For completion of basic IM, I set a soft goal of getting every child in the teens on at least one task of over 1000 reps for 3 days in a row. Why? Read this mental processing post and this emotional response post. But, obviously, not all children reach this goal in 15 sessions. This does not mean your child did not gain from IM, nor that your child is deficient is some way, nor that you or I didn't put enough carrots in front of them. IM trainnig is simply a process and every child walks their own path at their own pace to get there.
But what if my child doesn't reach that goal in 15 session!
No big deal - honestly. If your child is not down into the teens solidly, I will recommend that you have your child do more IM after a break. Your child will functionally gain an average of about 15% across the board (academically, socially, emotionally, physically) with these first 15 sessions even without reaching the teens. Functionally, that will bump your child up to an entire level i.e. from poor to below ave, or from above average to superior, etc. Please have reasonable expectations, one does not functionally move from below average to the elite range in just 15 sessions of IM.
What can I do to help my child get into the teens?
First, don't worry or put pressure on your child. Mostly you don't need to do anything. I will specifically ask for your help if I'm finding it difficult to motivate your child. I caution against offering too much too soon. Rewards should focus on effort mostly. I want to avoid making your child to feel like they 'failed' because they didn't 'make it into the teens'. This is a soft goal and varies with your child's own walk - some won't make it! Know I will try to spin any comments about effort as positively as I can. I will talk about ANTs/Stamina/Focus/Motivation or how it was a 'learning day'. Finally, by the time students are in the teens for the third big task you need to be weening them off any outside incentives. My goal ultimately is that students will be setting their own goals, striving to reach those goals, internally motivated by the feeling of self satisfaction that achievement brings, not because there are low hanging carrots. Coincidentally, internal motivation, personal goal setting, and pride all seem to come on line right about the same time that a student reaches that 18 ms goal solidly/predictably for long tasks! Lucky for me :)! OK, wish I could say this ALWAYS happens, but no, just very frequently!
Why wouldn't my child reach the teens in 15 sessions?
If your child started over 80 -100 ms, is under 9 years old, has a diagnosis, has low stamina or low muscle tone, experiences a lot of ANTs, has a quick impulse to give up, has some auditory processing or other sensory processing issues or lacks internal motivation, then expect it to take longer than 15 sessions to solidly reach the teens. The more challenges a child has, the more time it takes. Yet, very few children, given the opportunity, are simply unable to reach the teens. Students with beginning scores in the below average range can expect 30 or more sessions, in the poor range 45 sessions or more, and dis-associative range...60 or more over a couple years. Regardless of how long it takes, all students seem to experience that burst of gain when they finally are solidly in the teens.
Is my child doing their best?
I truly believe every child is doing the very best they can, given the situation they are in, and the mental processing they have, almost at all times. I simply ask them to try, to be willing to embrace the possibility of success. That said, one of my goals is to challenge them, ask them to step out of their comfort zone. Stepping up to the challenge is part of the process. I believe the best gains come during the most challenging leg of the race (beginning when ever your child reaches the 20's and continuing until the child reaches the teens usually). It is common for a task or two of 'not trying' or even quitting as children go through this phase. Getting to the other side of that bridge is a huge gain, and is usually necessary to get solidly into the teens.
Will more IM get my child to the teens?
Very few children don't make it to the teens if given enough IM. During continued IM, if your child plateaus at 20 - 30 ms and just can't seem to get any lower, I simply move them into higher level tasks and get those tasks down to that 20 - 30 ms range they can more easily reach. Sometimes building those higher level pathways help the more basic neuro-networks and the child is then able to get into the teens on the basic tasks. I also am never overly concerned with a younger child (under 8) who can't quite get that low. Developmentally they just may not be ready. I believe being able to train your brain to be in the teens is 'typical' for older children and adults, reachable for most individuals that I see - but the path there looks different for everyone. Finally, every task matters, the more tasks you can get into the teens, the better. A few tasks I see as extremely important - basic both hands (Basic - and done correctly too - flat, or ballistic doesn't pass) and crossing midline particularly (Core conditioning training after basic.) Personally, our son, Brad, struggled growing up until completing IM. He trained about 75 - 90 sessions ending in the teens on over 30 tasks. Functionally he was probably 'adequate' after 15 sessions, but I know the extra IM has greatly helped him to excel as an adult now.
