ADHD and Monotropism (2023)
12 hours ago
- #monotropism
- #ADHD
- #autism
- Monotropism is a theory explaining autism by focusing attention on a few things at a time, leaving little for others.
- Many with ADHD also identify with aspects of monotropism, suggesting a possible shared underlying cause.
- Autism and ADHD are characterized differently in diagnostic manuals, but there's significant overlap in traits and family occurrences.
- Autism manifests diversely, including hyperlexia, sensory seeking/avoidance, and memory differences, suggesting a broad spectrum of traits.
- Impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity in ADHD may share cognitive roots with autism traits like hyperfocus and inflexibility.
- Hyperactivity in ADHD resembles autistic stimming, but mental hopping contrasts with monotropism's focus on single attention tunnels.
- A Kinetic Cognitive Style (KCS) might arise from monotropism combined with factors like difficulty accessing flow states.
- Novelty-seeking and mobile attention could compensate for monotropic tendencies, making KCS appear polytropic at times.
- Monotropism may not always lead to autism as defined by manuals but can cause social differences under certain conditions.
- The theory of monotropism offers an internal perspective on autism and ADHD, beyond surface-level assessments.