Jeff Strong

We are excited to announce that REI creator and Strong Institute Director Jeff Strong will be the guest on the Behind The Mind Radio Show Friday December 11th at 11am Eastern time.

The Behind The Mind Radio Show is a 1-hour bi-weekly talk show airing LIVE ON Friday 11am (EST) and Tuesday 7pm (EST), showcasing design thinkers, visionaries, game changers and innovators; while shedding light on designers of well-known and upcoming products and services both domestically and internationally. 

Jeff will be talking about REI and his book Different Drummer. He’ll offer a brief overview of the history of therapeutic rhythm-making, discuss the role of drumming in influencing brain activity, describe where REI is best utilized, and explore the artistic process in his work.

You can join Jeff and hosts Karen Baker and Anthony Leonard live at 11am Eastern time on Friday December 11th at http://www.behindthemindradioshow.com/

Jeff Strong’s about the development and practice of REI, Different Drummer: One Man’s Music and Its Impact on ADD, Anxiety, and Autism, was recently reviewed by Autism Daily Newscast.

Here is an excerpt:

For anyone with an interest in the therapeutic aspect of music this is a gem of a book.  For parents wanting to explore different approaches to help their children it will make interesting reading.   As a lay person who just enjoys playing the odd CD I found myself a little overloaded with music and technology theory and was more interested in reading about how following a lifelong passion such as drumming can lead to the most unexpected places and discoveries.

Read the entire review here

You can learn more about the book here

This article is an excerpt from REI creator Jeff Strong’s book, Different Drummer. You can learn more about the book here.

Sensory processing issues are common among the people I work with. In fact, sensory challenges are part of nearly everyone who falls into the developmental disability spectrum, including people with ADHD and autism. Sensory processing issues come in three basic forms: sensory-defensive, sensory-seeking, and poor sensory discrimination.

Sensory defensiveness is characterized by being easily overstimulated by sensory input. This is the child who recoils to touch, won’t wear shoes, covers his ears in response to loud noises, gets dizzy easily, or throws up in the car.

Easily overstimulated people constitute most of my clients with sensory issues. I work to reduce their sensitivity to stimulation by giving their brains more stimulation.

“What do you mean by stimulation?” Laurel asked. “Emily is always overstimulated. Why would you add more, and how could it calm her down?” This was one of the first questions she asked me after I began to work with her daughter, Emily.

You can read the entire excerpt here

You can order the book and read reviews from amazon.com here

Dallas Morning News wrote a review of REI creator Jeff Strong’s book, Different Drummer: One Man’s Music and Its Impact on ADD, Anxiety, and Autism.

Here is an excerpt from the review:

Throughout Different Drummer- “One Man’s Music and Its Impact on ADD, Anxiety, and Autism”, Strong gives numerous accounts of how well the fast pace of drumming appeals to the functions of the brain.  Intriguing stories of children with autism being changed by the fast pacing of the drum will teach readers how to assist in changing behaviors damaging to the person with a disability as well as those around him.

People with disabilities are often misunderstood as having a temper, a strong will, when in actuality it is a disorder often times uncontrollable until someone brave and caring, like Strong who finds the way to calm the beast inside.

Since William Congreve, an English playwright and poet wrote, “Music hath charms to soothe the savage beast”, no one has written and understood behaviors as well as Jeff Strong demonstrates in his newest book, A Different Drummer.

You can read the entire article here

You can also read more reviews and order the book on amazon.com

Onlinedrummer.com has an excellent review of REI creator Jeff Strong’s book, Different Drummer: One Man’s Music and Its Impact on ADD, Anxiety, and Autism.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

Music performers and educators will of course find the book to be useful and gratifying, but parents of those with developmental disorders, mental health professionals, general practitioners, and educators across the board should also take note. In fact, they would all be wise to run out and pick up a copy of this book and consider Strongʼs other materials. If you yourself happen to have one of the conditions mentioned here, itʼs an absolute no-brainer to give this a try. If you have a friend who suffers one of these issues, your recommendation could help change their lives.

You can read the entire article here

You can also read more reviews and order the book on amazon.com

In his book, Different Drummer: One Man’s Music and Its Impact on ADD, Anxiety and Autism, Jeff Strong mentions many of the rhythms he uses as the basis of REI. This video explores the development of one rhythm to give you an idea of the intricacy of the patterns he uses as well as the process he goes through to determine the best rhythm to use in a given situation. This rhythm is in the time signature of 21/16 and is one that he finds helpful in reducing a hand-flapping motion often seen in people on the autism spectrum.

You can also watch and comment on this video on YouTube here

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