Auditory processing disorder is little known and notorious for being misdiagnosed. The symptoms of ADHD include problems with paying attention, following directions, low academic performance, behavioral problems, and poor reading and vocabulary; which are often misdiagnosed for ADHD or Autism. Read Rosie’s full story on the NY Times.

Many IM providers that are SLPs or Audiologist use IM or IM-Home to help patients process sound more efficiently.

Have you read our CAPD Research by Dr. Joel Etra? The scan C revealed significant gains in dichotic listening from going through IM-training.

Check out these cool fonts!

ABC News recently posted an article by Carrie Gann, that talks about how some fonts could help people with dyslexia and other learning disabilities like APD and NVLD, better intake printed information. Christian Boer, the Dutch graphic artist who designed the font is dyslexic himself and fully understands the struggle that people go through when reading. Read the full article.

Do you remember Congresswoman Gabby Giffords? Well in the 10 months since a bullet left her in critical condition and suffering from aphasia—the inability to speak- Mrs. Giffords is now singing thanks to music therapy!

I hope I didn’t brain my damage…

In an article written in Discovery Fitness & Health, it is explained that the brain has the ability to re-generate connections between neurons. Essentially by creating new pathways between healthy areas of the brain and those affected by the injury, the brain learns to operate those affected tasks in other healthy areas; a process called neuroplasticity, which is essentially the ability of the brain to change structurally and functionally. It is in this area that Interactive Metronome^®(IM) can help those who have suffered from a brain injury or stroke get back the skills they have lost as a result of their trauma.

IM is an assessment and treatment tool that is based on rhythm and timing. The patient performs a suite of technical movements to a constant beat that are specific to their diagnosis and is overseen by an IM specialist, the program is modified to meet each individual needs for maximum outcomes. These exercises stimulate the brain to make connections to healthy areas so it can improve the ones affected.

Whether it’s a small trauma or a severe injury, the brain has the ability to learn new connections; and while brain damage is scary for most people, there are ways to recover from it.

Visit our success stories page to see recent cases!

Collette is the mother of 10-year-old Patrick, who is diagnosed with Asperger’s and anxiety. Patrick’s attention and focus was a major issue for him at school and after doing IM training at one of our certified clinics he started doing better at school and became more alert. They are now signing up to do IM-Home. Watch the video and listen to the full story….

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We are really exited for Thanksgiving this year as you might be also. Aside from the hectic travel that usually accompanies this holiday and the stories about underdone or overdone turkeys, it’s a great family holiday and we at Interactive Metronome^® want to give you tips that could prepare you for your thanksgiving dinner...

Ann is 14 and diagnosed with Dyslexia, she also was a sub-performing athlete, lacking some basic stamina skills of other kids in her team. After IM therapy Ann not only improved significantly with her reading scores, she also improved considerably as an athlete and performed better in both her lacrosse and cheerleading team. Read the full story.

"Gary" is a 39 year old male with a diagnosis of C4 quadriplegia, onset 12/04 when he was struck in the back. His initial symptoms included mid back pain which quickly progressed to right foot numbness, then loss of sensation to both legs up to the chest level. "Gary" underwent decompression and fusion. At discharge "Gary" was independent with all self-care activities, including showering and dressing, all wheelchair transfers, meal preparation, laundry, dishes, and house cleaning. He gets in and out of his home independently, which requires three steps to enter with bilateral hand rails. Read his amazing story!

Pat could independently complete Wii Fitness activities, she had increased attention span, improved thought process and concentration, the ability to multi-task, improved reading comprehension and improved balance. Because Pat made significant gains and her functional status improved dramatically she was discharged from therapy.

Bob is now able to use his right arm to feed himself, write his name legibly, make a sandwich, dial the phone and tie his shoes. Bob’s therapist recently ran into him at a high school swim meet. He gestured to her to climb up high in the bleachers to join him where they “caught up” on all of his latest activities!

