 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: elmo lewis
Date: 2008-10-09 23:38
I have a new private student who is really hyper. She repeats back everything I say-it's called echolalia. Am I supposed to try to get her to shut up or just put up with it? It really eats up a lot of class time.
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Author: FDF
Date: 2008-10-09 23:51
She has a psychiatric disorder. Your job is teach her to play the clarinet. Be patient, as long as she's the only one in the class.
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2008-10-09 23:57
the way you say put up with it makes it sound like she is doing it on purpose - like just to irritate you. It is odd that she would have just echolalia as it usually goes along with something else. I would do a bit of research on her special needs and try to be understanding. My guess is that she cant help it. so yes, put up with it and do the best you can.
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2008-10-10 02:47
Maybe you could try to keep words to a minimum. Just get into the playing and try to correct all mistakes with playing examples and pantomime. Since so much of what we do is physical, you can show a lot with gesticulations and/or drawing pictures (eg. a drawing of the inside of the mouth to show tonging positions,etc).
I often see masterclasses in which the teacher and student don't speak the same language and the teacher does a lot of playing examples.
Does she imitate everything you do or just the words??
Post Edited (2008-10-10 03:02)
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2008-10-10 02:47
Flexibility is key. Your job is to teach her with what skill set, learning set that she has. So realize that she isn't trying to mess with you and go from there. If things take longer, they take longer.
I would also invite her parent to sit in on a lesson and then afterwards discuss (privately) what she is dealing with.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2008-10-10 12:55
How did you find out she has echolalia? Has someone told you this student has a specific, psychiatric diagnosis or are you using "hyper" and "echolalia" as descriptive terms, based on your own observation of her? I ask because if she's been diagnosed, and if, for instance, her parents have told you she has a specific medical condition, then they probably have advice from a therapist on how to tailor your lessons to fit in with whatever the clinical specialist has advised the family to do at home.
David Blumberg wrote,
>>I would also invite her parent to sit in on a lesson and then afterwards discuss (privately) what she is dealing with.
>>
I think that's an excellent suggestion. Also, if the student is not in medical treatment, then her parents may need a heads-up from her teachers that there's a problem. It's possible, for instance, that she's much less hyper in the security of her own home and that her folks don't know how she acts outside. Or they may be in denial, or .... Lots of possibilities.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2008-10-10 15:04
You can work around this without too much difficultiy. the best thing you can do is to speak privately witht he parents for tips on how she best handles sessions one-on-one with an instructor, and apply suitable techniques to ensure her success.
While I don't give lessons, I do tutor at a local college, and many of my clients come in with various disabilities, both learning disabilities and physical disabilities. This does not preclude them from succeeding in their coursework; they just need some extra help to get to where they want to be.
As long as you are willing to work with the student and her parents, there is no reason why the two of you can't build a rewarding teacher/srudent relationship. If you are not willing to undertake the effort, it is better that you speak with the parents, admit your unwillingness to proceed further, and let her move on to a better-suited teacher ASAP.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: elmo lewis
Date: 2008-10-10 19:25
Thanks for the comments. I have only had 1 class with her, although we have been interacting at school for about 6 months while we waited for her parents to come up with a clarinet. I think that once we get beyond the first classes and into the method book there will be a lot less talking involved. Actually, I prefer a student who is a challenge-its much more interesting for me as a teacher.
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