Piano and Music Therapy is perhaps the best forms of assistance for gifted
children with Autism, ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Einstein Syndrome and Asperger’s Syndrome. Additionally, gifted and talented,
high intellect children, also benefit significantly.
Piano and
Music Therapy assists children with social skills, language comprehension, memorization, organization, self- confidence, and
most importantly, for school – focus.
Autism and piano may not seem be a fit, however, so many
children with autism tend to have amazing musical abilities and piano talent. The same hold true for children with ADD, ADHD,
Asperger’s, Einstein Syndrome and dyslexia. There is in fact a solid connection between these gifts and piano.
Gifted,
autistic, ADD, ADHD, and Asperger’s children will find the piano is the best outlet for their expression. These children
tend to adore both the sound and the musical theory behind the piano. These children tend to be fascinated at the idea of
numbers on the piano keys, as well as the understanding that music theory and the piano are built on patterns. Theses gifted
children love finding and comprehending the patterns. This is fundamentally due to the fact that these children live for patterns,
as this is the one thing a child can be certain of, in their perhaps uncertain little world.
The study of chords, scales,
and technical drills are all comprised of patterns, and make up the fabric of music.
Piano is immensely beneficial
in supporting and enhancing children’s focus. Problems in the classroom and socially tend to develop so often due to
issues with a lack of focus. This can also become a source of teasing of peers, and unacceptable behavior in the classroom,
resulting in teacher’s “pegging” the child as an underachiever, which then becomes a self- fulfilling prophesy.
These children are not guilty of being incapable of concentrating. Instead, these kids simply cannot find a way to get interested
in their school work or activities unless the teacher makes extreme attempts to reach them on their own level. And based on
classroom sizes, most teachers do not have the time to reach out to those children who do not “fit “the mold.
These children, therefore, often get “lost”, and fall behind in the classroom, which later impacts their self-confidence,
and ultimately, their adult lives and careers.
While it is up to the teacher to bring the learning to these kids, despite
the fact that most teachers do not have the time to devote to these student, the other issue is, these children will not step
up and ask the teacher for instruction unless they feel secure. And children with these gifts do not feel secure. This is
perhaps due to the fact that they feel insecure from all the other things that are more difficult for them, from reading to
following directions.
What is required is a teacher unconventional and patient enough to find ways to deal
with the tremendous energy of ADHD children, and then find a useful channel for it.
Our music
academy has developed games, and systems in both fun group and individual sessions which have proven results in assisting
gifted children in their development – socially, and educationally in a classroom setting.