Ask what was studied
Who took part? What was tested? What changed? A small study in one group does not prove that something helps everyone.
Good questions.
Clearer evidence.
What was tested? Who took part? What changed? Explore the studies behind our articles, with their limits kept in view.
Separate ideas from findings
Our examples and questions help explain ideas. They have not been tested as a course of treatment.
Keep uncertainty visible
We do not invent recovery times or rank types of minds. We explain when an idea has been tested and when more work is needed.
These studies inform our articles.
They are not clinical trials of Orlo. We explain what is known, what is uncertain and where each finding comes from.
Sound, music and the way we feel.
Research on stress, attention, sleep and mental health. Each summary explains the people, listening activity and results studied.
Music and health: what you need to know
Explains research on music, stress and sleep. Many studies are small or use different methods. Music therapy involves a trained professional.
Read sourceMusic and stress reduction
Across 9,617 participants, music-based activities reduced physical signs of stress and feelings of stress compared with control groups. The review covered listening and guided music-based care in a range of settings.
Read sourcePreferred music and staying focused
Students reported less mind-wandering and more focus during a simple attention task with music they chose. Reaction times did not clearly improve. This was a study of everyday attention, not a trial of ADHD treatment.
Read sourceListening to music for better sleep
The review included 1,007 adults with insomnia symptoms. Combined results supported better self-rated sleep quality with music. Evidence for other sleep outcomes was less certain, including the severity of insomnia.
Read sourceMusic therapy as part of depression care
In people with depression, adding music therapy to usual care improved depression symptoms in the short term. Anxiety and daily functioning also improved. This finding concerns care with a qualified music therapist.
Read sourceNatural sounds and health
Found that nature sounds were linked with less stress, less annoyance and better mood across studies. It does not show that every sound helps every listener.
Read sourceSound in everyday autistic life
In an online survey of 296 autistic adults aged 18–71, 73.5% of those answering the device-use question reported using earplugs or headphones to manage everyday sound. This describes use in this sample, not a test of a brand or treatment.
Read sourceHeadphones and stress responses
Six autistic children ages 8–16 with sound sensitivity used in-ear and over-ear Bose headphones without music. Skin-based measures of stress fell from baseline to the first intervention week. The study was partly funded by Bose and used its equipment. This early result does not establish benefits for every person or current model.
Read sourceHeadphone experiences from autistic adults
A member describes using Skullcandy Hesh Evo over-ear headphones to soften outside sound without active noise cancellation. This is an individual account, not a research finding, a product comparison or an endorsement by the National Autistic Society.
Read sourcePsychological and physiological responses to soundscapes
Reviews 25 tests of how sound affects people. Some findings were promising. Flaws in the studies mean we need to be careful about the results.
Read sourceDo binaural beats entrain brain activity?
Of 14 studies, five found brain activity following binaural beats, eight did not, and one had mixed results. The studies used different methods.
Read sourceBinaural beats, memory and attention
Found some gains in memory and focus across studies, but results varied. It does not tell us to use one tone for ADHD or autism.
Read sourceBinaural beats in children and adolescents with ADHD
A small ADHD study found no clear gain between groups on attention tests. Reports of easier homework do not settle that question.
Read sourceMusic and binaural beats in young adults
Reviews 10 studies of music and binaural beats in young adults. Findings for stress, sleep and thinking were promising. Small groups and different methods limit what we can conclude.
Read sourceEMDR for PTSD
Explains a guided therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Evidence for the full therapy does not prove that a sound track alone treats trauma.
Read sourceUnderstanding our minds.
Brain and body signals, emotion, ADHD, autism and daily life. Keep the activity and people studied in view.
How the nervous system works
Introduces the brain, spinal cord and nerves. Neurons carry electrical signals and communicate across synapses using chemical messengers.
Read sourceStress and your body
Explains the physical stress response and how long-lasting stress can affect health. Relaxation practices may help people manage stress.
Read sourceUnderstanding arousal
Defines arousal as a continuum of sensitivity to internal and external signals. It can vary with the situation, thoughts, emotions and needs such as sleep or hunger.
