ASD stands for Autistic Spectrum Disorder. It acknowledges that there is a great range for people with autism, thus the word spectrum.
People on the autistic spectrum can be as varied as typical leaners. I specialize in students with ASD, LD, ADHD, and special needs. A few examples from my students will give you an idea of how extreme the ends of the spectrum can be.
One of my students is gifted. He learned to read words as he followed along as his grandparents read him stories when he was a toddler. His sight reading is excellent. He is in college now but does two one-hour lessons online per week just because he loves it.
He is currently learning a piano masterwork composition and also is learning how to comp chords from lead sheets. He’s not even a music major. His biggest challenges are organizing his schedule, socializing, and sticking to tasks.
I had another student who studied four instruments with me (piano, guitar, trumpet, and bass guitar) and earned the George Revelas Award for Music Excellence. He did not have learning issues except that anxiety would inhibit his ability to learn.
Another ASD student has about a 100-word vocabulary. Yet, he can play intermediate level piano. He needs a lot of color coding though.
Likewise, another student with a limited vocabulary also needs a ton of color coding. In addition, I do more hand-over-hand work with him than I do for most students. (If you do hand-over-hand work, make sure you ask if it’s okay before touching the student.) For him, I have to custom write his songs.
Most kids and adults with ASD fall somewhere in between, so it’s all about getting to know the student.
Not all students with ASD have issues with learning. However, if your child or student struggles with reading music, try these links:
See the posts below for full descriptions.
– Geoffrey Keith
© 2022 Geoffrey Keith
Back to the Successful Music Student Blogs page
Want to read music? Does your child or music student have a hard time reading notes? Color coding music notation can help. I had a student with amnesia who would forget everything she had learned from the previous lesson. However, she was able to learn beginner level piano music with hands together. Find out how color coding helps students like her. Estimated reading time 11 minutes.
Tablature creates a picture of the guitar neck. However, many LD students become confused by tab despite its visual appearance.
In other words, they become dazzled by the shimmer created by the contrast of the black and white lines of the notation. Color-coding the strings helps reduce the confusion that students experience, assisting them in effectively reading the score. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
We approach accents differently than other types of articulations. It is not just about using color to make the accents pop off the page. Using shapes creates a guide for when to play louder. Consequently, for accents we take our example from shape notes. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Color does not need to be limited to color-coding. Bring staccato, legato, pedal, dynamics, and accents to the foreground by using a highlighter and red pen. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Even among typical learners, students find alternate picking and strumming challenging. It is one of the few color-coding strategies I use with every student. Using color-coded arrows as a guide to alternate picking effectively shows students how to accurately execute the picking patterns. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Do your students get confused by repeats and D.C. al fine? Reduce your students’ confusion. Learn how to color code the musical form. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Have a hard time reading rhythm? Coloring the counting numbers simplifies learning rhythm. Learn how to color code rhythm this way. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Based on a scientifically proven method for teaching LD students. Learn how to color code music notes for LD & special needs students. Estimated reading time 6 minutes.