Emma' Story - IM with toddlers

IM with very young children. Given the right circumstance, IM is very much an option for the very young. Here's one story.

7 yr old girl "Just doesn't want to put in the effort"

Take a look at this 7 yr olds pre and post IM self portraits. Note: at the beginning of IM last summer, her self portrait was fairly immature for a 7 yr old. You can often tell body awareness challenges through artwork. Here she's drawn a very thick neck and quite out of proportion, or was she trying to make arms? Either way, her sense of her own body seems somewhat vague. She is also missing some key parts usually drawn by seven year olds - arms, a nose, clothes. She has an adorable smile (a sign of internal contentment) - something we want her to keep!!!
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I feel like one of those moms who brags that her baby turned over for the first time.

Just wanted to say thanks for yesterday. I am so encouraged by K----- and his behaviors lately. I don't think it has ever been this good for our family and I know it's because of YOU. Last night continued to be good. I threw my back out so B----- (adult daughter) came over and made dinner. K----- was in the kitchen wanting to read the labels. B---- is usually grouchy to him but because he was so nice she was in a good mood and she showed him how to read them. It was really fun watching them.
This morning he was playing outside and D---- (K's sister one year older) came in and said she couldn't find K----. I figured he went in the neighbors shed to help that man so I told her where to look and have K----- come home. K------- came home and I told him it was not okay to go anywhere without telling me. I am telling you Lori, normally K------ would not have been able to handle it and go right into melt down mode. This time he said, "okay mom I will next time. Sorry, can I go back over?" That never happens!! I feel like one of those moms who brags that her baby turned over for the first time. This would seem ridicules to most but its huge for us. Gains! Again, so cool and thanks so much. I really appreciate you so much, thanks for all your work because ITS WORKING!!

Reading and behavior gains - follow up six months post IM

This adorable young man (7 years old)  went through IM about 6 months ago. He completed 20 - 25 sessions this past summer. Just before he started 2nd grade this year, his reading scored at the kindergarten level! In IM, we don't teach reading, we just prepare the brain to process information so the child can learn to read. I received this note from his mom today.:

"A----- is doing good in school.  He has been able to catch up to the class average in the area of sight words and doing MUCH better with reading.  I have worked with the school to get him into a special program that gives him small group and one-on-one learning to get him caught up with his basic reading skills.  And according to my most recent parent-teacher conference it shows that what we are doing is working very well.  He still has the occassionally off day but we have far more good behavior days then bad.  He also visits with the school counselor once a week after he had an incident where a few kids in his class were bullying him. He still does not have the self confidence I'd like him to have at this point.  BUT things are so much better. 

I still believe very much in the power of IM and would still like for him to get a refresher over the summer. 

Thank you so much for what you do and sharing it with my family. 

Sincerely,
 

K--- S---"

9 yr old girl hated to read and couldn't focus, but now finds success!

This 9 yr old girl, we'll call her Libby, completed IM training in an very non conventional way.  Living in rural Kansas required that she travel a long distance and  she only came to IM on her days off of school.

Post IM - what to expect down the road.

Recently I've recieved two emails from mom's post IM  that made me smile. I would like to share them with you.

A neuro-typical 12 yr old male - what does 'typical' look like?

One of the greatest blessings of my career in IM is the wide variety of individuals that I have an opportunity to see. People do not need to go to the doctor, have a diagnosis, or even struggle to go through IM with me. As a result, I see many neuro-typical (NT) people, both children and adults, and of all ages.

What do I mean by neuro-typical (NT)? I mean average, typical, having no neuro-developmental delays/disorders, no diagnosis ... just solid, healthy, typically functioning people. Most of the NT individuals that I see are family members of a child I saw for developmental delays. NT students move differently than the children with neuro-developmental delays. This video of one NT student I trained shows typical movement patterns.

Brad's Early IM Gains

For those who don't know me, I am doing IM because my son, Brad, found so much success with the IM program. Recently I pulled out old notes about my son's IM training in 2002. If you are interested in what I saw back then, here's the document.