Read sourceSensing signals inside your body
Defines interoception as sensing, interpreting, integrating and regulating signals from inside the body. Describes communication in both directions between body and brain.
Read sourceInteroception and mental health
Describes brain and body pathways involved in sensing internal states, including the insula, and their relevance to mental health. It does not establish a diagnostic test based on everyday body sensations.
Read sourcePutting feelings into words
While viewing negative emotional images, participants who labelled emotions showed less amygdala activity and more right ventrolateral prefrontal activity than in comparison tasks. This was not a study of IFS.
Read sourceThird-person self-talk and emotion
Using one’s own name rather than “I” reduced markers of emotional reactivity or self-related processing during emotion tasks. These findings concern self-distancing, not an IFS treatment or an Orlo exercise.
Read sourceUnderstanding neurodiversity
Explains how minds work in different ways and why people need to feel included.
Read sourceUnderstanding neurodivergence
Defines neurodivergence and gives examples of differences in learning, processing and behaviour. Needs vary from person to person.
Read sourceADHD and co-occurring conditions
ADHD is a developmental condition. It can coexist with sleep problems, anxiety, depression and other conditions.
Read sourceAutism and genetic influences
Autism has complex genetic influences. Many gene variations and other factors can contribute; no single gene explains every autistic person.
Read sourceADHD and autism together
Explains co-occurring ADHD and autism, often called AuDHD, and shared or overlapping experiences. Individual needs vary.
Read sourceADHD: What you need to know
Explains how ADHD can affect focus, planning and daily tasks, and where to find help. Learning about yourself does not replace care.
Read sourceEmotion regulation in adults with ADHD
Adults with ADHD had more trouble managing emotions on average than adults without ADHD. This does not tell us how long each person takes to feel settled.
Read sourceEmotion reactivity and regulation in autistic adults
Reviews studies on how autistic adults feel and manage emotions. Different measures tell us different things. There is no single recovery time.
Read sourceUnderstanding autistic burnout
Autistic adults describe deep fatigue, trouble doing daily tasks and less tolerance for noise or other input. This study does not tell us how common burnout is.
Read sourceThe effort of social camouflaging
Participants described hiding or adapting autistic traits to fit social expectations, with consequences including exhaustion. Experiences varied.
Read sourceStress and anxiety
Explains how stress and anxiety can affect daily life, what may help and when to seek care.
Read sourceGrowing up. Finding support.
Keep the people and ages studied in view. Wider health studies are not forecasts for young women or for one person.
ADHD in girls and women across the lifespan
Explains why ADHD can be missed in girls and women, and why needs may change at college or work. It cannot describe all minds that work differently.
Read sourceRecognising ADHD in girls and women
Girls and women are less likely to be referred for ADHD assessment and may have unrecognised ADHD or another diagnosis instead.
Read sourceLate-diagnosed autistic women’s experiences
Women described masking their autistic traits and barriers to having their needs recognised. Interview findings explain experiences rather than how common they are.
Read sourceGirls with ADHD followed into early adulthood
At ages 17–24, lifetime suicide attempts were reported for 22.4% of the childhood combined-type ADHD group, 7.7% of the inattentive-type group and 6.0% of the comparison group. These are study-specific attempts, not deaths.
Read sourceAutism and suicide risk in Denmark
People with recorded autism diagnoses had an adjusted suicide death rate 3.75 times that of people without recorded autism. The population was aged 10 and older, across sexes; this is not a figure just for women aged 18–25.
Read sourceADHD and later substance use disorders
Children with ADHD had more serious alcohol or drug problems as young adults in this study. Males and females took part. It does not show that women face the most risk.
Read sourceGirls with ADHD followed into adulthood
This study followed girls as they grew up. It found no link between ADHD and its measure of how severe alcohol or drug use was. Other studies measured different things.
Read sourceADHD and mortality in a Danish national cohort
People with ADHD had a higher death rate in this study. Accidents were the most common cause. The findings are not just about women ages 18–25 or a forecast for one person.
Read sourceAutism and life expectancy in UK health records
Uses UK health records to estimate lifespan in people with autism. Many autistic people have no diagnosis and were missed. The findings cannot predict one person’s life.
