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Cited by 3Autism Spectrum Disorder ResearchChild and Animal Learning DevelopmentDisability Rights and Representation

Research by autistic researchers: an “insider’s view” into autism. The autistic way of being

Open access
Lawson, Wenn·2025·Frontiers in Psychiatry
DOI 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1664507PMC PMC12586063
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Abstract

This paper introduces us to an increasingly popular understanding of autism, but as understood and experienced by Autistic people: the descriptive theory of Monotropism. Initially this paper sets out the background to monotropism as the author briefly mentions various autism theories and highlights some reasons why such theories didn't resonate with Autistic people. Uncovering how monotropism explains autism and Autistic experience takes the reader into the very heart of Autistic experience in ways not previously shown. As well as discussing attention, interest and connections to the Autistic sensory experiences (external and internal) the author highlights the experience of Object Permanence (OP) and its impact upon Autistic lives. Current research is beginning to demonstrate that OP is experienced differently in Autistic lives to non-autistic lives. Initially though Autistic people were thought to relate to OP in similar ways to non-autistic people (e.g.), although there were hints that aspects of OP in Autistic people were experienced differently. The reasons for why monotropism has grown in popularity and how this theory explains the Autistic experience are set out below.

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Crossref · 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1664507

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  • System-level conditions interact with cognitive variation, particularly attentional patterns associated with monotropism and inertia.

    “From a neuro-cognitive trait interaction perspective, these system-level conditions interact with cognitive variation, particularly attentional patterns associated with monotropism and inertia (Murray et al., 2005; Lawson, 2025)”

    From The system-level organisational design framework: a neuro-cognitive trait interaction approach to workplace inclusion for autistic people (2026) · cites this paper as Lawson, 2025

    The Introduction describes monotropism as focused attention with difficulty shifting attention, which supports the claim’s reference to attentional patterns akin to inertia. The “Monotropism or single focussed attention” section also links societal expectations to autistic experience, but the paper does not establish how the unspecified system-level conditions in the citing sentence interact with those attentional patterns. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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Research works printed but not linked: 11

  1. [2]Lawson W Dombroski B. Problems with object permanence: rethinking traditional beliefs associated with poor theory of mind in autism. J Intellectual Disability - Diagnosis Treat. (2017) 5: 1 6. doi: 10.6000/2292-2598.2017.05.01.1 · DOI
  2. [6]Kanner L. Autistic disturbances of affective contact. Nervous Child. (1943) 2: 217–50. doi: 10.1007/s11673-011-9350-y, PMID: 4880460 · DOI
  3. [12]Singer J. Honors thesis, Sydney School of Technology. (1998).
  4. [18]Lawson W. Life behind glass. NSW, Australia: Southern Cross University Press (1998).
  5. [24]McCarthy J. Louder than Words - A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism. New York: Penguin USA (2007).
  6. [40]Elder Robison J. Look me in the eye. USA: Three Rivers Press (2007).
  7. [42]Grandin T. Perspectives on Education from a Person on the Autism Spectrum. educational HORIZONS, (2006) 84(4): 229–34.
  8. [45]Pellicano E Fatima U Hall G Heyworth M Lawson W Lilley R. A capabilities approach to understanding and supporting autistic adulthood. Nat Rev Psychol. (2022) 1: 624–39. doi: 10.1038/s44159-02200099-z, PMID: 36090460 PMC9443657 · DOI
  9. [46]Brown K Lawson W McGarry S Scott M Girdler S Milbourne. Consistent support is good for my mental health”—Exploring the lived experience of autistic mental health. Autism Adulthood. (2024). doi: 10.1089/aut.2024.014110 · DOI
  10. [51]Pellicano E Lawson W Hall H Mahony J Lilley R Davis C. Documenting the untold histories of late- diagnosed autistic adults: a qualitative study protocol using oral history methodology. BMJ. (2020) 10: e037968. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020037968, PMID: 32474432 PMC7264831 · DOI
  11. [56]Elder Robison J. ‘ Look me in the eye’ Three Rivers Press Williams, D. ‘Somebody Somewhere’ (1995) Crown Publishing NY. (2007).

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Authors
Lawson, W.
Affiliations
Curtin University (AU)
Corresponding author
Lawson, Wenn
ORCID
Lawson, Wenn
Venue
Frontiers in Psychiatry
Publisher
Frontiers Media SA
Published
2025-10-22
Volume
16
Pages
1664507-1664507
ISSN
1664-0640 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1664507
PMC
PMC12586063
OpenAlex
W4415418953
Cited by
3
References
43
Citations by year
2026: 3
FWCI
1.71
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Frontiers in Psychiatry (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Disability Rights and Representation
Keywords
autism spectrum disorder, monotropism, autistic experience, autism theory, attention, interest, sensory experience, object permanence

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