Hi All,

I am doing a trial lesson next week for a teenage boy who is autistic to see how he gets on. He has had lessons in the past so can play a bit. He wants to have another go and his mum says he is quite musical - plays mostly by ear but would like to learn how to read music.

She doesn't want him to do exams or anything - just learn for the pure enjoyment of it.

Just wondered if anyone had any tips for how I should approach the first lesson? I have told the mum that I don't have any experience of working with autistic people so we will just see how it goes and she was happy with that.

So any ideas?

It all depends where is placed on the autistic spectrum. Autism and Aspergers are very similary, with higher levels of intellectual function associated with Aspergers. It is usually males who have this condition, in fact it can be considered a highly extreme form of the male brain. People with autism usually have one thing which they are fascinated by and they use to put shape and order to their world. They are frightened of the world at large, and in order to feel safe they create their different world, governed by the rules they feel are safer, for them. If music is this lad's chosen interest, it can be used to help him integrate with others in his immediate sphere. If he doesn't want to learn to read music, don't push it, concentrate on learning by ear, aural skills, and when possible relate it to a written/printed resource or something physical about the piano. The key is not to give him challenges which make he feel threatened. When he knows he can trust you, then introduce reading music, in small bit sized chunks. Find out what else he is interested in and try and relate your teaching to those interests. If he rejects your ideas, don't take it personally, he can't help it and is probably unable to incoporate the new idea with the world he has created. Don't threaten his world, enhance it, slowly.

He will be petrified of new situations, so it is essential to take your time to let him to get to know you. Things which are constant will appeal. Perhaps when you first meet him you could ask him to show you what he can do with the piano. Also get as much information from the mother about what works, and CRUCIALLY, what is unlikely to work or could trigger a withdrawal.

You need to be aware that he is so scared that he will, effectively, manipulate you. This is part and parcel, and not directed at you in any way, even if he presents this as the case. Remember, he is very vulnerable. The key to success here is, patience, patience, and more patience.

If this doesn't fit in with what you already know about him, give me what information you can (discretely), and I'll see if I can come up with something else.

I think this is BRILLIANT advice and meshes EXACTLY with what I'd say too. Just to add though that you might need more than 1 lesson to really assess the situation as new situations can be especially trying for autistic children. Just being with you ( and assuming you are teaching from your place) in your environment could be very difficult for him. Some (Many?) autistic people thrive on an EXACT routine. So down to exactly where things are placed etc and anything even slightly different to that may make them very uncomfortable and set them off on a meltdown or a withdrawal - depending on how the individual reacts.

All the best in this venture.

Yes, you have received excellent advice. The really important thing is to get to know this young man and remember that autism takes as many forms as there are people with the condition. My 13 year old son has AS and has been learning the trumpet for several years. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to his teacher, who has worked miracles with him. Sometimes the lessons go well, sometimes they end up with my son and the teacher just chatting, but the most imortant thing is that my son trusts the teacher completely (even some rather alarming temper tantrums from my son have not deterred the teacher!!), and for what its's worth the teacher has made a real difference to my son's social skills, not to mention his trumpet playing. Good luck, and I hope you find it really rewarding.

Thanks for pointing out by the environment - I had forgotten that rather important point!

Bringing someone with autism out of their shell, can be incredibly rewarding.
Thanks for the compliments - I'm always pleased to oblige.

Apparently people with autism can also struggle with hyper-sensitivity to stimuli - some of them can't bear to be touched, for instance - normal levels of noise, touch etc can be quite distressing or even painful for them. I guess you will find out a lot by trial and error, but it is worth enquiring about any particular likes/dislikes, so that you don't unintentionally derail the first lesson.

Thank you to everyone for all your advice - its really helpful.

Jane - I don't know yet exactly where his is on the autistic spectrum but a few of the things his mum said about him seem to fit with your advice so thank you.

I think I will use the first "lesson" more as a get to know each other session - maybe ask him if he'd like to play something for me so I can get an idea of what he can do. I was thinking of maybe doing some rhythm games with flash cards and visual things rather than anything "technical". I thought I might take some recordings of clarinettists along for him to listen to and see what he likes.

