Music Therapy: Sound Medicine for ADHD

Music is rhythm, rhythm is structure, and structure is soothing to an ADHD brain struggling to regulate itself to stay on a linear path. “Music exists in time, with a clear beginning, middle, and end,” says Kirsten Hutchison, a music therapist at Music Works Northwest, a nonprofit community music school near Seattle. “That structure helps a child with ADHD plan, anticipate, and react”.Research shows that pleasurable music increases dopamine levels in the brain.

“Rhythm, melody, and tempo are tools used to target non-musical behaviors, to catapult change throughout the body,” says Rebecca West, with the Music Institute of Chicago. “A change in rhythm can trigger a reaction in the brain: ‘Oooh, something’s changed; I need to pay attention!’ You can bring down the tempo to spur slower movements, or bring up the melody to trigger pleasure.”“Wash face. Brush teeth. Get dressed. Eat breakfast.

Parents need little more than an overturned pot, a wooden spoon, and a sense of humor to try this at home. Or use a hairbrush-microphone if you’d rather take turns singing Katy Perry. If nothing else, making music together will show your child that you enjoy harmony, too. And that can’t hurt.Your child may insist that Metallica helps him study. You may prefer Bach, but that doesn’t mean he’s wrong.

“I’m more likely to concentrate in a buzzing coffee shop with headphones on than I am in a library,” says

And rhythm creates repetition which can help consolidate new neural pathways in the brain. That’s why mothers rock their babies- Soothing Connections.

Music and movement! Walk/run with tunes. Dance around the house, in the park. Clean to music. Music for writing reports, invoices, clerical work. One earbud with music during lectures. Feel free to add...

AdhdLullaby uses the principles of neuroscience and non-rhythmic music to help adhd children fall asleep. It’s topped Billboard’s New Age chart for 13 weeks - DM for more info. I can introduce you to the artist behind ADHD Lullaby, who developed the music for his ADHD son.

MrsCherryMusEd we already knew... great to add to the resource list!

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Bad Bunny Just Hits DifferentHow the Puerto Rican star is shaking up the sound — and look — of Latin trap music.
Source: papermagazine - 🏆 409. / 53 Read more »

Beat the Summer Slide: Make a Big Splash with These ADHD-Friendly Learning Projects'Kids are more willing to grow & stretch when there is choice & they are interested in the material. It seems obvious, right? It might, but well-intentioned parents can turn into dictators trying to keep the peace when faced with what to do all summer.' Or, you could give your kids a break? As a parent of two kiddos with ADHD, I've seen first hand the struggles they have with school. Taking a mental break from the stress associated with 'school work' is essential to their development and mental health.
Source: ADDitudeMag - 🏆 311. / 61 Read more »

Q: Does My Teen Need an ADHD Life Coach?'A college coach should focus on the 'life' stuff just as much as the academics. A wise man once told me that college was 30% academics and 70% everything else — and that last part was going to be critical toward my success in the 'real world!''
Source: ADDitudeMag - 🏆 311. / 61 Read more »

Raising Socially ADHD-ept KidsFriendship groups can work wonders for kids with ADHD, but pragmatic social skills problems require a different approach. Here’s how to get the specialized help your child may need. *takes* I need this But everything can be taught so these kids can most definitely have these skills moving forward!! ❤️ Another reason these kids get in trouble at school or have anxiety at school.
Source: ADDitudeMag - 🏆 311. / 61 Read more »

Tim McGraw and Jon Meacham talk new book ‘Songs of America’Country music superstar Tim McGraw and historian Jon Meacham have joined forces to explore the music that defined generations and united us all in their new book 'Songs Of America: Patriotism, Protest, And The Music That Made A Nation.' They join Andrea Mitchell to discuss the crucial role music has played throughout American history.
Source: MSNBC - 🏆 469. / 51 Read more »