Monotropism, hyperfocus & ND

• Linear thinking and sequential processing – needing to process information methodically, e.g., only beginning a new task once the initial task is finished.
• Spending a long time enjoying one task, going into lots of detail and intense focus (hyperfocus).
  Having special interests/strong passions – intense joy, happiness and a sense of calm becoming engrossed in a particular topic or interest.
• Sensory processing differences – really enjoying intense focus on one sensory stimuli or challenges filtering out additional sensory input leading to sensory overload.
• Literal thinking – some say that monotropic processing can explain literal thinking. A polytropic mind might pull together multiple strands of information, noticing social implications, indirect language, decoding metaphors etc. Whereas a monotropic mind might take information as it is (literally), processing this as one single piece of information, and any further deeper meaning may be processed later on or not at all.

• Gaining in-depth knowledge and skills on a particular topic.
• Ability to block out distractions (when in hyperfocus) and be super productive.
• Attention to detail.
• High levels of focus and increased attention.
• Supports mental health – being immersed into a topic of interest can support overall wellbeing, as it is predictable, reliable, and calming.
• Enhancing social experiences – sharing these joys and experiences with others (if this is of interest to you).
• Supports executive functioning – monotropism and hyperfocus can be really useful and can mean that big tasks are completed and with great detail.

Being in deep hyperfocus is sometimes called being in a ‘flow state’. To be in this flow state, fully immersed into tasks of interest, has many benefits…

• Escapism into a calm and happy place, reducing anxiety.
• Sensory/nervous system regulation.
• Creates predictability, control, and reduces stress levels.
• Can bring intense joy!

• Unaware of needs – when in hyperfocus / ‘state of flow’, it is common for individuals to not recognise when they are hungry, thirsty, need the toilet etc. They can go long periods of time not addressing these needs unless prompted.
• Getting stuck in uncomfortable thinking ‘loops’ – sometimes uncomfortable feelings such as worrying, over-thinking, and anxiety can become a focus point; monotropic thinking can make it difficult to get out of some negative ‘loops’ and thinking patterns.
• ‘Monotropic split’ – ‘monotropic-split’ can happen when someone has to keep splitting or changing their focus. For example, throughout a school day, the demands on changing lessons, topics, conversations with people and processing different sensory information all lead to continuous splitting of attention; this can be exhausting for someone with a monotropic brain and can lead to ‘burnout’
• ‘Burnout’ – The level of energy needed to focus on multiple things, and/or keep switching focus, can lead to burnout. There is not enough energy left to manage other things, e.g. social interactions, learning and sensory input. This can lead to overload and shutdowns. Therefore, although busy brains can be great, they need time to rest and recover too, to reduce likelihood of burnout. This ‘monotropic split’ was first described by David Gray-Hammond and Tanya Adkin (2022).

Impacts on executive functioning – as well as supporting executive functioning (getting things done), it can also make other things tricky to get done too.

• Task transitions – moving between channels of attention can take a lot of energy; being interrupted during the ‘state of flow’ can be really difficult.
• Task initiation – typically (not always), monotropic thinking styles can mean that you process information in a linear and sequential way. This can make starting new tasks difficult, especially when other tasks aren’t finished yet. It can create a feeling of being ‘stuck’.
• ‘Waiting mode’ – often when a task or event is coming up, some people will find it tricky to get things done before this event happens, as they are in ‘waiting mode’, and can struggle to focus on other tasks that need completing beforehand.

• Follow and encourage the hyperfocus ‘flow’ and your natural attention/motivation states; avoid disturbing these flow states where possible.
• It is good to encourage natural transitions as this can support emotional regulation and allows for more productivity.
• Encourage tasks to be interest focused where possible or incorporate interests in a fun way to support engagement.
• As discussed in the ‘strengths’ section, this flow is incredibly useful in supporting emotional wellbeing, so it should be encouraged.

Use this time to be productive! When you have a buzz of energy, use this, and work with your brain.

Although we can’t always force ourselves into this state of ‘flow’ it can be useful to try and create an environment which encourages hyperfocus (especially if we really need to get tasks done), such as a non-distracting workplace and incorporating interests into the task.

Knowing what is coming each day and across each day can increase predictability and stability across your day, and really reduce anxiety.

Processing lots of different events, transitions and changes with a monotropic brain, in a polytropic world, can be really hard.

Where possible we need to make accommodations to encourage stability, routines, predictability and ensure enough time is given to process and plan for transitions/changes.

Identifying your sensory differences and understanding ways to reduce sensory overload in different environments can reduce overstimulation and/or sensory overload.

It is ok to ask for reasonable adjustments to support you/your child thrive, e.g. quiet space to focus, frequent movement breaks.

• Allow additional processing time – e.g., in conversations, during tasks.
• Allow additional time to switch tasks and transition. Particularly if the individual is coming out of hyperfocus.
• Allow additional rest and recover time to gain some more energy/battery charge.

It is always important to remember what is going on for any individual, to notice what is happening for them currently that you may not easily see. Is the environment too overstimulating? Do they have enough energy left today or do they need rest time? Has there been too much change already today?

Sometimes changing the environment or situation to suit the individual is not always possible, and there may be certain tasks or activities that need to happen at certain times or in certain ways. In these circumstances, it is still important to recognise that this can be challenging for monotropic brains. Therefore, additional support and accommodations may be needed, for example, additional time to process information or rest/recover time to account for the energy that is used to divide attention.