Special Needs requirements

If your child has special needs requirements, it's important to let me know this before you book any  lessons. 

I am not quaified to teach special needs children; however, if I know from the outset that certain difficulties exist, I can adapt my teaching methods to accommodate children with special needs and have done so with some success. If I'm not made aware of their needs, it can be hard work and frustrating for both myself and the pupil. The brains of dyslexic children, for example, work rather differently from those who have no dyslexia and it's important for me to know about it.

Teaching on a one-to-one basis, it is immediately obvious when a young pupil isn't responding in the same way as other children of their age group. Some children may be hyperactive or inattentive, others withdrawn. They may show signs of poor concentration, attention span, short-term memory and comprehension and become easily distracted. They may show speech and language difficulties and/or be unable to read. They may show left/right confusion (important for piano playing). 

I have been involved in writing workshops with special educational needs children in secondary schools; I have written books that include various aspects, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, laterality, including my most recent book ADHD: The Essential Guide, so I am very aware of the needs of some children. I also hold a CACDP Certificate in Deaf Awareness and have worked with deaf and deafened people but I am not a trained music therapist.

Therefore, it is essential that I am told by parents sending their children for music lessons at the outset whether there are any special educational needs or physical issues to be considered, so that I can be aware of their needs and adapt my way of teaching to give them the kind of support to which they are entitled.