Seasoned Piano Teacher loves working with musically inclined children on the spectrum

by Nico
(Petaluma, CA)

Hello Everyone!

I am a piano teacher who has had a lifelong relationship with piano, music & education. My grandmother, a professional piano teacher, finally agreed to teach me piano at age 3 after my unrelenting insistence. I've played ever since. 53 years later, I am teaching piano privately to children, some with special needs. I LOVE IT!
Autistic children have special talents that I enjoy cultivating in the special ways they require. My autistic students are both diversely different, but also have certain skills in common. For example, autistic students excel in the math, theory & ear training of music. They enjoy playing and repeating things they hear. They are very good at this on their own, so I guide them in strengthening their finger dexterity to facilitate their natural abilities to play what they hear. They often have perfect pitch and readily understand, hear and identify pitches & intervals. All children may or may not be in the mood to do music, but the Autistics I worked with did well with a set routine. If a specific day and time was put in the routine as their designated "music time", they come to expect it as part of their routine. If, during a lesson time, I lose their interest, then I try different things until something catches their interest and off we go!
My teaching style is a combination of musical activities for the physical body and musical computer apps for the mind. Because I am fluid, creative, intuitive & experienced, I easily flow with what a child needs in the moment as I adapt my teaching style to match the child's learning style. I believe a good student makes a good teacher and I am passionate about learning all I can in educating and working with autistic/special needs children.

My purpose here is:
1) To reach out and become more involved with the Education for Autistic Children community, with a focus on music.

2) I am open and welcome all resources to learn and gain more insight through education to enhance and supplement my teaching style and increase my teaching tools.

3) My current project and passion is developing a system designed specifically to teach musically inclined autistic children. My system will offer various modules that can reach autistics where they are and teach or inspire learning in ways specifically adapted to their special learning styles through fun musical activities, books, CDs, games and touch pad applications.

4) I seek to add more autistic and special needs students to my teaching roster. As of September 5, 2016 I seek to connect with parents of musically inclined autistic children who are seeking a piano/music teacher.

5) The more autistic students I work with, the more I can fine-tune my "musical education for autistic children learning system" designed to help autistic children world-wide entertain & express themselves through the universal language of music.

Dana: Thanks for writing, Nico. Your work sounds exciting and very much needed! Is there a way for people to get in touch with you?


Nico: Yes! My email is: prowess88@yahoo.com. My voice mail business # is 415-419-2419