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Category: Autism
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 these obstacles is crucial for fostering inclusive and supportive environments for neurodivergent and disabled individuals. Here are some common barriers that I have been working on with Stimpunks, who have a more in-depth page with…
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 see deeper truths’ – Barry H. Gillespie I love this quote by Barry Gillespie ”The path isn’t a straight line; it’s a spiral. You continually come back to things you thought you understood and see…
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 Neuronormative Domination. We hope that this will help frame the Map of Monotropic Experiences and provide insights as to why it is important to change the narrative that is causing so much harm to Autistic…
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 20 common aspects of monotropic experience. Monotropism is a theory that seeks to explain autism (and may also resonate with ADHDers) in terms of attention distribution and interests. To understand why the neurodiversity-affirming theory of…
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 monotropic(Garau et al., 2023). Monotropic people have an interest-based nervous system. This means they focus more of their attention resources on fewer things at any one time compared to other people who may be polytropic.…
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 mental health crisis, diagnosis and embracing neurodivergence. I have been privileged to proof read a copy of this book prior to publication and share my thoughts. “I know I’m not alone thinking or feeling this…
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 that highlights the impact of neuronormative domination that Autistic people may experience. It is framed through the lens of monotropism. I will explore some of the ways people can support monotropic (Autistic/ADHD) people to thrive…
Radical Resilience
Image of pink flower growing between gaps in pavement. Text:Wild flowers offer hope. Be radically resilient. Find possibilities in-between hard spaces. Be authentic and flourish in adversity. Transform the landscape. Be a wild flower.
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 people can more easily split their processing and energy resources across multiple channels than monotropic people, this may explain some key differences in communication people experience. It may initially sound a bit conflicting to discuss…
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
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
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…
Caverns, Pleats and Folds
Cartographers are people who create maps, and they transform physical geography into an accessible format so people can navigate in and through the spaces of the world. I recently watched a National Geographic documentary about caving ‘ Explorer: The Deepest Cave | Disney+ (disneyplus.com’). It led me to consider the underground maps inside the earth, the…
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 boundaries that can tie us all down, yet there is freedom in the possibilities the mind can bring and in the choices we can make. We can subvert the restrictions of neuronormative society; we can,…
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…
Neuro-Holographic Thoughts
I believe that the DEEP (Double Empathy Extreme Problem) is at the heart of all the systemic ableist issues we have in our education, social and healthcare systems. The lack of an embodied presence and connection between people being together as humans is causing harm. It is leaving marginalised people further on the edges and…
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 no longer able to move fluidly through our experience, instead frozen like ice on an arctic tundra” (Gray-Hammond, 2023) David Gray-Hammond (Emergent Divergence) and I are responding to each other’s blogs to help expand the…
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 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…
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 may impact flow states and regulation. Holotropism synthesises the theory of monotropism (Murray, 2005) with deep ecology and holistic anatomy. Holotropism is a: “multi-dimensional, spacious, edgeless terrain under the monotropism map…To be holotropic is to have…
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…
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 you may feel like you are constantly juggling to try and keep some balance to get through the day and avoid a crisis. Changes to everyday routines, such as celebration days and events, can be…
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 Affirming Glossary is now available on Amazon. This blog is an abbreviated version created for The PDA Space. Language Matters It can be really hard as a parent/carer when you discover that your children are…
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 was developed by Murray, Lawson and Lesser (2005) in their article, Attention, monotropism and the diagnostic criteria for autism. Monotropic people focus more attention and energy resources on a more limited number of channels of interest…
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 than the rest of the population (Garau, V. et al., June 2023). This means they focus more energy and resources on fewer interests/tasks/ sensory input at any one time compared to non-autistic polytropic people. Developing a…
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 experience where input and demands from life exceed the capacity a person has to manage. As part of my ongoing work within the neurodivergent community, I hope to help develop a deeper understanding and awareness…
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…
Building a Family Sensory Toolkit
Tigger Pritchard delivered a great workshop with The PDA Space where they discussed ‘The Sensory Impact of School Holidays’, which is available to watch here in The PDA Space Portal. I have also created a FREE E-BOOK ‘Building a Family Toolkit’ which is available in my shop. https://autisticrealms.com/shop/ Sensory Systems Everyone has a sensory…
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.,…
Transitions – Supporting young people throughout the day
Recognising the demands of transitions and finding ways to reduce the pressure for the young people you support. Original article written for The PDA Space Recognising the demands of transitions and finding ways to reduce the pressure (thepdaspace.com) July 2023. Corrina Wood (specialist autism practitioner and advisor) has created a great webinar about recognising and…
Monotropism and Experiences of being Monotropic
The theory of Monotropism was developed by Dr Dinah Murray, Wenn Lawson and Mike Lesser (2005) in their article, Attention, monotropism and the diagnostic criteria for autism. 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,(2018), describes montropism as:…
Middle Entrance
I am starting my new blog in the middle. I am in the middle of what is known as ‘midlife’ as I am forty-five; I am also mid-career, having resigned from teaching and not yet working in any other defined role. I also live much of my life in and between the online (primarily neurodivergent)…
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…
Low Demand Parenting (for the whole family)
