Students who have autism

[quinterbourne]

I have tried to teach a student with ADD. It was very difficult. I wonder if it's appropriate for children with these kinds of disorders to be playing a musical instrument, unless it's for therapeutic reasons.

I think for anyone to effectively teach a child with a certain disorder, it's important for the teacher to have specialized knowledge of the disorder and how to deal with it (ie in non-musical settings) or at the very least someone should be around (while teaching the student) who is familiar with the disorder, and preferably who knows (how to handle) the student.

I figured that if I wanted to invest serious time in teaching this kid with ADD, that I would need to research ADD and how to deal with it - how to properly communicate and interact with the child.

[sandiegotuba]

I have tried to teach a student with ADD. It was very difficult. I wonder if it's appropriate for children with these kinds of disorders to be playing a musical instrument, unless it's for therapeutic reasons.

I think for anyone to effectively teach a child with a certain disorder, it's important for the teacher to have specialized knowledge of the disorder and how to deal with it (ie in non-musical settings) or at the very least someone should be around (while teaching the student) who is familiar with the disorder, and preferably who knows (how to handle) the student.

I figured that if I wanted to invest serious time in teaching this kid with ADD, that I would need to research ADD and how to deal with it - how to properly communicate and interact with the child.

Seeing as how ADD is becoming so common these days that might be a good idea to invest in learning how to work with students that have those kind of learning disabilities.

[Ivan Giddings]

This is my personal experience working with students of “special needsâ€

[Mike]

Although I am not quite sure why the responders to this post brought them up, I feel it is necessary to point out that ADD (attention defecit disorder) is not autism. Severely handicapped and/or mentally retarded persons are not autistic. There may some individuals who suffer autism as well as a handicap, but not necessarily.

[EQueg]

I have worked at schools for children with similar problems and in fact some of the biggest satisfaction that I had while teaching was at these schools. The children themselves are often all to aware of their own failings in regard to perceptions of their abilities. However you cannot look at it as if you need to make of them the next great musician. The mere fact that they can make music of whatever level is an accomplishment in and of itself. Give your student the best direction that you can and BE PATIENT with YOURSELF and the student. The satisfaction and feeling of accomplishment they gain from having the oportunity to make music is something they can be proud of. It certainly would be a good idea to look into methods of reaching children with special needs, but the important thing is to allow them to enjoy the satisfaction garnered from the process itself and encourage them to proceed at thier own level of ability whatever that may be. Don't give them false hope but let them work at the level of their abilities even if that means playing one note for a month. The satisfaction gained from allowing a special needs student to explore something that they might otherwise be denied in a public school setting is well worth the frustration you might feel in not getting the results you might like to see.

[Chuck(G)]

There are several types of autism and the level of functioning can be very different. What kind are you dealing with?

e.g., Kanner's syndrome, Asperger's, Rett's, CDD, PDD..

It's unfortunate that a bunch of unrelated problems are bundled together under one heading. Part of knowing how to interact with an autistic person is knowing exactly what kind of disorder they have.

I think it's best to talk to a professional in this field before you frustrate yourself and your student too much.

[tubajoe]

I have had several private students with ADD, and one with severe Autism

The deal with the ADD kids is just to keep them interested, and dont expect them to digest too much at one time, you kinda have to go with what their attention span is on that given day and time. The biggest challenge is keeping them focused, sometimes even for a few minutes at a time.

More severe Autism is a whole different situation -- the student I had was fairly severely 'special needs' and even basic communication was a challenge.

I gave the lessons with his mother sitting right next to him, and most of the teaching was by wrote, and it seemed like music was something that calmed his severe anxiety. Little things upset him (like playing a tune he did not want to play) and he would try to throw his euph or tear off his shoes if he got frustrated. I definitely had to go at HIS pace... and to be sensitive to his mood and attention span. Getting a lesson of 15-20 minutes was an accomplishment.

The interesting thing is that the music seemed to be a means of communication for him. He was able to pretty much play it if he could sing it -- and he loved to sing, then play. (but only songs of his choosing)
He seemed to be able to sense when he made that connection between playing and that tune that was in his head, and that seemed to give him a lot of joy.

I think I learned as much from him as he did from I, and seeing small breakthrus were rewarding for both of us.

...it also reminded me that performing music was not just about who could execute excerpts the best... it consistently reminded me that playing music was one of the most instinctual forms of communication, in the most beautiful, transcendental way. While it was trying, it did put things in perspective.

[Dean]

I am not trained to handle these wide situations, so for me, I wouldnt take the student.


I consider myself a resource--just like a library. Its not my job to give the student a REASON to play and/or listen to me--its my job to give them the exercises and tools to make them better players. Whether they do it or not is not my concern.


Then again, I teach for fun, not for $$$. (though I do get paid)

(post isnt meant to flame anyone--I have tremendous respect for those that teach challenged children, especially those that teach them well. I am not one of em.)

[tbn.al]

In your local school system there will be several experts in understanding, relating and teaching autistic children. If you don't know who they are, the child's parents will. Seek them out. You are going to need their help. Even those with extensive training in this field are constantly frustrated with the issues that surround every phase of this illness. Get help!

[TubaRay]

I am not able to offer any particular wisdom or knowledge concerning teaching those with autism, however I would like to say something concerning points brought up as this thread has developed. All of us, and I mean all, have our own level of ability to participate. I am totally unable to play tuba at the level of Gene Pokorny, Patrick Sheridan, Sam Pilafian, etc. There are many who are unable to play at my level. In other words, all of us must find our own level and perform there. It is most important for us to find enjoyment and fulfillment at whatever our own personal level is. It is quite easy to think that the efforts of "special needs" kids are just not worth it, musically. I believe this is simply not the case.

