Tag: Autism

  • 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…

  • Monotropism and Collective Flow

    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

    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…

  • Neurodivergent Base-Camp

    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 Studies at Yale), being autistic is like “being human without the skin”. This can be difficult for non-autistic people to understand. Seeing and feeling the blank looks and Double Empathy Problem (Milton, 2012) at a…

  • Neurodivergent Co-Regulation

    Neurodivergent Co-Regulation

    Being neurodivergent can be really hard work in a world that is mostly still lacking in an understanding of the differences in sensory, social, and communication needs of autistic/ADHD and other neurodivergent people. Different lived experiences can create a double empathy gap (Milton, 2012). This means that people’s needs are often not adequately met, and…

  • Monotropism, Holotropism & Floatation Experiences

    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…

  • Interpreting your Monotropism Questionnaire Results

    Interpreting your Monotropism Questionnaire Results

    The theory of Monotropism was developed by Murray et al. (2005) in their article, Attention, monotropism and the diagnostic criteria for autism. The Monotropism Questionnaire was created by Garau et al. (2023). A self-scoring version of the Monotropism Questionnaire was created by David Cary. The information below will hopefully provide some clarity for anyone who has…

  • Celebrations: Neurodivergent-friendly ideas to help make celebrations a success for the whole family

    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

    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

    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

    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…

  • 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…

  • Building a Family Sensory Toolkit

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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…

  • Autism & OCD – What Could Help

    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

    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 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

    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

    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)

    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‘…

  • Supporting autistic students experiencing OCD in a school setting

    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, 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

      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

    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)

    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

    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

    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’ 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

    ‘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

    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…