What follows is a rough-edit of the episode, so please forgive typos and/or formatting errors.

All content is my own; requests to use this material – with proper citation – can be sent to [email protected]

Episode 223: Cheers to Embracing Neurodiversity in the Piano Studio (with Elizabeth Davis-Everhart)

Well hello, teacher friends!  Christina Whitlock here, your host of Beyond Measure AND your self-appointed Anytime Piano Teacher Friend.  Today, we continue the Summertime Conversation Series by examining one of THE hottest topics in our field today: working with neurodiverse students.

I can vividly recall going to conference sessions on neurodiversity when I was in grad school. It felt like this super-niche area of teaching that only a few people were focused on. Fast forward twenty years, and we are ALL faced with teaching students whose brains operate differently than ours. Personally, I love the way this ever-changing landscape challenges us to focus on the human in front of us, not the materials we’re using.  You’ve probably heard me talk a lot about that on this show, but today I’ve called in reinforcements.  Dr. Elizabeth Davis-Everhart is joining me today for a conversation that applies to EVERY studio teacher, whether you teach differently-abled students or not. Elizabeth runs a piano studio for neurodiverse students AND she’s built quite an internet presence helping teachers learn more about music teaching and the brain. You can find her on social media at Creative Piano Pedagogy, as well as on her new podcast of the same name.  You can find out more about Elizabeth’s work in today’s shownotes, but for now, let’s just get to it.  Here is my conversation with Dr. Elizabeth Davis-Everhart.

(Conversation transcript unavailable at this time; check Apple and Spotify for auto-generated transcripts)

Okay, friends… here’s the deal.  There are almost 40 more minutes of this conversation waiting for you in the SuperFriends Community on Patreon.  Specifically, Elizabeth and I talk about diagnoses: why they’re hard to get, what to do when you suspect one, and whether or not they even matter at all. We also have a GREAT conversation on Pathological Demand Avoidance which explains SO MUCH about the way some of our students respond to our requests.

You get access to that conversation, along with SO MANY MORE when you sign up for the SuperFriends Community on Patreon. Membership is currently just $3 or $6, depending on how much you want access to.  It’s your way of supporting me so I can keep bringing you this work.  Head to ChristinaWhitlock.com/community for more information, or check the link in the shownotes.

That’s all for now, my friends!  Onward and upward as we embrace our students for the uniquely fascinating puzzles they are.

What follows is a rough-edit of the episode, so please forgive typos and/or formatting errors.

All content is my own; requests to use this material – with proper citation – can be sent to [email protected]

Episode 223: Cheers to Embracing Neurodiversity in the Piano Studio (with Elizabeth Davis-Everhart)

Well hello, teacher friends!  Christina Whitlock here, your host of Beyond Measure AND your self-appointed Anytime Piano Teacher Friend.  Today, we continue the Summertime Conversation Series by examining one of THE hottest topics in our field today: working with neurodiverse students.

I can vividly recall going to conference sessions on neurodiversity when I was in grad school. It felt like this super-niche area of teaching that only a few people were focused on. Fast forward twenty years, and we are ALL faced with teaching students whose brains operate differently than ours. Personally, I love the way this ever-changing landscape challenges us to focus on the human in front of us, not the materials we’re using.  You’ve probably heard me talk a lot about that on this show, but today I’ve called in reinforcements.  Dr. Elizabeth Davis-Everhart is joining me today for a conversation that applies to EVERY studio teacher, whether you teach differently-abled students or not. Elizabeth runs a piano studio for neurodiverse students AND she’s built quite an internet presence helping teachers learn more about music teaching and the brain. You can find her on social media at Creative Piano Pedagogy, as well as on her new podcast of the same name.  You can find out more about Elizabeth’s work in today’s shownotes, but for now, let’s just get to it.  Here is my conversation with Dr. Elizabeth Davis-Everhart.

(Conversation transcript unavailable at this time; check Apple and Spotify for auto-generated transcripts)

Okay, friends… here’s the deal.  There are almost 40 more minutes of this conversation waiting for you in the SuperFriends Community on Patreon.  Specifically, Elizabeth and I talk about diagnoses: why they’re hard to get, what to do when you suspect one, and whether or not they even matter at all. We also have a GREAT conversation on Pathological Demand Avoidance which explains SO MUCH about the way some of our students respond to our requests.

You get access to that conversation, along with SO MANY MORE when you sign up for the SuperFriends Community on Patreon. Membership is currently just $3 or $6, depending on how much you want access to.  It’s your way of supporting me so I can keep bringing you this work.  Head to ChristinaWhitlock.com/community for more information, or check the link in the shownotes.

That’s all for now, my friends!  Onward and upward as we embrace our students for the uniquely fascinating puzzles they are.