Read sourceSupport in everyday life.
Guidance and research behind our practical examples. These examples are not a tested Orlo treatment.
The Internal Family Systems model
Describes approaching inner “parts” with curiosity and compassion, and understanding their protective roles. Parts are concepts in a therapy model, not separate anatomical brain structures.
Read sourceA trial of IFS-based treatment for PTSD
A 16-week online IFS-based programme was compared with a nature-based stress programme. Both groups improved in clinician-rated PTSD symptoms, with no significant difference between groups. IFS participants attended more sessions and reported higher satisfaction.
Read sourceCaring for your mental health
Explains the role of sleep, movement, regular meals and connection in mental health, alongside seeking professional help when needed.
Read sourceReframing unhelpful thoughts
Offers ways to notice a thought and consider another view. Our reflection exercise has not been tested as a treatment.
Read sourceCo-regulation from birth through young adulthood
Describes how caring people, steady support and help learning skills can support children and young adults. It does not cover every age or setting.
Read sourceRepeated movements and behaviour (stimming)
Explains how repeated movements or sounds can help people handle strong feelings or express joy. Safe stimming does not need to stop just to help someone fit in.
Read sourceBreathing exercises for stress
Describes gentle breathing without forcing it. You do not need to use one set pace.
Read sourceGrounding and the butterfly hug
Describes gentle taps used to focus on the present. It does not prove that tapping alone treats trauma or helps everyone.
Read sourceGrounding techniques and temperature
Offers ways to focus on what you feel, including temperature, during pregnancy and after birth. This site discusses safe, mild sensations, not extreme heat or cold.
Read sourceMental health at work
Explains how workload, control, unfair treatment and support affect mental health at work, and what can change.
Read sourceEmergency responder health and safety
Covers fatigue, stress after hard events and rest in emergency work. These risks can affect anyone in these jobs.
Read sourceMental health in elite athletes
Guidance on mental health in elite sport. It does not compare recovery speed for different types of minds.
Read sourceNeurodiversity-informed medical education
Describes barriers in medical training and ways to make it easier for people with different learning and sensory needs.
Read sourceCoping with traumatic events
Offers ways to get support after a traumatic event and explains when to seek care.
Read sourceUnderstanding suicide risk and prevention
Suicidal behaviour has many contributing factors. Describes warning signs, ways to get help and evidence-based prevention.
Read sourceEditorial notes and photography credits
Sources checked September 18, 2026. These sources help explain the topics on this site. They are not a review of every study or advice about your own care. Photos show everyday life. We do not assume a person’s diagnosis from a photo. Photography by Issy Bailey, Clay Banks and Kenzie Kraft, used under the Unsplash License. Additional photography by Martin Baron, Redd Francisco, Vitaly Gariev, Priscilla Du Preez, Fotos, Brooke Cagle, Filip Mroz, Amir Seilsepour, Timur Shakerzianov, Anastase Maragos, Peyman Shojaei, Kalen Emsley, under the same license.
Additional editorial photography: Julio Lopez, Ivan Aguilar, George Pak, cottonbro studio, Vitaly Gariev, Reine Decazelles, Letícia Alvares, Ketut Subiyanto, Cassidy Phillips, Hufoto, Jonathan Borba, Liza Summer, Yan Krukau, Ketut Subiyanto, Sarah Chai, Nằng Khìn, PNW Production, Nina zeynep güler 🦕 zz, Lorenzo Hamers, Andy Vult, sara ghasemi, Toby Osborn. Images are used under the Unsplash License or Pexels License, as noted by each source. People pictured are illustrative; no diagnosis or endorsement is implied.
The red-haired woman in the homepage mission section and the man in the “Starting something” image are AI-generated fictional adults. These scenes illustrate everyday experiences and do not depict research participants or imply a diagnosis. The support portrait of two women embracing is adapted from Peyman Shojaei’s photograph, with AI-assisted extension of the cropped edges. The three portraits in the neurodiversity healthcare-cost cards are AI-generated fictional adults. They are illustrations, not study participants, and do not represent a diagnosis. The five images in the listening library are AI-generated editorial illustrations. They do not show recording locations or actual customers of the linked services.