he described the heaviness of life, the restrictive oppression and…
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Exploring ‘Being With’
I experience and interpret ‘Being With’ as a process of be-coming together. Deleuze’s concept of the line of flight allows…
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The Autistic Dream Realms Project
Autistic Dream Realms The Autistic Dream Realms Project, created with Katie from Autistic and Living the Dream is a project in…
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An Autistic Experience of Social Media
I am writing this one month into my journey of setting up Autistic Realms; I aim to support and develop…
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Neurodivergent Base-Camp
Explaining what it is like to be autistic to non-autistic people can be difficult. To quote Dawn Prince-Hughes (Cultural Autism…
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Autistic Burnout, Bodymind and Soul
Kieran Rose (2018) describes autistic burnout as a ‘crash where you keep on crashing’. This resonates deeply. I have experienced…
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Quantum Neuro-Holographic Thoughts from a Liminal Space
“Quantumness tends to prosper in very cold systems that are carefully isolated rather than part of a tepid soup awash…
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Spaces For Multi-Sensory Learners and those with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities
Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms) and Ryan Boren (Stimpunks) have been exploring radically inclusive learning environments. Cavendish learning spaces are based…
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Neurodivergent Co-Regulation
Being neurodivergent can be really hard work in a world that is mostly still lacking in an understanding of the…
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Neuro-Holographic Thoughts
I believe that the DEEP (Double Empathy Extreme Problem) is at the heart of all the systemic ableist issues we…
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Neuroqueering in the Liminal Spaces
Neuroqueering in Liminal Spaces “By silencing our bodyminds, they (neurotypical society) have halted the growth of a chaotic self. We are…
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Monotropism, Holotropism & Floatation Experiences
I am autistic and monotropic, and I am interested in exploring Helen Mirra’s theory of holotropism (2023) and how this…
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Neuroqueer Collaborative Work Flow Spaces
A behind-the-scenes look into the collaborative workflow between Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms) and Ryan Boren (Stimpunks) as we write about…
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An unlearing and relearning journey.
Hello! I have never done an introduction post for Autistic Realms, so after 18 months and some one kindly nominating…
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Neuroqueer Learning Spaces — Webinar — a summary and reflection 6th May 2024
Neuroqueer Learning Spaces Webinar — A summary and reflection Neuroqueer Learning Spaces is a community project led by Ryan Boren (Stimpunks) and…
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Interpreting your Monotropism Questionnaire Results
This information will hopefully provide some clarity for anyone who has taken the Monotropism Questionnaire and are unsure what their…
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Celebrations: Neurodivergent-friendly ideas to help make celebrations a success for the whole family
(A guest blog, originally written for and published by ThePDASpace, May 2023) Family life can be busy and chaotic, and…
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Neurodiversity Affirming Glossary of Key Words – for families and professionals
(Glossary written & and originally published for THE PDA SPACE SUMMIT 2023 ) A full version of The Neurdodiversity…
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Monotropism and The Monotropism Questionnaire
This article was originally written for and published by Neurodiverse Connection (Aug 2023) What is monotropism? The theory of monotropism…
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Embracing Autistic Children’s Monotropic Flow States
Article originally written and published for Neurodiverse Connection (Sept 2023) Autistic and ADHD people are more likely to be monotropic…
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Autistic Burnout: Social Media Project November 2023
Autistic burnout is a term often used within the autistic community to describe an intense exhaustion that many autistic people…
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Building a Family Sensory Toolkit
Tigger Pritchard delivered a great workshop with The PDA Space where they discussed ‘The Sensory Impact of School Holidays’,…
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