10 yr old girl - One year later.

I saw this little girl last summer as a 9 yr old and recieved this letter from her mom today, the end of her first school year after IM. It was too much to add to my Data Spread Sheets so I just cut and pasted it here.

J--- has had a much better year this year at school.  As far as her gains from IM, these are the things I have noticed:

New Beginning II? In Second Graders Family

Cool Cool Story.... and it so fits with my earlier blog today! Today may be the beginning of a new beginning in this family........ and this girl's only in 2nd grade, not a senior in high school like Brad!

Tonight one of my winter IM little girls stopped by with her mom.  Both this 2nd grader and her big sister had gone through IM at the same time a couple of months ago.

A New Beginning

I was visiting with my 24-year-old son, Brad, today. We were talking about what were our greatest life joys and losses - an engaging and insightful topic. Great discussion for tonight's dinner table....

When asked about his childhood, Brad again disconnected himself from his childhood saying something like, "I don't think of my childhood as me." Plain and simple. That wasn't me. This is about the fourth time I've heard him say with very honest and true feelings that he does not feel connected with his past. Of course we went on to talk about how your past absolutely is a part of you but doesn't have to define who you are now. Given that, he sincerely does feel like he started a new life, a new beginning - 7 years ago now, with his first IM training!

Data Speaks - A nice letter

Every now and then, I just want to share some parent feedback. This is an email I received from a parent who's child went through IM last spring, 10 months ago. Her older grade school age boy started IM through another provider and covered by insurance over a year ago, and then moved on to me a few months later. If your child can get coverage by Kansas Rehab, or Capper's (both under the insurance umbrella), I recommend that you do IM there first to help cut the costs, then come to me (an educator and not under the insurance umbrella -though some flex spending accounts are now covering IM with me.) You might as well get what you can for free. I think most children will need more IM after the amount insurance will cover.

Back to the story, the mom had seen some very nice gains from IM through the other provider, more focus, etc. and upon beginning IM with me, her son seemed to 'loose' some of those gains. He still had some significant sensory issues and the intense IM (He trained 5 days a week for 3 weeks in a school setting) caused his system to become unsettled for a while. (Actually a good sign that things are changing.) This was what I call the squirrellies. The mom was concerned, but reassured her that this unsettled phase would be short lived. I have watched enough children get out of sorts while going through IM, only to hear very positive feedback a few months later. I always value hearing the positive feedback though. Here is this families feedback 9 months post IM. Read her note.


"Lori- I feel IM has SIGNIFICANTLY changed J-----! This year he is able to do homework independently and is getting A,B and C's without any help from me. Last year I thought I was losing him. We decided this year he was going to have to do it on his own or we would repeat 7th grade again next year. J-----has not only been able to keep his grades up but has managed to move classrooms like 7th graders do. I won't say he hasn't had any missing work or bad grades but overall HUGE improvement.

I am telling everyone I know about you and giving your email out still. People seem very interested but then since they haven't heard about it kind of back off unless they have a kid that has very high needs and they are at their end. Keep me posted on what you are doing, it is exciting! Hope things are going good for you! "

Thanks for the feedback mom! I think it's worth noting that between insurance and my IM, this boy received more than just 15 sessions with in one year's time. He was at an age that if things did not change soon, some very negative events could have taken place in his life, assaulting his young self esteem. If the child is only 6 yrs old, I often recommend spreading the sessions out over a couple of years, rather than all in one year, though by 6th grade, you may need to act more swiftly as this family did.

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More Data Speaks from Across the US

The Children's Therapy Center has posted some very nice parent evaluations of what Interactive Metronome has done for their children. You can see other clinics are seeing the same type of gains that I am. They also include some handwriting samples. Excellent! Click on the children's therapy link to see the parent's letters.

It may not seem like much, but it's a BIG DEAL!

Two parents emailed me this week using the phrase, "It may not seem like much, but ...."

