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Image of 2 people Monotropic person has 2 wide arrows in and away from body Polytropic person has multiple arrows in and away from body Text: Autistic/ADHD People are more likely to be monotropic* Monotropism: • More attention resources are concentrated into fewer channels at any one time. • This may enable a more intense hyper or hypo focus/ response/ experience. • Flexibility, time and an environment that meets needs will help manage flow. Polytropism: • Having multiple channels of attention at any one time enables a more even distribution of internal resources. • This allows greater flexibility of processing. • Less energy may be needed to change attention channels and manage flow. *Garau et al. (2023) The Monotropism Questionnaire https://osf.io/wpx5g/ Infographic based on personal interpretation, the image created to encourage discussion

Monotropic vs Polytropic 2

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An infographic comparing monotropic and polytropic attention, with arrows showing focused versus spread attention.

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This infographic puts monotropism and polytropism side by side, using arrows to show attention concentrated into fewer channels or spread across many. It says Autistic and ADHD people are more likely to be monotropic, and that flexibility, time and an environment that meets needs help manage flow. It is based on my own interpretation of the Monotropism Questionnaire (Garau et al., 2023) and made to encourage discussion. It could suit a training session, a staff room or a family conversation.

Instant download after checkout. Made in Canva unless stated. Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0: please credit Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms), share it unadapted and for non-commercial use only. Full terms are in my Terms and Conditions of Use.

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