Success Music Studio

Autism

 

Autism - a boy playing the piano

 

Autism

What is Autism?

When people say autism, the movie Rain Man springs to mind for many people. The movie paints the picture of a man who has limited ability to communicate and socialize, with little awareness of his surroundings. However, he possesses a gift for math.

 

I’ve taught students who acted like Rain Man. However, not all people with autism are gifted, and many people socialize well enough that it’s not instantly obvious that they are autistic.

 

The Autistic Spectrum

Autism is often described as a spectrum (ASD) because there is such a great range of behaviors and abilities for people with autism.

 

I have a friend with ASD, and he likes to say that autism is a learning disability. However, it’s not an academic learning disability, it’s a social one. Academic learning disabilities (LD) can also manifest alongside ASD.

 

Nevertheless, people with ASD will generally have a difficulty with picking up on facial and vocal social cues. This makes socializing difficult. They will also have difficulty with change and will also be passionate about their interests. Sometimes they will become so involved with the things they’re passionate about that it makes socializing with others problematic.

 

Autism and Music

Because autism lies on a spectrum, autistic musicians can interact with music in many ways. Some people with ASD will be talented musicians who have an excellent ability to sight read. These students will generally respond well to traditional teaching methods. However, because of the social issues, music teachers will still need to be sensitive to the student’s needs.

 

Other music students on the spectrum will also have LD. For these students, adapted music lessons, with an emphasis on color coding, will be effective.

 

Students who trend toward the classic end of the spectrum will often benefit from music therapy more than adapted music lessons. However, some classic autistic students do fine with adapted music lessons.

 

Autism and Garage Band

I recently attended an online conference at Berklee College of Music called the ABLE Assembly. In this specific session, the presenters talked about how iPads can provide an access point for special needs students. Mainly, they focused on students with extreme coordination issues.

 

They showed how to use the accessibility controls in Garage Band to tailor the iPad to each student’s strengths. The results were really good and provided a way for students, who would not do well in traditional music lessons, to interact with the music.

 

– Geoffrey Keith

 

See the posts below for full descriptions.

 

© 2022 Geoffrey Keith

 

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What Exactly Is Dyspraxia and Its Impact on Learning Piano - Child Playing Piano

What Exactly Is Dyspraxia and Its Impact on Learning Piano?

Does your child have dyspraxia and wants to learn to play piano? Are you a music teacher of a “clumsy” student? Because dyspraxia affects motor skills, it can have a huge impact on music lessons. However, with the correct teaching strategies, students with dyspraxia can successfully learn to play the piano. Keep reading “What Exactly Is Dyspraxia and Its Impact on Learning Piano?” to find out what it is and how to deal with it. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

50 Essential Music Symbols Explained in Less Than 5 Minutes - Sheet Music and Rose

50 Essential Music Symbols Explained in Less Than 5 Minutes

Do you get confused when you look at sheet music? Do you want to know what the music symbols mean? The visual-score-guides paired with quick explanations will help you understand the music notation. Keep reading “50 Essential Music Symbols Explained in Less Than 5 Minutes” to find the symbols listed by notation category. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.

How Easy Is it to Teach a Down Syndrome Child an Instrument - Man

How Easy Is it to Teach a Down Syndrome Child an Instrument?

Do you need advice on how to teach a music student with Down syndrome? Teaching a Down syndrome (DS) kid an instrument can be a special, heartwarming experience. However, to be truly effective, you need to have effective teaching methods. Keep reading “How Easy Is it to Teach a Down Syndrome Child an Instrument?” to learn how to be effective. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.

How to Color Code the Elusive Alto Clef - Viola and Sheet Music - The Top 10 Best Iconic Classical Music Compositions

How to Color Code the Elusive Alto Clef

Do you have a child or a student who struggles to read alto clef? Are you confused about how it works? Why is the alto staff so elusive for most musicians? Because instruments rarely use it. In fact, only one instrument reads from it regularly. Even the closely related tenor clef is used by more instruments (sort of). Keep reading to learn how to color code the elusive alto clef. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

Prodigy Meaning (Examples of Special Talent in Music) [Video] - Children Playing Music - Sing the Charming Song London Bridge Is Falling Down

What Does Prodigy Mean and Do They Have Elite Musical Talent?

Do you have a musical prodigy on your hands? Do you need information about how your musical child or student learns? Musical giftedness can emerge as early as one to two years old and usually appears before age six. It’s characterized by a rage to learn. Keep reading “What Does Prodigy Mean and Do They Have Elite Musical Talent?” to get examples of this shocking musical ability. Estimated reading time 5 minutes.

How to Play Piano (Kid’s Color Coded Piano Hand Placement) - First Piano - Joy to the World (Song, Words, and Piano) - Best Music Program for Three-Year-Olds

How to Play Piano (Kid’s Color Coded Piano Hand Placement)

Does your child want to learn how to play the piano? Do you want to know the best way to teach piano hand placement? Finger placement on the piano keyboard is an important skill that should be taught at the earliest stages of learning. Keep reading “How to Play Piano (Kid’s Color Coded Piano Hand Placement)” to learn how it works. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

The Gifted Dyslexic and Insight Learning - Notepad and Computer - What Exactly Is a Ballad and How Do You Write One?

The Gifted Dyslexic and Insight Learning (Part 4)

Have you ever wondered if you’re gifted and dyslexic? Or are you a parent of a child who’s gifted and dyslexic and want more information. Sometimes it can be difficult to recognize giftedness. Ronald Davis states, “This would commonly be recognized as daydreaming or simply not paying attention. The student is actually paying attention but has shifted to an imaginary world that is more interesting” (“The Gift of Learning” 38). How is this a sign of giftedness? Keep reading “The Gifted Dyslexic and Insight Learning” to learn about the last of our four dyslexic strengths. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.