Musical pedagogy tailored to non-neurotypical children is a developing field. There have been indications of possibly helpful methods,but since some disorders are not fully understood yet, their development is a work in progress.This action research aims to explore the use of creative innovative piano teaching methods for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The objective is to observe and identify new ways to communicate with the children through music, while also bringing them joy and enhancing their wellbeing, cognitive, motor and socioemotional skills. Taking into consideration these effects, the research aims to track current developments and find new ways to record and illustrate progress in the mentioned areas concerning the musical involvement of children with ASD.The teacher observed the children during their lessons, recording their progress and behaviour, and using this information to develop new techniques that are tailored to each child’s individual strengths and interests. The analysis fuelled the development of methods by presenting new questions. Which techniques and tools have been most beneficial to the child’s progress? What was useful and what should we change? Based on the collected information, the teacher created musical material and effective tools that are most beneficial to the child’s behaviour and musical experience.This research describes the developed teaching methods, their use and trajectory, and the common patterns found among methods. With musical examples, research shows the learning process itself, methods,tools and the effect on children’s progress and behaviour. Overall, this research highlights the importance of incorporating creative and innovative teaching methods when working with children with ASD. It emphasizes the potential of music as a therapeutic tool for enhancing wellbeing and socioemotional skills, and underscores the importance of tailoring teaching methods to each child’s individual strengths and interests.
See also: Tailoring Methods for Music Involvement for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder