Rhythm and Movement for Self-Regulation (RAMSR) for K-3 students with complex ADHD

Music-based interventions have been found to improve functional impairment, including regulation-related skills, in young children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The aims of this study were to assess student responses during the intervention, and the regulation-related effectiveness and special educator perceptions of an adapted music-based intervention known as Rhythm and Movement for Self-Regulation (RAMSR) in K-3 students with complex ADHD, an understudied population. A mixed methods study was employed to investigate this intervention with K-3 students (n = 7) who have complex ADHD in a special education setting within a subset of school districts in the Midwestern United States. Pre-intervention information was collected from the individualized education programs of student participants and from interviews with their parents, special education teacher, and music teacher. Intervention fidelity and acceptance were collected through checklists and open-ended session notes during the eight-week intervention period. Intervention outcomes were measured by collecting school behavior data and coding classroom observations and interviews with special education teachers. Special education staff rated participant intervention acceptability during intervention sessions as high or moderate 96% of the time, and there was congruency with the interventionist’s session notes regarding participant engagement and enjoyment during the intervention. A slight discrepancy was reported between participants with high intervention acceptability ratings and the interventionist's session notes. Session note themes, including participant preferences for freedom and creativity, problems outside the intervention sessions, other student problem behavior during the intervention sessions, and difficulty with or a lesser preference for slower tempos, provided additional context to the intervention acceptability findings and the study’s overall results. Results for regulation-related outcomes indicated that 100% of participants either increased or maintained their targeted school behavior scores after the pre-intervention period. Additionally, blinded coders observed that six out of seven participants showed improvement in inhibitory control, attention control, or both in special education teacher-directed, self-directed, or both activities post-intervention. Results indicated a 1.6% observable increase in regulation-related skills in the classroom for all participants combined. Four out of seven participants increased their overall regulation-related skill score, and one participant reached a ceiling effect pre-intervention and maintained the highest regulation-related score possible post-intervention. The four participants who increased their overall regulation-related score were the same participants clustered with the highest ratings for intervention acceptability, and three out of these four also had an autism diagnosis. The most significant regulation-related gains were for two participants who were not on ADHD medication and had an additional diagnosis of autism. The other two participants who increased their overall regulation-related skill score were on ADHD medication. The two participants who decreased their overall regulation-related skill score were on ADHD medication, but both had reported medication changes during the intervention period. Special education teachers reported that their student participants responded positively to the intervention, with gains observed post-intervention in behavior, task focus, task completion, awareness of others’ personal space, self-correction, sociability, willingness to try new things, and an increased feeling of safety in the school setting. Overall, although this study had a small sample size, it provides evidence that the adapted Rhythm and Movement for Self-Regulation intervention, implemented in special education settings for K-3 students with complex ADHD, is acceptable to both students and special education teachers. This study also provides evidence that after participating in an eight-week music-based self-regulation intervention implemented by a music specialist in a special education setting, most of the seven K-3 students with complex ADHD showed observable improvement in regulation-related skills, and special education teachers also reported positive intervention outcomes. Finally, triangulation of the data and the literature reviewed was used to make recommendations for music-based interventionists, future research, and policymakers regarding group music-based self-regulation interventions for children with complex ADHD.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Albers, Janece

Contributors dc:contributor

• Kalantzis, Mary
• Cope, Bill
• Corr, Catherine
• Dhillon, Pradeep

• Self-regulation
• Adhd
• Rhythm
• Music

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Janece Albers

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/130046

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F130046