Monotropism and Wellbeing
IN BRIEF
FROM THE MEMBER
OUR REVIEW
This is autistic writer and teacher Fergus Murray’s keynote at the Scottish Autism Research Group conference in 2023. Monotropism was developed by autistic people, including Fergus’s mother Dr Dinah Murray, alongside Dr Wenn Lawson and Mike Lesser, and was set out in the journal Autism in 2005. The talk explains monotropism as a different way of allocating attention. It uses this to reframe communication, stimming, interests, flow, inertia, shutdown and autistic burnout, then looks at school and adult working life. A full written version sits alongside the video on monotropism.org. It may suit practitioners who want a coherent, non-deficit framework for autistic attention and energy. It is labelled foundational because it was uploaded one week outside our three-year window, but it remains a clear and current introduction. It is one person’s theoretical account. Fergus notes that much of it rests on lived experience and community discussion rather than empirical research.
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Why this may be of benefit
For practitioners, neurodivergent people and others supporting neurodivergent people, this may offer a different frame for attention, energy and overwhelm. It can open up recognition, shared language and more compassionate readings of getting stuck or shutting down.
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Anything worth knowing before someone reads or listens
The talk describes meltdown, shutdown, autistic burnout and distressing school experiences, which may resonate personally. It is around 56 minutes long, and a full transcript is available.