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Your Free Guide to Music for Healthy ADHD Brains

Music can work wonders on the ADHD brain, improving everything from language development to impulse control—and even restlessness.

By ADDitude Editors Verified Updated on April 4, 2022
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Shakespeare once rhetorically wondered whether “music be the food of love.” Now, some scientists contend that it might actually be the food of healthy brains, pointing to mounting research showing the influence of music on our bodies’ neurologic functioning.

Here, we share eight songs that could have natural healing effects for the ADHD brain. Specifically, music’s distinct structure can help an ADHD brain stay on a linear path, and it may increase the brain’s dopamine levels. This neurotransmitter — responsible for regulating attention, working memory, and motivation — is often in low supply for kids with ADHD.

“Nothing activates the brain so extensively as music.” — Oliver Sacks, M.D.

“Music exists in time, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. That structure helps an ADHD child plan, anticipate, and react.” — Kirsten Hutchinson, music therapist

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