Special Needs & Learning Differences

Just wondering what different ideas I might be able to get for my 11 year old student with autism. She seems to have a lot of trouble using the right fingers. She keeps reverting back to playing just the RH melody only in her songs,…

• Last updated 6 days ago
• autism, autism spectrum, autistic, autistic student, autistic students

In the last few months Gretchen Rubin’s book “The Four Tendencies” was referred to me – I have found it super insightful wrt understanding both myself, and students. Here’s a link to a brief summary – reminder that one size doesn’t always fit all when…

• Last updated 1 year ago
• different facets of musicianship, Four Tendencies, Gretchen Rubin, learning differences, Obligers, personality, Questioners, Rebels, siblings moving at a different pace, students in groups with different abilities, students progressing differently, The Four Tendencies, Upholders

The 12 year old son of an adult student of mine would love to take piano lessons. He can already play the violin and has a great ear, able to figure out how to play songs he hears on the piano. However, due to a…

• Last updated 1 year ago
• adapting fingering, alternate fingering for chords, big fingers, coaches, deformed fingers, deformed hand, deformities, duets, finger adaptations, finger independence, finger isolation, finger strength, fingering, fingers, injured fingers, injuries, Laurie Richards, limitations, missing fingers, mobility limitations, Neil Moore, parents of special needs, physical limitations, special needs, stiff fingers, strengthening fingers, teaching special needs, thick fingers, weak fingers, wide fingers

One of my new private adult students (she is practicing diligently, LOVES SM, her playlist so far is very strong) wants to switch from having one (half-hour) lesson per week to two (half-hour) lessons weekly (several days apart) because she is eager to make even…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• 2 lessons per week, adult students, duration of class, duration of lesson, frequency of lessons, importance of playlist, length of class, length of lesson, lesson duration, lesson frequency, lesson length, managing playlist, managing the playlist, multiple lessons per week, number of songs on playlist, Playlist, playlist management, practice, semiweekly lesson, special needs, teaching week, twice per week lessons, two lessons per week

How would I decide whether a student would learn reasonably well using the classic Simply Music approach, or whether he & I should invest in the Gateway program? I don’t think you can really know until you start. It’s always safe to start with Gateway.…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• fine motor, gateway, Gateway training, getting started, Laurie Richards, Simply Music Gateway, understanding diagrams

How would my expert teachers out there manage a student who was absolutely adamant that they should only have 1 NEW song to practice each week. Regardless of if they get it easy or not; how can I correct this limiting belief in their psychology…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• claiming territory, coachabilty, coachable, communication, different facets of musicianship, introducing streams, learning pace, limitations, managing streams, multiple project management, multiple projects, multiple songs, multiple streams, normal progress, pace, pace of learning, pace of teaching, practice, progress, rate of progress, reclaiming territory, requirements, Robin Keehn, slow pace, slow progress, speed of learning, speed of progress, streams, student progress, students progressing differently, students speed of progress, teaching streams, too much homework

Teaching students with profound special needs is a different experience than teaching typical students. Karen discusses this in relation to goals and expectations, your own confidence, and dealing with parents’ expectations. Topics include: Introduction (00:05) Teacher Temperament (04:18) Readiness to Progress (10:11) Visually Impaired Students…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• autism, autistic, blind student, blindness, books on autism, communicating with parents, expectations, flexibility, frustration, inner child, learning differences, mindset, on the spectrum, personality, slow progress, special needs, student behavior, teacher mindset, teaching special needs, temperament

I need some help or suggestions form those of you who have experience in teaching autistic children. I started recently with my first autistic student (6-year-old boy), and I really love him. He can be quite fun and funny at times! He is verbal and…

• Last updated 3 years ago
• autism, autistic student, communication, gateway, pushy parents, Simply Music Gateway, structure

One of my students is a six-year-old boy who has confidence problems to the point that when he thinks something looks too hard, he gets anxious and teary and refuses to try. Last week when I demonstrated Dreams Come True, it took a whole five…

• Last updated 3 years ago
• anxiety, anxious student, small doses

In this webinar Karen shares videos of her teaching her own students with learning disabilities and discusses their stories and their successes with the Gateway program. Introduction (00:05) Student Video 1: Nikos (00:43) Student Video 2: Rick (09:35) Student Video 3: Eytan (22:28) Student Video…

• Last updated 3 years ago
• autism, gateway, Jewels, Karen Nisenson, special needs