Music Education PhD candidate Erin Hopkins recently presented a session titled, "Enacting the Neurodiversity Paradigm in Music Teacher Education," for the 2023 Symposium on Music Teacher Education at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
The neurodiversity paradigm is a theoretical lens that positions variation in neurology and neurodevelopment as a form of human diversity that is subject to social forces. In her presentation, Hopkins synthesized her research findings and teaching practices relating to teaching students with autism, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental conditions. She suggested strategies for critical examination of music education practices at the PK-12 and university levels to ensure that neurodivergent teachers and learners have equitable access to music education.
The Society for Music Teacher Education awarded Hopkins the David J. Teachout Graduate Student Scholarship for earning the highest evaluation score out of all graduate student submissions to the symposium.
The Society for Music Teacher Education was founded in 1982 and is part of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME).