How do I provide IM to the younger client (8 years and under) while keeping costs down. In the past I saw the younger child one on one only, but that is more costly for parents. Group modes make IM much more affordable, but younger children can not work independently enough to succeed in a group format.
This is how I'm solving the problem.
The child and the parent become a team. Together they try to reach various IM goals that I give them. In actuality, it's the parent that's learning the IM program and the child is going along for the ride! I've used this hand-over-hand approach for as young 3 years (other providers for as young as 18 months) with great results. An added benefit is that the parents gain from the IM program, too. Parents need to be close to average in their own timing to qualify for this format.
As the child develops a sense of rhythm and moves towards independence, the parent falls away gradually, leaving the child doing IM on their own. Kindergartners through 2nd graders usually work in this format. Kindergartners seldom become totally independent in 15 sessions; 2nd graders often become independent about half-way through. Children with significant auditory, sensory or timing issues often need some synchronization (hand over hand) training even as old as 10 or 11 years.
I provide parents with a full line of specific coaching goals to help you along. You may still be concerned that your child and you have too much history - a very valid concern. In reality, the biggest challenge to this format of IM is that about half of the children don't actually work well for their own parents. Therefore, at the first sign of frustration (from you or the child), I swap parents. You may actually end up working with another child while another parent works with yours. I have found this very effective and works for most children.
Feedback from a first grader's mom the first time I tried this has encouraged me to keep fine tuning this format. She was so pleased with the gains her son had made! And keeping the cost down by working in a group mode had helped them afford the program. She urged me to keep offering IM in parent-child teams, so I have. Parents, what you say does have power. Speak your mind!
Note: If the parent needs to take off work to do IM, the monetary savings may not be as great. Individual mode may be just as good of an option, though I think parents enjoy the program and challenge as much as the children in groups.
Note 2: Sometimes mom or dad could benefit from IM too :) One mom recently shared not just how much she was enjoying the gains her son had made, but that her husband (doing hand over hand with the son) now was picking up more after himself - something she was thrilled about. :)
