Special Needs & Learning Differences
ADHD student in shared lesson
Has anyone had a successful experience of teaching a student with ADHD in a shared lesson? Student is an 8-year-old boy recently diagnosed. Grandma has taught him a little but hasn’t had any formal lessons. I only teach private lessons. I have one with ADHD.…
Frustrated student with dyslexia
I have a dyslexic student who is 8 years old. She gets frustrated and cries at home for days and says the videos don’t help. Personally, I think the mother is a big contribution to this “giving up” because with me the girl does well…sometimes,…
Students with multiple learning challenges
I teach a pair of siblings with autism, dyslexia, and dysgraphia among other things. The boy sits at the piano and refuses most of the time to play. He is very intelligent and when I can actually get him to play, he bangs out the…
Student with Down Syndrome
Does anyone have any tips on teaching a child with Down Syndrome? I have an 11-year-old female student with Down Syndrome. She knows her finger numbers and can do five steps of sound, but she has difficulty remembering how to start the songs (we’ve only…
New teacher with special needs student
I’m just getting started as a Simply Music teacher. My first class is scheduled for next week, in fact! I have the possibility of enrolling a 14-year-old student who has no thumbs and a communication problem. He’s small for his age, and is of normal…
Fingering chords with a physically challenged student
I have a 66-year-old student who is having difficulty playing chords with finger 1, 3, 5. Her fourth finger has limited upward mobility. We had lesson number 6 today. Would it be terrible to adapt and let her play chords with fingers 1, 3, 4?…
Combining special needs student with younger students
I need help to navigate a new challenge. A 10-year-old boy with ADHD/LD has been taking private lessons. His 6-year-old brother is in a shared lesson. This past year, the 6-year-old’s progress has caught up with the older boy so I announced that it was…
Two Broken Arms
Greetings – I have a student who finished F1 in June, did review with me every few weeks in the summer, and just broke both arms last week, both are casted, and quite immobile – he cannot write, and even requires help with eating. Any…
Teaching autistic student in a group
Hi all, I have a group of 3 boys and girls aged 6-7 in my studio. One of the 6-year-old boys is diagnosed autistic – minor. If his mom did not reveal this for me, I would have no idea that he is autistic, because…
Teaching a 5-year-old with Aspergers
I have been approached by the grandmother of a 5-year-old boy with Aspergers asking if I am willing to teach him. Obviously I am but I wondered if the teacher community could give me any guidance here, for one I have not taught anyone as…