anWhat is IM®?

IM® was developed in the early 1990s and is used to help children with learning and developmental disorders. IM® is a research based therapeutic assessment and therapy tool used to address Neurotiming® and therefore improve attention, concentration, motor planning and sequencing.  Improvements in these areas result in stronger motor control and coordination, enhanced balance and gait, and improved language skills. From the coordinated movements needed to walk, to the order of words in a sentence, planning and sequencing are critical to efficient human function.

IM® is a computer-based program that children can do in the clinic, at home or in the school setting under the direction of a certified IM provider. 

The program focuses on Neurotiming® by filtering computer generated beats through headphones. This challenges the child to synchronize repetitive hand and food exercises that are measured through sensors. 

How does IM® work?

IM® incorporates a patented game-like auditory-visual guidance system that engages the child and provides a structured, goal-oriented program that challenges the child to synchronize a range of whole body exercises to a precise computer generated beat.  The child attempts to match the rhythmic beat with repetitive motor movements.  IM®’s game like features engage the child with auditory and/or visual guidance and provide real-time feedback while encouraging him/her to improve their scores.

The sensors record, in milliseconds, the difference between the metronome beat and the individual’s response. 

The goal is for the individual to match the rhythmic beat or to lower the amount of time between the beat and their response; thereby improving Neurotiming®.

What are the Benefits of IM®?

IM® integrates sight, sound, and physical movements to improve independence across functional daily skills.  Benefits can be noted in:

Working Memory – The ability to store information and ideas; essential for word recognition, comprehension of complex sentences and remembering instructions.

Language and Reading, Academics – The ability to process auditory information more timely and retrieve words, organize and formulation thoughts to converse or compose written information in a fluid manner and read more fluently.

Attention and Focus – The ability to focus on informational tasks and ignore distractions for longer periods of time.

Processing Speed – The rate at which the child is able to accurately perceive and manipulate information.

Sensory Processing – The ability for one’s brain to interpret and respond to sensory input from his/her own body and the world around him/her.

Sequencing – Placing detailed information in its accustomed order, for example; days of the week, months of the year, alphabet, etc.

Motor Coordination – The combination of purposeful gross and fine motor body movements working together (ex. tying shoe laces, handwriting, or riding a bicycle).

Self-Monitoring and Impulse Control – The ability to monitor mental and physical actions as they occur

What does an IM® program entail?

IM® progresses through 4 stages and typically consists of 15-20 sessions spanning 7-10 weeks. It is imperative that IM be done 2-3 times/week in order to achieve optimal gains.

If the child receives therapy services at Spot On Therapies, IM® can be conducted during typical therapy sessions. 

If a child is not currently receiving therapy services, IM® can be provided via fee for service/private pay.

Diagnoses that can Benefit from IM®?

• Sensory Processing Dysfunction/Sensory Integration Difficulties (SPD/SI)
• Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD)
• General Learning Disorders
• Dyslexia and specific learning difficulties
• Dyspraxia and Dysgraphia
• Stammering and Stuttering
• Oral Motor
• Asperger and Autism related disorders
• Central Auditory Processing difficulties (CAPD) & Auditory Processing Disorder
• Non-verbal Learning difficulties
• Cerebral Palsy
• Traumatic Brain Injury

IM® can benefit children with motor and sensory disorders, learning deficits, speech and language delays, reading disorders, various cognitive and physical difficulties.

Stanley Greenspan, chairman of the Interactive Metronome, Inc. Scientific Advisory Committee and a nationally prominent child psychiatrist, says the IM® “improves motor planning and sequencing so that children can carry out a multi-step process.  As timing improves, sequencing improves.”

Greenspan says that “IM has been shown to improve motor skills and coordination as well as increase attention span. IM teaches the child to focus and attend for longer periods of time, increase physical endurance and stamina, filter out internal and external distractions and improve ability to monitor mental and physical actions as they are occurring.”

Call 630-428-1595 or email us at info@spotontherapies.com today to speak to a staff member about Interactive Metronome offered by the therapists at Spot On Therapies.