There are a growing number of courses and books discussing the benefits of low-demand parenting strategies. This approach has been adopted by many professionals, such as Dr. Naomi Fisher, who support families. It is becoming increasingly popular amongst parents, especially in neurodivergent communities or in communities where children are struggling with mental health. Many of the low-demand…
Autism & OCD – What Could Help
According to OCD-UK charity, there are,’ around three-quarters of a million people thought to be living with severe, life-impacting and debilitating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) here in the UK’. Many of these people may also be autistic. Stone and Chen (2015) explain that the co-occurrence rate of OCD in autistic people ‘being 3-7% is 6-14% times the…
Monotropism = Happy Flow State
A guest blog for PDA Space – the original more concise version of this article is here: Monotropism = Happy Flow State (thepdaspace.com) As a parent entering into the realms of Autism, ADHD, PDA or any other neurodivergence it can feel overwhelming. Not just because of the weight those labels hold and possible difficulties with…
Autism is fluid
Autism is not a disorder and does not need fixing or any ‘interventions’. Autism comes under the umbrella of neurodivergence, it is a different way of thinking, interacting and responding to people and the world. Nick Walker (2021) in her book Neuroqueer Heresies, states; ‘Autism is a genetically-based human neurological variant…..autistic individual’s subjective experience can…
Neurodivergent Friendly Classrooms
(Article published as Guest Blog for Twinkl Feb 2023)n Embrace Difference The numbers of pupils needing EHCPs and support plans are increasing in schools, and the numbers of children and young people struggling to attend school due to unmet needs are also escalating. This correlates to the rise in the number of neurodivergent children…
Supporting neurodivergent students who are struggling to attend school
Data shows that the number of pupils with identified SEND needs are rising. There is an increase in the number of pupils diagnosed as being neurodivergent e.g. Autistic, ADHD, Dyslexic, PDA or with sensory processing difficulties. We are also in the midst of a huge education attendance crisis demonstrated by the rising numbers of students…
Supporting pupils through Autistic Burnout (Teacher Guide)
This is written from my lived experience as a parent and teacher, supported by the amazing research of professionals and advocates in this field. I’m not a therapist or medical professional. Autistic Burnout: A Family Guide is available here: Shop | Autisticrealms nn My updated version of ‘Supporting your Young Person through Autistic Burnout‘…
Book Review: The New Normal-Autistic musings on the threat of a broken society by David Gray-Hammond
David Gray-Hammond’s new book The New Normal – Autistic musings on the threat of a broken society (2022) is a fantastic and wonderful addition to not only the Autistic and neurodivergent community but is also an accessible text for those who are less familiar with the neurodiversity paradigm and the flipside of the…
Book Review -Square Pegs, Inclusivity, Compassion & Fitting in (A guide for Schools)
Square Pegs: Inclusivity, compassion and fitting in – a guide for schools. Fran Morgan with Elllie Costello, edited by Ian Gilbert. Independent Thinking Press (2023) The knowledge and ideas in the new book, Square Pegs (2023) has the potential to transform our education system and support those working with young people in schools to make…
Supporting autistic students experiencing OCD in a school setting
The National Autistic Society School report 2021 confirmed, ‘There are over 160,000 autistic pupils in schools across England. Over 70% are in mainstream school, with the rest in specialist education, home educated or out of education altogether’. This figure is likely to be much higher as there are many more who are either on…
Autism, OCD, Alexithymia & Interoception
Autism is a difference of neurotype and many autistic people refer to themselves as being neurodivergent. Neurodivergent people process, interpret and respond to the world in a way that is different to the neuromajority /neurotypical person. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Some individuals can experience both…
Total Communication
Total communication is not a new concept it evolved from the field of education for the deaf in the 1960s (Schow and Nerbonne 2007). Mueller (2021) defines total communication as including, ‘not only speech, signing, gestures, and written language, but also picture communication and voice output communication devices’. For those with profound and multiple…
Education Crisis – Neurodiversity Affirming Teacher Training Needed
Language Identity First Language: In line with preferences from the Autistic community I will be using Identity First Language (ie. Autistic person, NOT person with Autism) Neurodiversity – This relates to the biological fact that human brains and minds differ from each other. Neurodiversity aligns with the idea that all children are unique and…
Supporting Children through Autistic Burnout (Parent/Carer Guide)
(This is written from lived experience as a parent and teacher, supported by the amazing research of professionals and advocates in this field. I’m not a therapist or medical professional). Autistic Burnout: A Family Guide 137 page resource is available in my shop. An updated 2024 version of this article is available here published…
Language matters, relationships are essential
It can be difficult and confusing to understand the language surrounding neurodiversity. It can be seen to be creating further divisions and potentially isolating some people by getting hung up on the specifics. I know I have my own anxiety about not using the ‘right’ language (despite writing this!). In response to my previous…
Parent ideas for autistic children struggling with school attendance
If your child is autistic, then they are more likely to have additional anxiety, social, communication and sensory processing difficulties. Consequently, school can be a difficult and overwhelming place for them to be if they are not in the right environment with teachers that fully understand them or have the right provision to meet…
‘Profound autism’ does not exist – rather there are autistic individuals with PMLD / PIMD
‘Profound Autism?’ Language matters, but it is complicated and there are constant changes of vocabulary and what is deemed as “correct” or inline with best practise of the time, particularly in education and health care. Earlier this year Emily Ansell Elfer (Feb 2022) shared the news that the phrase ‘Profound Autism’ had been ‘officially recognised…
‘Profound’ in relation to those with PMLD / PIMD
PIMD / PMLD The International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities – IASSIDD) supports individuals and their families who have profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD). They define this group of people by saying that ‘they are characterized by very severe cognitive, neuromotor and/or sensory…
Ideas for Autistic Children who are Struggling at School
It can be difficult for autistic children to access an appropriate education and challenging for their parents to navigate the various paths to get their child an education that meets their needs. No one wants their child to just survive in school, all our children should be able to thrive in the…