Hi there, my 7 year old son is mildly autistic. He talks rather than listens, is impulsive and totally focused on what he wants to say or do (a more extreme version of most children!) He is bright but very hard work and although he wants to learn guitar, the key will be in finding a teacher who can handle his constant interruptions, monologues about unrelated topics and general lack of concentration. I know it sounds like naughtiness, but he is a lovely child - he just finds new situations and people hard to cope with so this is how he reacts. He needs someone who can be firm but not see him as naughty.

Does anyone else have experience with music lessons for this type of child and if so can you recommend any strategies? We are looking for a teacher who can cope with him: we live in Harpenden, near St Albans in Herts.

thanks

Allie.

Could you not sit in on his lessons for a few months/weeks to begin with until he gets used to the teacher and the teacher gets used to him?
I babysit a severely autistic girl quite frequently so I'm quite used to being firm with her rather than strict.

Another thing, if playing the guitar is really what he wants to do himself, he might be very well behaved in his lessons and work hard at it to become like his teacher? This girl I know can be very obsessive and once she wants to do something she will stick at it until she can do it. Finding a teacher might be a little tricky - alot of the guitar teachers I know are unqualified and just teach guitar because they are good. A guitar teacher who has studied teaching will most likely have studied the teaching of children and adults with learning difficulties etc. On the other hand, if you find a teacher who has no qualifications but experience in these areas, then you know what to do.

Apart from that, I live in the north of scotland so cant reccomend anyone in your area, but to the forums anyway!!

Hi. I am a mother of an autistic boy and also a teacher to 3 autistic children/young persons. As a teacher, yes, it is quite hard work but very rewarding. Yes, I often have to change my normal teaching style including the way I speak and the language I use. But I have no misbahaving pupils. One of the boys do interrupt my talking etc, but I have a way to handle this now. A parent sometimes stay to listen but not always.

I hope that you will find someone to help your boy learn to play the guitar. He is most probably better off having one-to-one lesson rather than in a group although he will benefit enormously from playing in a group - may be you could consider this when he has gained some experience of playing an instrument.

Unfortunately, I do not live in your area nor play the guitar.
Best of Luck!
hero

Hiya! I'm afraid I'm unable to help you, although I do think that learning to play an instrument is a very rewarding experience for everyone.

I just wanted to say I live in Harpenden too and I love it!!

xxxxxx

Hi, I teach a lad with Asperger's - the 'mild' end of the autism spectrum. In brief, these are my experiences:

I have taught him recorder since he was 8, he is now 12. Sometimes he is totally focussed, sometimes the lesson seems to have been a waste of time as 'nothing' has been achieved. I just look at the term overall, he always makes progress.

Sometimes he is very chatty - often about something totally unrelated to the lesson! I just listen, then steer the lesson back on course. If something has upset him at school, the lesson can go badly. His mum always fills me in beforehand so I know his state of mind, which helps a lot.

I have found that insisting a particular piece of music is practiced is a waste of time. The trick is to find music he likes, and then focus on that. Often he will play a piece over and over again at home (until his parents can bear it no longer!) This is clearly part of the repetition/comfort that Asperger's people seem to need. Occasionally, a lesson is spent playing favourite pieces if he is not in the mood to tackle anything new.

His memory is excellent, scales are generally played well, but a lack of organisation can be a problem - applies to many children of this age, though!

He has had several positive exam experiences. The AB are especially helpful with Special Needs, and he has always enjoyed them and done well: Merits/Distinctions each time. He once tried having enlarged sightreading on coloured paper, but this didn't help. All he needs now is for instructions to be very clear, repeated if necessary, and time to think things through. Going into the exam room with a familiar pianist seems to help and relax him.

I don't know if this is helpful, and I'm sorry I can't help with a teacher, but I wish you and your son good luck. communication between parent and teacher seems to be the key, I do hope you find someone sympathetic.

I've also taught a couple of Asperger's' pupils and my experience is very similar to Salrec's.

One boy, in particular, was very routine-oriented and the best lessons we had were when everything earlier in the day had gone right for him, according to expectation. Conversely, if something 'different' had happened at school in the morning (I used to teach him just after lunch), such as break at a different time, it would throw him out for the rest of the day. I never used to know quite what to expect from him, other than when he was having a good day and was engaging with me his concentration and results were very rewarding and more than made up for the days when he was very inside himself and I would struggle to get him to reach for his music.

Do take time and local advice to get him a sympathetic and experienced teacher who can work with him to let him experience the joys and rewards of music making. Talk to any special needs coordinators involved with your child, you could also try your local authority childrens' services, your local music service, any special needs school (they may have contacts with experienced teachers). I would also try a good local music shop if you have one, as they tend to know their customers (ie other teachers) and their specialisms.
You could also google music therapists - I don't know the exact name of their professional organisation but they may well also have some useful contacts.

Hi Mumof4 and welcome to the forum! My 7 year old son has ASD and Tourettes and sounds very similar to your son. We are just debating whether to sign him up for music lessons at school next year as he appears to be musical but we don't know how he will cope with lessons - it will all depend on the approach of the teacher. He has a guitar, access to a piano, and I play the flute. But in his usual perverse way, he wants to learn the trombone

One approach we find helpful is to ask his class teacher to talk to anyone externally about ways to handle him - this sometimes comes across better than us trying to do it (trying to avoid the interferring parent syndrome!). For instance I had talked to his yoga teacher about him but still kept getting messages about how "naughty" or "disruptive" he had been. I put her in touch with his class teacher and now everything seems OK. I can't believe he is suddenly behaving normally, more likely the yoga teacher has taken the advice on board from his teacher better than she had from me, and is now more accepting of his behavioural quirks.

Are you in touch with other parents of children with autism in your area? If so, ask amongst them as you may find someone else similiar who has music lessons, or knows of a teacher.

Good luck in your quest for a teacher, I hope he enjoys his guitar!

Hazel

I have two pupils at the moment....salrecs advice is good...I let them go off at tangents and then guide back...and knowing if something has happened before really helps. Be up front with potential teachers as some will be used to it but others may need to be guided by you. One of mine had problems with his previous teacher.... so not all can cope.....if he ever does exams make sure the board in question know...as I can't guarantee what my pupils will do or say in exam situations and it helps if examiner is aware....they can get extra time for some things.

My husband teaches guitar to a couple of teenagers from the local Priory colleges for aspergers/ autistic children. To begin with a carer had to sit in, but both boys are now happy to come alone. As with salrec - some weeks are good, others seem to be a waste of time. But solid progress has been made over a couple of years.
They have taken Rock School exams and really felt that they have achieved something. If you do manage to find a teacher make sure you explain any 'hangups' your son might have. We did have a bit of a 'situation' when husband commented on how big one pupils hands were, meaning that he would find stretches easy, but he apparently had a 'thing' about his hands. He held it together until he got back to school, and then went mad. It wouldn't have happened if we had known..........