Special Needs, Autism, ADD, ADHD
First of all I must issue a disclaimer stating that I have absolutely no formal training in special needs education. There are trained music therapist/piano teachers out there and they serve a wonderful and very specialized service. I would highly recommend that anyone that may be in need of these services please seek them out. I am not one of those professionals.
I’ve taught hundreds of piano students over the years and I’ve encountered several students with varying degrees of these conditions, some cases hardly noticeable, some a little more so. I have a very patient personality. I teach these kids in exactly the same manner that I teach anyone. I feel the experience has always been beneficial for the student, and parents have been very pleased with the results. I am by no stretch of the imagination a Miracle Worker, but if any person is capable and willing to learn music, I will definitely try my best to teach them and see how it goes. Music is a special communication of its own and it can definitely permeate boundaries in a calm and genuine fashion – I have seen it happen.