Interactive Metronome

[aanj]

Hi, I am new here.

My son is 13, he has ADHD.

 

I am considering IM for him. Benefits will cover the cost, so I don't have much to lose.

 

MY dillema: There is only one qualified OT in the area who does it. She moved offices and is an hour away from us.

She gave us 2 options

 

1) Go see her in her city. It would be a one hour drive each way, after school. She does not work weekends. (so would take 3 hours total)

 

2) She can have an OT from the local office site administer the IM, that OT has never done it before. The experienced one would over see it, which she states is the important part.

 

I cant decide. How important is it that the person doing it has experience? I would have thought is was very important, BUT then I remembered people do the at home version of IM therapy with success.

The COST is the same per hour for having either option.

 

Doing it in the summer is not an option.

[aanj]

anyone??

[Heathermomster]

anyone??

 

 

When DS used IM, the OT gave him headphones to wear, started the computer program, and then spoke around him, purposely trying to distract. IM at the OT's office is fully automated and not rocket science.

 

Maybe try the local IM first...if you are not satisfied with that, then make the drive.

[Χά�ων]

I am looking to drive an hour each way for IM. Ask me in a year if it was worth it.

 

I am also debating just buying a home version of IM. I figure with the cost of gas it would be about the same.

[herekittykitty]

I have not done Interactive Metronome with my child. But I have looked into it a lot. I have talked with providers, as well as people who have done it with their kids. I personally would not want someone who had never done it before as the provider. From what I have read and heard, you want someone who can adjust this program to what your child needs. It is more complex than it sounds. I totally hear you about the drive - that would not be fun. But I probably wouldn't put my time and effort into it with a first time provider.

[Guest 3gr8kids]

http://www.imhome.org/

 

I have not used this, and I am not a certified provider, but I am a speech pathologist and I have seen this advertised as a way to receive this service at home via the specialist helping the child by using skype. I am considering it for my own son.

[dancingmama]

My son does IM and am considering moving to IMhome. He's been doing it with the provider for the last 6 months. I would consider the closer OT if you or the experience OT have a close/working relationship. The closer OT would need to give some feedback (was the child paying attention, looking away, or focusing) but the adjustments come from the experience OT. I would also consider maybe waiting to start over the summer and then switch to the closer OT or at home once you started back up at school.

[DyslexicParent]

My son does IM and am considering moving to IMhome. He's been doing it with the provider for the last 6 months.

Isn't IM supposed to take five weeks, not > six months? Since I found an app that displays how much I am off the beat in milliseconds, I would just use the published IM exercises and do it on my own.

[dancingmama]

My son has a traumatic brain injury and we found that it helps him concentrate on other things when he does it regularly. I could probably do it with any regular metronome but if it works, *shrug*.

 

I'm also amused with the published report you linked. His PT just told us today that she does IM exercises right before her golf game and has found she's better at golf when she does. Haha.

[lcook]

We have done Interactive Metronome twice with two different providers. I found myself in a similar position as you. Our VERY experienced provider was 6 hours away and our local provider had about 2 years of experience. For our second round of IM we used the closer provider and it helped, but after reviewing his final scores with the other provider I found she would have pushed him even further. Our situation was different in that our providers were out of two different practices and did not work together....if the more experienced IM therapist could have imparted her knowledge (via phone/email) during the sessions we most certainly would have had even more success.

 

If my experienced provider lived only an hour away we would have hands down made the drive to her. She really is quite exceptional and has put many, many children through the program. Unfortunately, 6 hours would have required a temporary move.

 

Depending on the experience level, I lean towards using the experienced OT. Given the time and effort of IM, I would want to get the absolute most out of it. You will already be setting aside a chunk of your day and it is for a short period of time. It is also a lot of work for the child....why not give him the best teacher. Assuming you home school this is the perfect time to cut back on school work.

 

Has the inexperienced OT gone through the IM training?

 

I would express your concerns with the experienced IM provider and confirm that he/she is VERY comfortable with your child seeing the inexperienced provider. Ask if you could switch providers part way through if the expected progress is not on track. The great thing about IM is that progress IS measured. Find out where your son is expected to be at during and the end of the program. Yes, every child does progress at different rates, but certainly the experienced OT will have some idea of the expected progress. This way if your son is far off, you can look at whether it is just his normal progression or the OT's lack of experience.