When we at Interactive Metronome announced that we were going to do Beta testing for IM-Home, we had a ton of IM therapists beating down our doors to be a part of it. The call was for IM Providers and they were supposed to pick their own patients for the test, but a mom of a child with PDD heard about our product and inquired about it for her son. I wasn't expecting that a patient would approach us for the testing, but I thought- "why not?" So I set her up with one of our virtual therapists, April Christopherson, OTR/L. The family lived in California and April was based on Colorado, so they never saw each other in-person, but they did use Skype and communicated via e-mail and phone. "James" made some great gains over the testing period and she was excited to share her story with us. This was the first time that we realized a completely virtual model could work. We could not extend our reach and not expect clients to come to the client 3-4 times a week! See the mom tell you her experience below

While no one is 100% fluent, stuttering is defined as three SLDs per 100 words. Thanks to IM therapy, William is no longer clinically categorized as a stutterer. IM therapy not only made William a more fluent individual, it gave him the confidence that he needed to engage new people and participate in conversations. Check out his story here.

It seemed like the end of the road for this near-drowning victim. Adam suffered from a plethora of impairments due to his accident. IM was introduced as part of Adam’s therapy plan to help with his attention and focus. Before IM, Adam could not sit unsupported or feed himself… and now he has received the Chair Scholar Scholarship, a prepaid four-year college tuition for students with significant disabilities seeking a regular diploma. Find out how IM helped him succeed.

When Emily began IM she struggled in all academic area areas although she did enjoy the social aspects of school. And after only 15 sessions, she is she can solve mental math calculations that she was not able to do before. Emily spends more time thinking and working through things mentally. She is also able to maintain and match the rhythm of the horse during her riding lessons.  These improvements over the course of the year can be attributed to the integration of IM in her therapy sessions. Read the full story below.

IM is not only for those with a disorder. Did you know that among other sports teams we have worked with Notre Dame? IM works on timing and precision speed which are critical for an athlete. Check out this media clip

Emma had many difficulties ranging from attention problems to sensitivity to certain clothing fabrics. After receiving traditional OT sessions, Emma started doing IM therapy; it was there where improvements started to appear. Because of Emma’s sensitivity to headphones, and an issue with sweaty palm, her training was difficult but after minor adaptations, she got to enjoy certain exercises. She completed 17 sessions and not only her family, but her teachers and friends noticed the change. At school, she was attending better during classroom activities and completing her work on time. At girl scouts she was now earning badges which required memorization and direction following. Her mother noted that at a party she was able to participate in the party games, and even won a game! All of these things added up to a much more self confident little girl. Emma began asking to have friends over more often, and struggled less to complete homework every night. 

Learning and not left behind!

How many of you have a child that has problems in reading or math? Well you aren’t alone. According to the US Department of Education, as many as 1 out of every 5 children have a learning disability and what’s even more alarming are the statics that these children are likely to suffer from:

• 75% - 80%of special education students identified as LD have their basic deficits in language and reading; Source: National Institutes of Health
• 35% of students identified with learning disabilities drop out of high school. This is twice the rate of their non-disabled peers. (This does not include the students who are not identified and drop out); Source: National Longitudinal Transition Study (Wagner )
• 50% of all students in special education in the public schools have learning disabilities -- 2.25 million children; Source: U.S. Dept. of Education
• 60%of adults with severe literacy problems have undetected or untreated learning disabilities; Source: National Adult Literacy and Learning Disabilities Center
• 50%of juvenile delinquents tested were found to have undetected learning disabilities; Source: National Center for State Courts and the Educational Testing Service
• Up to 60%of adolescents in treatment for substance abuse have learning disabilities: Source: Hazelton Foundation, Minnesota
• 62%of learning disabled students were unemployed one year after graduation; Source: National Longitudinal Transition Study (Wagner)
• 50%of females with learning disabilities will be mothers (many of them single) within 3-5 years of leaving high school; Source: National Longitudinal Transition Study (Wagner)
• 31% of adolescents with learning disabilities will be arrested 3-5 years out of high school.

Source: http://www.ldhope.com/statistics.html

So what this tells me, is it’s important to address LD sooner than later. Your child doesn’t have to become another statistic. That’s exactly what Conner’s mom decided to do and look where he is now! 

Seniors take to metronome to add stability to gait, even to golf game

A senior community is taking advantage of IM by incorporating it to different therapy sessions for its residents. Read how Marjorie Treadwell refuses to succumb to a fate that has disabled many of her friends and neighbors.

Miranda has become an outgoing, communicative, sweet little girl. She has always had a flair for dressing with style, and now she is communicating with style, too! Read her story here.