TUSTIN CHRONIC CONDITION CENTER

The Tustin Chronic Condition Center has incorporated a new software program called the Interactive Metronome. The software helps children who have ADD or ADHD, autism, dyslexia and learning disabilities. The equipment helps children with working memory, attention, processing information, sequencing information in order and motor coordination.

“Our new Interactive Metronome® helps us work with and improve the function of the frontal cortex. The fontal cortex controls things like impulsiveness and attention span, and it’s where the personality “lives”. It’s also where things like depression and anxiety are created, and for these children it’s the region in the brain that’s not working as well as it could be.”

Visit The Tustin Chronic Condition Center for the full details.
 

 

Clapping to a bell? …That sounds ­boring. How is this going to actually help my child?

This is a question that I hear from many parents as I try to explain to them what IM is and how it works to make changes in the brain’s mesh of neurological connections. “I don’t think my child would do that for a whole hour” or “I think you are going to lose them during the session” are common responses, and there is always the “My child already knows how to clap, so how would this ever help them? These are actually all really good statements, and a parent should never hesitate to ask what it is that we are doing and why we think it will help.

IM is now used by therapists at TIRR Memorial Hermann Rehab Hospital, named one of America’s Top 10 Rehab Hospitals. You may recall TIRR in the news recently as the hospital that treated Rep. Gabrielle Giffords after her traumatic brain injury. We are pleased that therapists at TIRR have chosen to add IM to their treatment tools as they lead the way in advanced rehabilitation.

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.

 

 

Collin always had trouble focusing, being attentive in school, and behaving with other kids, with little to know headway made during his therapy sessions. After incorporating IM into his session, both his parents and his teachers began to see dramatic improvements in Colin’s behavior, attention to detail, and ability to focus. Read the full story and find out how.

 

 

Mizuki was 3 when he was diagnosed with autism and his parents knew he had a tough road ahead of him if they didn’t start early. So they tried many therapies over the years and when he was 8 they found one of our only IM Providers in Japan to go to, IMproved. After just 15 sessions Mizuki was doing amazing. He was able to communicate more normally and hold eye contact now. His handwriting became legible and was doing math at grade level. His balance has improved, and he runs more smoothly than before and he can even ride his bicycle in standing position. Mizuki made such great gains in the clinic that they purchased a home unit for continued success. Read his full story below.

 

A 10-year-old girl named Amanda is another living trophy for us at Interactive Metronome. Amanda now stands without her walker or crutches for support and no longer falls, even when distractions are present. Before IM, she couldn’t do simple tasks, such as self-feeding, showering, getting into a vehicle, and buckling herself in a car independently and now she can! IM helped Amanda become a more functionally independent little girl. Read the full story here.

 

 

18 month old recognizes her father for the first time

Seeing a father feel the love of his daughter is a priceless reward for us at Interactive Metronome. Emma’s father, a U.S. Navy sailor, found her daughter alert after coming back from an extended out-to-sea period. He tearfully said “For the first time ever, she knows who I am. She recognizes me when she sees me.” After hearing so many diagnoses and the disheartening news about his daughter’s future everyone in Emma’s family couldn’t believe the amazing improvements that IM therapy had made in such a short time. Emma now makes and maintains eye contact, smiles, and shows emotion. Her startle reflex is greatly reduced, and she is totally non-defensive when her feet or hands are touched. Read this amazing story to see the power of IM.