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.
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.
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.
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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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.
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.
Do you have a student who has a problem keeping the steady beat? Does your child struggle with rhythmic concepts? Color coding combined with physicalizing the beat makes for a powerful teaching aid. Keep reading “How to Color Code Music to Optimize the Steady Beat” to learn how it works. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
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.
“What is the precise meaning of scaffolding in teaching?” Scaffolding is an effective teaching method that’s designed to help students in the early phases of learning. It helps them close the distance between what they can do now and where they need to be in the future. Keep reading to learn more. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
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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.
Do you naturally problem solve intuitively? Do you want to understand how insight problem solving works? Whether you’re in science, engineering, the arts, or business, those “eureka” moments can be game changers. Keep reading “Insight Meaning and Examples of Insight Problem Solving” to learn how it works. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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.
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.
Do you have a special needs child who loves music? Are you confused about the difference between music therapy and music lessons? The goals for music therapy won’t be the same as for music lessons. Keep reading “Music Therapy vs Music Lessons” to help you decide which is best for your child. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.