An entropic explanation of insistence on sameness in autism
Why people with autism prefer familiar routines and resist unexpected changes
A new framework uses information theory to explain why autistic individuals often insist on sameness and resist unexpected changes: they are minimizing surprise and uncertainty in their environment. The model proposes that autistic cognition relies heavily on memory and prediction, so people with autism either learn new information to reduce uncertainty or restrict their environment to what they already know—and insistence on sameness reflects this second strategy.
This framework could guide the design of therapies and care routines by treating them as optimization problems—essentially ways to gradually expand what someone finds familiar and predictable rather than forcing adaptation to unpredictability. It also offers a way to quantify and communicate difficult experiences like sensory overload and anxiety in autistic individuals, potentially helping caregivers and support programs respond more effectively to actual needs rather than guesswork.