In the final analysis, what's really important in any musical activity is that the participants find enjoyment there. The enjoyment of the performance by the audience is a separate matter. However, I can assure you that there are many musically deficient performances which are immensely enjoyed by the audience which hears them.

Perhaps too many of us are judging whether it is worth it to try to teach (especially) kids to perform music when we know the results will never be satisfying to us. That simply isn't what is, or should be, important.

[Chuck(G)]

ADD is not the same as Autism. While many believe there may be a connection between the two disorders, strictly speaking, they're different problems. And we do the people affected by these two syndromes a disservice by not distinguishing them.

Consult with a professional to understand exactly what you're dealing with and how to approach your teaching.

[quinterbourne]

I never meant to imply that I thought that autism and ADD were the same thing. I was merely saying that they are similar in the regard that you should learn things about the specific disorder to effectively teach a student with said disorder.

[RyanSchultz]

We had a little camper with pretty heavy autism at Music Works a few years ago. He transitioned in to drum-set lessons.

He definitely does his own thing; I found saying his name and getting eye contact to be the most effective ways to communicate.

Good luck.

[euphoniumist]

I currently have a autistic beginning tuba student, and I am fortunate that he is highly functioning. Our first couple months of lessons his mom sat in and kept him focused and she learned along with him to help him practice on his own. We can now have lessons without his mom and get quite a bit done. In his case he just "gets it" and everything clicks is quite good, and better than the other students who have been taking the same amount of time. He is very obessed with tuba and wants to know everything there is to know about it, and already bought his own horn.

[Chuck(G)]

I never meant to imply that I thought that autism and ADD were the same thing. I was merely saying that they are similar in the regard that you should learn things about the specific disorder to effectively teach a student with said disorder.

But two responses to the original post dealt with ADD. The hyperactive child who runs around the classroom unable to focus for more than a few seconds is a far cry from an Asperger's child who may have phenomenal powers of concentration, but who does not interact well with people or his environment.

Lumping all types of autism into one is definitely not the way to go. As others have mentioned, the school district will have the professionals (I believe that the law requires them) to help you deal with a particular student.

[MaryAnn]

I've dealt with one person who has high-functioning Asperger's Syndrome. He can and does focus in very strongly and plays his instrument very well, but this same focus makes it hard for him to, for example, listen to what is going on around him at the same time he is playing. So he has to work really hard at staying with the ensemble rhythmically at the same time that he's reading music, and similar multi-tasking functions.

I'd say the biggest change I had to make was in how I communicated with him; Asperger's people do not understand subtleties of communication and do not read facial expressions of other people as "meaning" anything. He was totally unable to learn visually and had to have everything concisely explained verbally before he could do it. I couldn't say "do this" and show him because he literally couldn't discern by looking what I was talking about. I had to give precise verbal directions on what to do with his body that would achieve the desired result.

Once I figured out how specifically he needed to be talked to, we communicated really well. It was almost like he was blind in a way, in terms of visual learning. I don't know if this is common to all Asperger's people or not, but it was a characteristic of this one. He also had very high anxiety about changing anything he was used to and it took a lot of persistence to get him to move toward doing something new.

I agree about talking to experts about how to teach this kid; he may be highly intelligent but dealing with a brain problem that is just as difficult for us to understand as it is for him to understand us.

MA

[Chuck(G)]

Probably another thread--but...

I personally know of at least one adult individual who has battled ADD most of his life. Recently, he was diagnosed and put on medication and it made a profound difference in his life.

[TubaRay]

Sorry, Ray, but in today's world, that statement puts you in the Dumb *** Club with me. Care to join me up front?

I'm with you all the way.

[iiipopes]

Ray, you gotta have at least some sort of an audience to interact with. Otherwise, it's no different than a very sophisticated form of mental .....

[Brassworks 4]

First of all, I appreciate everyone of you who has the patience, desire and compassion to work with kids with any sort of disability. Their parents appreciate you more than you will ever know.

I teach euphonium. And my son is autistic. I haven't taught my son euphonium, however

As for the discussion on ADD and autism - there are similarities and it is sometimes difficult for doctors to make a diagnosis (when dealing with high functioning autism) But they are not the same. And all of that is really beside the point. I'm not even going to address the comments made about "***-whipping" to solve behavioral problems. Good grief.

Back to the point at hand of teaching these kids to play. Its all about bringing joy to a human being. And most autistic kids (I say kids, but really any age applies) thrive on success. But to them, success is feeling good about themselves and about what they are doing. And as a teacher, be careful of the goals you set for them. Start small and be patient. They may not excel like the others - but does that matter? If the student is finding joy in playing, the first goal has been met. That isn't saying you shouldn't teach them the fundamentals like any other child - but it may take a little longer in comparison with your other students. Does that matter? Are we under the pressures of the clock?

There are many good books about autism and about teaching kids with autism. Temple Grandin has written several, about her life and experiences and successes. "Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew" by Ellen Notbohm is another. But if you want more of a novel that will give you a pretty good feel for what these kids go through, read "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon. It is an eye-opener.

Let me say again how pleased I am to read what most of you have written - the compassion and insight coming from the mouths of tuba teachers/players is really fantastic. I applaud you and your efforts.