Pediatric occupational therapy (OT) treats cognitive, motor, and other developmental delays in children, including Sensory Processing Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Attention-Deficit Disorders. Kid’s Work, as the Central Coast’s premier pediatric OT provider, will now supplement its already well-established treatment options with Interactive Metronome (IM).
But what is IM? According to a brochure released by Interactive Metronome developers and researchers:
IM is an assessment and treatment tool used by therapists and other professionals who work with pediatric and adult patients with neurological conditions that affect cognitive and motor functioning. IM provides an objective method for measuring deficits and for tracking improvement.
By improving cognitive timing, IM also develops related functions, including ability to focus, ability to recall information, and motor coordination. With fourteen standard lessons, IM’s specialized software program is designed to help people get back in sync through the use of audio and visual feedback.
Support for IM as a therapy modality is growing every day. Take the case of Aaron, a 12-year-old diagnosed with ADHD who is featured on the IM website. Paying attention in school was difficult for him. When medication was not working as effectively as expected, Aaron’s parents decided to add IM into his treatment mix. After two months of IM supplementation, Aaron’s reading comprehension scores improved by 45%. In addition to noting several successful case studies like Aaron’s, the Interactive Metronome website reports:
There exists a growing body of literature describing the neural timing deficits in ADHD, Dyslexia, Autism, Reading Disorders, Auditory Processing Disorder, Parkinson’s, and other conditions. Traumatic Brain Injury or Stroke may also disrupt timing in the brain. By addressing timing in the brain with Interactive Metronome (IM) alongside functional therapy interventions you are not only addressing areas of ability that impact achievement and independence but also the heart of the problem, that of deficient neural timing within and between regions of the brain that are underlying many of the problems you are working on in therapy. This leads to more efficient treatment and better overall treatment outcomes.
Kid’s Work will now offer certified IM services as part of its array of therapy options. For additional information about IM and how it may benefit your child, visit the IM website or call Kid’s Work at 805-264-1553.