Music Technology With Neurodivergent (ND) Participants

James Stanley, OverDub Club Music Leader

When working with one neurodivergent young person I noticed us rushing through activities very quickly. Then we stumbled on a particular effect inside of the Digital Audio Workstation.

This ground progress to a halt. Did I need to panic and keep things moving?

Whilst externally it didn’t look or sound like much was happening, the young person was actually spending a long time listening to the same sound over and over again, tweaking all of the different parameters on this effect. The same young person who struggled to focus on one activity for more than a few minutes was now completely engrossed in one very small part of producing music inside the DAW.

Initially I didn’t see the bigger picture importance of this. But the more I’ve reflected on it, the more I’ve realised that it was huge for that young person. It’s taught me a lot about how to run music sessions with ND young people, especially when using Music Technology.

Let me explain.

Some of the struggles for those who are neurodivergent can include difficulty regulating attention, executive function and motivation. It makes sense that music in general is a helpful activity for people whose brains are wired to look for novelty and reward.

When thinking about my practice with Music Technology, I can see that subconsciously I have often looked for small wins. Always incorporating ways of speeding up the process to help overcome some of these difficulties.

For example, using loops to build a quick idea helps a young person feel the reward of creating music in a short space of time. Using tags and descriptors to help with sound selection, or making templates inside a DAW that guide you through each layer can make tedious tasks feel faster and more engaging.

Once this need for momentum and reward has been met, it becomes easier to go back over the process in more detail. We can take more time over individual decisions because the young person is now motivated by what they’ve already achieved.

I was trying to create a positive and repetitive ‘loop’ of activity that, over time, built that individual’s ability to focus, make decisions and stay engaged. This, in my mind, is why so many ND individuals are drawn to music technology and why it works so well as an activity for us as practitioners.

But there was something I had missed.

Whilst many ND people can feel the need for quick dopamine hits to stay interested and engaged, there is also the ability to hyperfocus on a task that feels particularly fulfilling. That’s what I saw in my opening example. This young person flew through other activities, reinforcing my belief that we needed to move quickly, set short tasks and keep things dynamic. But when they slowed down, I didn’t immediately recognise it for what it was, them finding something that felt fulfilling. Something that they wanted to hyperfocus on.

The effect, in this example, was reverb. I wouldn’t have expected that to be the thing that captured their attention. But there must have been something about it that felt inspiring or rewarding. Perhaps something about the sound itself was satisfying in some way. Perhaps it was that when adjusting parameters, it was easy to hear the impact you were having on the sound. Perhaps it was the contained nature of the task, not very many parameters so a good opportunity to look and think ‘I want to learn this inside and out’.

Whatever it was, it stuck.

In later sessions, they kept returning to reverb. In new tracks, they would spend time tweaking it again. If they ran out of ideas, they went back to reverb. If something didn’t feel finished, they came back to reverb.

It became their safe space inside the DAW. The place where they were guaranteed a sense of payoff and satisfaction. A place where they could slow down, experiment and not feel rushed into the next decision.

And this makes sense, particularly from an ASD perspective. There is often a preference for structured repetition, clear rules and boundaries alongside the need for something to feel rewarding. A DAW is an incredible creative space but it can also be overwhelming. So many potential decisions. So many possible directions. A thousand different ways to achieve the same outcome. That level of openness can be counterproductive if you thrive on structure.

In reflecting on this, I’ve realised that I too have ‘safe spaces’ within my own workflow. Certain sounds. A template. A starting point. An effects chain. I go back to the same tools or processes because they feel familiar and manageable. They help me move forward creatively without getting stuck in decision paralysis.

So if we need both the fast and the slow paced nature of music technology, how do I make sure I intentionally include space for both in my sessions?

I came up with a few ideas.

1. Always encourage exploration as an option

Even if I’m moving quickly, I want deeper exploration to feel available. I can do this simply by asking questions like, “What happens if we move this slider?” or “What does it sound like if we push this further?”

It might not always lead to slowing down but it keeps curiosity visible and validates playfulness.

2. Gamify tasks

Create short bursts of high-energy activity. One way we did this was allowing two participants to ‘take control’ for five minutes each. They had to contribute a new idea before passing it back. It kept energy high and sessions moving.

But this can be also be paired with slower reflection segments of a session. Ask which idea felt strongest, then take time to ‘level up’ that specific skill by revisiting it in more depth.

3. Carry over elements

When starting a new task, ask the participant to choose one thing they want to keep from their previous piece. A drum loop. A bass sound. An effect.

Over time, this helps them recognise their own ‘safe spaces’ in music. It builds familiarity and personal identity within their creative process. You could even use it to create personal template for that young person to help their creative sessions feel more manageable, less overwhelming.

As part of the Overdub Club project, I’ve built real confidence in how beneficial Music Technology can be in sessions with ND young people. But this experience showed me that it’s not just about speeding things up to maintain engagement.

It’s about reacting to what the young person needs at that time.

Having a mixture of structured, quick tasks alongside opportunities to slow down and focus in detail helps the young people I work with feel creative, supported and safe within these sessions.

And sometimes, the most important progress happens when at those times where things grind to a halt. I have learnt to not panic but recognise this as a really important part of the young persons creative journey.