Expert Advice to Help Us Better Serve Piano Students with ADD, Dyslexia, and Autism

Summary: This our 12th Episode of the Teach Piano Today Podcast and we're excited to introduce you to Pat Hensely.  Pat is a National Board Certified Special Needs Specialist and is on the National Board of Directors for the Council for Exceptional Children.  We're chatting with her today to give piano teachers some valuable insights into how to motivate and engage students with learning differences. Tips for Teaching Piano to Kids with Special Needs Most piano teachers have encountered a student with learning differences, and we're often left wondering what strategies we can use to best serve the unique needs of these children. As piano teachers, we're not often specifically trained in this area of education, and so we may feel ill-equipped to adjust our teaching practices to fit what our student may need. Pat is here today to share her 30 years of expertise in this area, and to give piano teachers some concrete ideas you can use tomorrow to adapt the way you teach in order to motivate and engage these students.  Listen in as she shares: Her 3 biggest pieces of advice for piano teachers who are teaching a child with special needs for the very first time. Her most effective strategies and tools for meeting the needs children with learning differences. The questions every piano teacher should be asking the parents. And MUCH more! Whether you've taught special needs children for years, or if you're a newbie to this area of piano teaching, you'll definitely learn something from Pat's many years of special education experience. Links We Mention: Pat's mention of the iPad app (Classdojo) that can help track student behavior can be found here Our really effective strategy for students who need a visual schedule and a reward system can be found here. Pat's personal blog with vast amounts of information can be found here. Listen Below Click play below or download the podcast in iTunes to listen now.  If you enjoy the podcast, we so appreciate it if you could leave us a 5 star rating in iTunes!