Autism and ADHD

Neurodiversity is, as its name implies, diverse. There are many different manifestations of Autism and ADHD, with a plurality of physical, cognitive and sensory sensitivities. The challenge of providing effective support given varied manifestations of Neurodiversity is significant, and concurrent support to multiple ND individuals more so.

Music presents a uniquely powerful framework with which to notice, model and predict these processes. The experience of Music involves sound, sight, sensation, movement, touch, rhythm, time, the voice.

It can be mathematical, philosophical, neither, or both. It can be created intuitively, with great thought, or arbitrarily; all processes can be combined and reversed at will - 'do it backwards' or retrograde.

With the options represented by these systems as a diagnostic toolkit, cognitive challenges can be modeled and isolated. Through this process, and using the Games now forming Books 1 and 2, Music is Easy Method gives users the tools to identify and consolidate these principles into an effective cognitive support cognitive infrastructure for ADHD and Autistic learners.

Part 1 - Cognitive Diagnostics with Music

"If my (4 year old) son is reading a book, and I just touch him on the arm, he screams as if he is being burned." - Parent

"I try to help my (10 year old) daughter with her maths homework, and everything is fine until she makes a mistake and has to go back over her work, then she bursts into tears every time. We can't get past it." - Parent

"I'm trying to do this online course, and it just takes me back straight to school, in the worst way. It makes me so angry, I don't understand any of it, I feel so powerless and demotivated" - Adult Learner

The deeper in Flow a person, and the more abruptly they are pulled out of it, the more impactful and disregulatory the experience. As a basic framework for supporting Neurodiversity, it must be accepted as a first principle that negative outcomes of disregulation are not voluntary.

Disregulation

Part 2 - Flow State and Hyper-Focus

The video on the left contains a simple demonstration of the sensation of being in and moving out of a cognitive 'Flow State'. Where numbers are shown on one hand, it is easy and quick to say them. When numbers are presented out of order on two hands, the brain is not able to intuitively recognise the number, and instead you have to count them.

Through countless repetitions of the same cognitive patterns and outcomes by playing the Games of Music is Easy hundreds of times with a variety of learners, it became clear in testing that Flow State and Neurodiversity - in particular Autism and ADHD - are intrinsically linked.

Although the cognitive state of Flow and the resulting Hyper-Focus can be accessed by all, including Neurotypical learners, it is the degree, duration and severity of consequences of being pulled out of Flow that can constitute an Access Need.

This sensation may feel uncomfortable or jarring - for some cognitive neurotypes the sensation can be amplified, manifesting as literal pain - cognitive, physical and emotional - causing outbursts, misbehaviour, disengagement and 'Burnout'.

Effective Support

Part 3 - Agency and Self-Regulation

It must be acknowledged as a reality that individuals will experience lack of access, and disregulation in the course of their school and work life. Situations will not necessarily cater to their needs, and in an environment of scarce resources there will always be challenges.

Therefore the goal of any support for Neurodiverse learners must be considered holistically, and is hard to quantify and measure. At its core, the support we provide must aim in helping ND individuals

- to understand their own cognitive challenges, features of disregulation, and effective self-support / mitigation,

- to want to overcome their own Access challenges, and employ Agency in the development of self-regulation techniques,

- to have the confidence and courage to articulate their needs, and develop reciprocal relationships of trust with those providing them support.

Masking / The Iceberg

Trying to cover up this disregulation is known as 'masking', and is a core survival technique employed by many Neurodiverse people from a young age, as a direct result of punishment for involuntary disregulation or the manifestation of an access need - either explicitly by figures of authority, or implicitly by peer groups - by exclusion from group activities, for example.

Often, disregulation will have been building under the surface while the individual does their best to conceal it, and it only manifests to an onlooker when it has exceeded their capacity to re-regulate

Neurodiversity and
Hyper-Focus

Part 4 - Organic (Autism) vs Explosive (ADHD)

Autism and ADHD share a predisposition towards Hyper-Focus / Flow State, and the potentially severe consequences of disregulation. However, they constitute distinct and opposite embodiments of Flow State.

Autism - Organic Hyper-Focus

Autism can be characterised by Organic Hyper-Focus, a light that grows over time in a single direction. Be it a book, Game, concept, activity, Organic Hyper-Focus can easily incorporate and handle systems-of-systems and abstract concepts, as long as they are conceived of within the same fundamental target of focus, in the same direction.

In Organic Hyper-Focus, disregulation occurs when Focus is pulled away from the object of focus, or when tasks have to be repeatedly stopped, started, changed, assessed, or checked. ASD individuals will often struggle with small talk, where topics of conversation may change quickly. Similarly, they may struggle with activites that involve many different tasks of a different nature in quick succession.

ADHD - Explosive Hyper-Focus

ADHD can be characterised by Explosive Hyper-Focus, a spotlight that begins at maximum strength on a single target, but quickly depletes and must move. Embodying Monty Python's 'And Now for something Completely Different', Explosive Hyper-Focus can make decisions quickly, change focus easily, move between targets of focus efficiently, but can struggle to connect abstract concepts and become frustrated when faced with the limits of its own intuition.

In Explosive Hyper-Focus, disgregulation occurs when Focus is forced back to an object that it has moved away from. This could be reviewing work for mistakes, listening to a recording of themselves, or even just keeping a hand relaxed and not moving.

Learn Music in Flow