4.3. Weak Central Coherence (Frith, 1989)

Weak Central Coherence (WCC) theory suggests that autistic individuals process information in detail rather than integrating global meaning. Monotropic Expansion critiques this theory’s framing while preserving an important observation: autistic thinkers often gravitate toward detail-first processing.

However, WCC interprets this as a weakness or bias—an inability to form “the bigger picture.” In contrast, Monotropic Expansion proposes that global coherence is often constructed from the inside out, with detail serving as the generative source rather than the distractor.

Rather than lacking coherence, the monotropic mind builds it from relevance outward. The “weakness” WCC identifies is instead a different developmental sequence—one in which depth precedes breadth, and detail creates structure. This reframing also helps explain why some autistic individuals may produce deeply coherent internal models that appear fragmented only when interrupted or externally measured.