Transitioning in and out of autistic flow: A qualitative study presenting a non-pathologising approach to neurodivergent wellbeing and conceptualising autistic ways of being in clinical and therapeutic settings

Introduction

Autistic flow is a term that has been used to describe the autistic experience of being deeply immersed in an activity. Autistic flow theory proposes that autistic people may be uniquely positioned to access and manage flow states. However, more research is needed to understand the facilitative conditions that support autistic people transitioning into and out of flow states, particularly given the complex interplay of sensory needs, monotropic focus and environmental factors.

Aims and Methods

Semi-structured interviews were used alongside Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore the qualitative experiences of ten autistic people transitioning in and out of flow.

Results

The analysis highlighted three themes: (1) Flow is enjoyable and essential for autistic well-being, playing a regulatory role in everyday experiences across sensory, emotional and cognitive facets; (2) autistic ways of being (i.e., monotropic attention, sensory sensitivity and repetitive behaviours) can amplify experiences in and out of flow; and (3) predictability is important for feeling safe to enter flow.

Discussion

We discuss the wealth of expertise autistic people possess about their own flow experiences and how this can be harnessed to build enabling environments for well-being. The findings contribute to a non-pathologising reconceptualisation of autistic ways of being through the approach of autistic flow theory.