[aanj]

I have not done Interactive Metronome with my child. But I have looked into it a lot. I have talked with providers, as well as people who have done it with their kids. I personally would not want someone who had never done it before as the provider. From what I have read and heard, you want someone who can adjust this program to what your child needs. It is more complex than it sounds. I totally hear you about the drive - that would not be fun. But I probably wouldn't put my time and effort into it with a first time provider.

 

 

The experienced OT would be setting up he program and she would teleconference in as needed, she would train the other OT. The experienced one would be adjusting the program from afar.

[aanj]

http://www.imhome.org/

 

I have not used this, and I am not a certified provider, but I am a speech pathologist and I have seen this advertised as a way to receive this service at home via the specialist helping the child by using skype. I am considering it for my own son.

 

 

Sounds similar to what the OT would do except, instead of me doing he home program, the other OT wold be doing it.

[aanj]

My son does IM and am considering moving to IMhome. He's been doing it with the provider for the last 6 months. I would consider the closer OT if you or the experience OT have a close/working relationship. The closer OT would need to give some feedback (was the child paying attention, looking away, or focusing) but the adjustments come from the experience OT. I would also consider maybe waiting to start over the summer and then switch to the closer OT or at home once you started back up at school.

 

 

I don't want to wait till summer because, the benefit coverage ends jun 30 and restarts July 1. So I wold lose the $1500 coverage that I need to use before the end of June.

[aanj]

We have done Interactive Metronome twice with two different providers. I found myself in a similar position as you. Our VERY experienced provider was 6 hours away and our local provider had about 2 years of experience. For our second round of IM we used the closer provider and it helped, but after reviewing his final scores with the other provider I found she would have pushed him even further. Our situation was different in that our providers were out of two different practices and did not work together....if the more experienced IM therapist could have imparted her knowledge (via phone/email) during the sessions we most certainly would have had even more success.

 

If my experienced provider lived only an hour away we would have hands down made the drive to her. She really is quite exceptional and has put many, many children through the program. Unfortunately, 6 hours would have required a temporary move.

 

Depending on the experience level, I lean towards using the experienced OT. Given the time and effort of IM, I would want to get the absolute most out of it. You will already be setting aside a chunk of your day and it is for a short period of time. It is also a lot of work for the child....why not give him the best teacher. Assuming you home school this is the perfect time to cut back on school work.

 

Has the inexperienced OT gone through the IM training?

 

I would express your concerns with the experienced IM provider and confirm that he/she is VERY comfortable with your child seeing the inexperienced provider. Ask if you could switch providers part way through if the expected progress is not on track. The great thing about IM is that progress IS measured. Find out where your son is expected to be at during and the end of the program. Yes, every child does progress at different rates, but certainly the experienced OT will have some idea of the expected progress. This way if your son is far off, you can look at whether it is just his normal progression or the OT's lack of experience.

 

 

Yes the experienced OT has done the IM training.

She did say measurements of progress are subjective.

She feels comfortable with the other OT.

I know I would be able to change providers if I wasn't happy with progress. I just don't know how I would know that progress was poor.

[aanj]

So, to all w have done IM with their child, did you find it helpful?

[LaughingCat]

Isn't IM supposed to take five weeks, not > six months? Since I found an app that displays how much I am off the beat in milliseconds, I would just use the published IM exercises and do it on my own.

What is the name of the app?

[PeterPan]

Isn't IM supposed to take five weeks, not > six months? Since I found an app that displays how much I am off the beat in milliseconds, I would just use the published IM exercises and do it on my own.

 

Which app?

[dancingmama]

I don't want to wait till summer because, the benefit coverage ends jun 30 and restarts July 1. So I wold lose the $1500 coverage that I need to use before the end of June.

 

 

 

Totally get that. I might just suck it up and go with the experience OT then. How long did the OT say it would take?

[DyslexicParent]

An Android developer was kind enough to give me the test app which could be useful for doing the free IM exercises, e.g., 54 bpm, feedback in milliseconds, different sounds in the left and right earphones, red/green colour and a session summary. I have messaged him to ask permission to post the download link if those without insurance for IM are interested.

 

I am busy with other treatments for DD such as C8-Kids, EASe and O-G to do the unproven IM exercises for now, but I sometimes use the beat of the app while she does activities.

Which app?

[PeterPan]

DP, that would be awesome! Sounds like that developer has made exactly what we need! So does he have an iOS version? It's not the end of the world if it's android, because that's what my phone is. If he has iOS, that's what I'd prefer. :)