DISCOVERING AUTISTIC GIFTS
When a Student Struggles to Engage, What Do You Try Next?
You know how to teach music.
However, when an autistic or ADHD student isn't engaging, it can be hard to know what they need from you in that moment.
I know what it's like to look at a student and wonder, “What am I missing?”
I help music teachers develop a sensory-informed understanding of what may be happening beneath the behavior, so they can stop guessing and make teaching decisions with greater clarity and confidence.
The goal is for students to feel safe, empowered, and ready to learn.
When a student comes into a lesson overwhelmed, completely unfocused, or unable to engage, more teaching strategies may not be what they need first.
They may need help becoming calm enough to be engaged and ready to learn.
I call this Learning Readiness.
Learning Readiness won't look exactly the same for every student. The goal isn't to make every student look calm. It's to help each student become ready to access learning.
Before Learning Can Happen, a Student Needs to Be Ready to Learn
My Sensory-Informed Engagement Triangle
Knowing that a student isn't ready to learn is one thing. Knowing what to do next is another.
That's why I developed My Sensory-Informed Engagement Triangle—a framework that brings together Regulation, Autonomy, and Learning Safety to support Learning Readiness.
These three elements continually influence one another, helping us understand what a student may need in order to engage and learn.
Regulation: Sensory + Emotional
A regulated student doesn't always look calm and still.
One student may need movement and lots of energy to stay engaged. Another may need things to become quieter and slower. And what helps the same student one week may not be what they need the next.
That's why I encourage teachers to ask:
“What is going on inside this student right now?”
A student who usually benefits from lots of movement may come to a lesson emotionally overwhelmed. On that day, more input may be too much. They may need a slower pace, a quieter environment, or a calm, connected teacher.
Regulation isn't about making a student look calm. It's about supporting what they need in that moment so they can be engaged and ready to learn.
Autonomy
Sometimes a student needs more say, not more direction.
Autonomy doesn't mean giving up structure or letting the student take over the lesson. It means giving them meaningful opportunities for choice, voice, and control within that structure.
Something as simple as writing the lesson activities on a whiteboard and inviting the student to choose the order can change how they engage.
For a student who spends much of their day being told what to do, that small amount of control can make a big difference.
When students feel they have a voice in the lesson, they can become collaborators in their own learning.
Learning Safety
Students learn best when they feel safe being themselves.
Learning Safety grows when a student knows they can make mistakes, have big feelings, move differently, communicate differently, or need a break—and still be accepted by their teacher.
That doesn't mean we stop challenging our students. It means we create an environment where they don't have to be afraid of getting it wrong.
Our calm tone, how we respond to mistakes, and the way we stay connected when something is difficult all communicate: You're safe here. We can figure this out together.
When students feel safe, accepted, and connected, they have more freedom to take risks, try again, and learn.
Support You Can Feel Comfortable With
“Hemdah knows a LOT when it comes to neurodivergent students within a private learning environment. She’s helped broaden my own personal knowledge when it comes to neurodiversity within the studio room. Her genuine personality makes opening up and discussing difficult topics easy.”
— Ani Lierheimer, Business Owner, Piano and Clarinet instructor
This Is for You If...
You know there's so much potential in your autistic or ADHD students, but you struggle to help them access it, and you're ready for a different way to help them feel safe, engage, and grow.
You want to understand what may be happening beneath a student's behavior instead of continuing to guess what to try next.
You want practical strategies, and a sensory-informed framework to help you decide when and why to use them.
You want to support regulation without lowering expectations or losing sight of meaningful musical learning.
You want to feel more confident adapting from one lesson to the next when the same student shows up needing something different.
What It's Like to Work Together
“I have learned more tools for myself and my students to help with learning readiness and calming strategies. I’ve brought specific teaching issues to Hemdah, where she always has great ideas. She approaches her coaching with a calm and caring spirit and will tailor it to your specific needs.”
Lisa McCluer
Piano Teacher, McCluer Music
Three Ways to Work With Me
Choose the level of support that fits what you need right now.
For the music teacher who wants deeper, ongoing support to understand their students and create lasting change in their teaching.
Over eight weeks, we'll work together to understand what's happening beneath the challenges you're seeing, apply sensory-informed regulation to your specific students, and build greater confidence making decisions from lesson to lesson.
Includes:
8 weekly 60-minute coaching sessions
Voxer support throughout the 2 months
2-Month Regulation Redesign Partnership — $997
For the music teacher who wants focused support around current challenges and a clear sensory-informed plan for moving forward.
Over four weeks, we'll identify what may be getting in the way of Learning Readiness and develop strategies you can begin applying with your students right away.
Includes:
4 weekly 60-minute coaching sessions
Voxer support throughout the month
1-Month Regulation Reset - $597
1-Week Intensive Strategy Sprint - $297
For the music teacher who has a specific student or teaching challenge and wants concentrated support without a longer commitment.
We'll focus on the challenge you're facing, identify what your student may need, and develop practical sensory-informed strategies you can begin using in your lessons.
Includes:
One 60-minute private coaching session
One week of Voxer support
One 45-minute follow-up session to review what happened and make adjustment
What Music Teachers Are Saying
“Hemdah’s deep knowledge and experience in special education provided me with the tools and strategies needed to create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment. She patiently guided me in understanding the unique needs of neurodivergent students, teaching me how to adapt lessons, manage behaviors with empathy, and foster meaningful connections with my students.
Her insights not only improved my teaching approach but also strengthened my confidence in working with diverse learners. Beyond her expertise, Hemdah’s kindness and dedication stand out. She genuinely cares about both educators and students, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive.”
— Gulnisa Babayeva, Music Teacher
Hemdah has exceptional gifts of empathy and insight into the human spirit. She served me as a leader and coach through one of the most challenging phases of my teaching career, incorporating her wisdom and research-based knowledge of students into sessions which provided guidance in their nature, characteristics, and learning modes.
Hemdah's inquisitive questioning opened doors to reflective thinking, and sparked mutually beneficial conversations about students and how to help them learn as a whole person. I was touched by her humanity, and felt genuinely supported at each session. I am grateful for Hemdah's direction and hope to work with her again in the future.
— Darla Boyd, Violinist, Violin Joy
Still Not Sure Which Option Is Right for You?
Let's talk about what's happening in your lessons and which level of support might be the best fit.