Any other ideas are welcome!

I know you have probably thought of this already, but make sure you have plan B ready if plan A is rejected/doesn't appeal. Do make lots of eye contact and smile at him, even if he avoids looking at you straight in the face. He may never respond by smiling back, or he might manage to smile/grin looking away from you. I managed to coax one lad with severe autism to smile back at me just as a matter of course! Good luck. It's just as well you are going to his home, he will feel so much happier in his own environment.

It might be worth discussing with his Mam how she thinks he might react to this. Some people on the autistic spectrum can take perfectionism to the extreme in respect to particular activities (which will be different for each person), and if he is this way inclined in terms of his playing then he could very easily get the idea that this is what he should (or 'has to') sound like from the recordings - which would probably lead to a lot of frustration all round.

I used to know an autistic lass who was very good at the violin but barely played it because she couldn't cope with not having everything perfect - it could take weeks or months for her to build up the nerve to try again and then she would get in a complete state because it it didn't sound how she wanted it to.

I'm not ruling out the use of recordings with your lad, as autistic people do vary a lot. I just wanted to flag up that (as with everything...) they can sometimes respond to examples like recordings very differently, and often once an autistic person gets a specific idea in their head it can be very difficult to change this because they often don't think or reason in the same way as other's and it can be really hard to unlock this thinking.

Can I also suggest that whilst it pays to be aware of his very individual needs and have an understanding of why and how he might react in certain situations don't go into it thinking I am teaching an AUTISTIC boy.
You are just teaching a boy like any other. You may not need to teach him any differently at all. On the other hand you may but as a teacher that's kind of par for the course anyway isn't it? Each pupil will react in differing ways to other pupils.

I think that sometimes making a big deal of the fact you are going out of your way to accomodate him could actually be very off putting for both him and his mum. People do not like to be labelled. An aside - It's probably very important that she's there with him - at least at first.

I think I've been guilty of overdoing it a bit with a friend's child but I was well intentioned and just didn't want to upset him. I've learnt really to just treat him as any other child but to be aware of how he reacts if something is too much for him and back off (or remove my child from the area if he is the cause of the problem). He needs a lot of preparation ahead of any change (His mum gives him 5 minute advance notice of anything, then 4,3,2,1 etc) and he can take things very literally so metaphors MUST be avoided at all costs. Something like the phrase "Laughing your head off" would have him very distressed as he would take it literally!! Often autistic kids can speak very bluntly. It's not rudness, even though it can seem rude, - to them it's just fact. There was a programme about an autistic grown up who had learnt to wave back when someone waved to them. They still didn't "Get it" but had learnt that that was how they needed to respond . Therefore, actions may seem false but with no bad feeling on the behalf of the executor. My friend's child is on the high functioning end of the AD spectrum and is very intelligent and very technically minded - computers, switches etc push his buttons so to speak.

I guess I'm saying be aware of his condition but don't tailor the way you teach him BECAUSE of it. Go about it in a way you feel will work for him as you would do with any other new pupil. Judge as you find but be aware of his responses and reactions and should you have a bad experience discuss with Mum. That is key. Because (despite some comments made on another thread - which I don't want to get into here) The parents really DO know their child best. A continuous open channel of communication between you and parent (Mum?) will be the best for all. If she feels she can approach you or head you off on another path where necessary without you being offended by her involvement she will be able to subtly guide you in the ways that will work best with her son and allow you to get on with what YOU do best and that is the teaching of music. Don't worry about getting it right straight off but be prepared to be flexible and take some time with things till he feels at ease and the teaching can really begin in earnest. The very best of luck.

Yep I think Dawn and Flossie have just about got it covered. It's great to be reminded of things I've forgotten. It's been a while since I've had direct contact with the AD spectrum in any classroom/teaching sphere. Does anyone know of reliable, rather than wacko, websites? That would be so helpful, in addition to what's been said alredy.