Autism: Its Foundation and Practical Implications
The following chapter explores and explains what ‘lies beneath’ the diagnosis of autism. The foundation for this chapter is based on original knowledge grounded in the theory of monotropism, heralded in the 2005 paper by Murray, Lesser and Lawson. The work on monotropism began in the 90’s and has been followed through until present times. Current research is supportive of the monotropism theory of autism which posits autism as ‘a matter of attention’, specifically ‘monotropic attention’. When attention is captured by interest (for whatever reason) it occupies the whole of one’s attention. This impacts concepts such as being literal (not reading between the lines), missing the subtle cues of social interaction and highlighting or underwhelming our sensory systems, challenges with object permanence and being misunderstood. But it also leads to incredible strengths and allows for one’s passion to be a source of joy, stability and an aid to mental fitness. When an individual’s autism is un
Kindle
23 January 2025
Free for Kindle
English