Why? Why would a parent say, "It may not seem like much.." when it's a change that they are thrilled to see?

Maybe because most other children that age do the noted behavior fairly easily. It's not hard for most children. Most parents haven't specifically taught, made charts, read books, or searched online about "ordinary" skills other children acquire so easily.

Your child didn't pick it up typically. For your child there was a gap between expectations and performance. The behavior was one you just expected your child to have, but he/she didn't. Every time the gap showed itself, you felt frustrated, saddened... Maybe even a little like you failed in parenting somehow. It's such a simple easy thing... Why doesn't he/she just do it? It is an area of struggle, failure, shortcoming, or simply missing the fullness of life.

Now - all of a sudden - your child acts "normal" in that area. It's so exciting! You're thrilled! Though, it's just being "normal," I don't discount those gains. They're HUGE. Every time I see a parent a few years out of IM and hear their child is "typical," "normal," or "doing fine," I am SO EXCITED! Every child should have a chance at a "normal" life! Through my own son's experience and five years now with IM, I believe IM helps children reach that goal, or at least get closer to that goal.

Here are the two "It-may-not-seem-like-much" statements I received:

Two days ago: I am seeing some gains that I didn't expect to see. He is starting to ask what words mean. For example if I use a word he is not familiar with he is asking, "What does that mean?" instead of dismissing or ignoring it. Also, last night he had homework - he put it off for quite a while then he got frustrated with me asking him and he snarled at me then took his pencil and his paper and went to his room. When he came back out, he had actually done almost the whole page and asked me to check them. I was amazed. This might not seem like much, but for him it is a big deal.


Today's Email: I think this is VERY significant! The one thing that (my son) has never been able to do is show affection. Has never been one to give us a kiss goodnight…no hugs…unless forced, really. This morning, he came up to me to give me his lunch box from yesterday – he laid it in front of me explaining what was in it and said “Okay, mom,” patting me lovingly on the arm. This may not seem like a big deal….but it brought tears to my eyes. He just never touches in that way. So, a “major” break through.

For Brad, I often said, "It may not see like much to most people, but for Brad it was huge... He took out the trash for the first time in his life without being prompted." Yes, a 17 year old ought to be able to initiate taking out the garbage! We were hugely concerned that this extremely bright child who scored a 34 on his ACT would end up living at home until he was 30 because he couldn't take out the garbage (just a sign of the struggles he was having)! Guess what! He's been independent since 8 months after his first round of IM and at 23 is in grad school now!! That's why, yes it may not seem like much.... BUT IT'S HUGE!

FAQ: My doctor doesn't recommend IM?

Last night a mom wrote:
"My Dr. wanted me to ask if you had any students, “clients”, that are willing to talk to me about their child’s success with IM." (Parent of 8 yr old boy)

I passed this email on to a few post IM parents and asked if they cared to respond."

Response 1:
"I have a now 13 year old boy that received IM last year. He has ADHD and is very impulsive and does have a mild form of the tic disorder Tourettes. IM did help him quite a bit. He is overall calmer and more focused. We still use meds but he can carry through several command instructions now that before he would only be able to do one or maybe two. He is better able to "stop" himself and redirect when asked. He still struggles but I truly have seen improvement with him. He also seems A LOT less frustrated. He is a happier child. I think IM helped him see the world in a different light. I am a foster parent and feel this therapy would be VERY beneficial to foster kids as well. It helps their brain "process" easier from what I see from my son anyway. Feel free to give me a call if you'd like. I am hard to catch but my number is XXX_XXXX (Name)
I have an 8 year old daughter that took it last year as well. My mom has said she is more verbal and communicates better. I have noticed she is more willing to read books outloud than before but that is all I have seen on her. I feel this tool is very helpful to kids that have special needs and somewhat helpful to kids that do not struggle as much. I do want to put my daughter through another round since I saw such improvements with my son. My daughter is somewhat uncoordinated and I think this could help her. Lori also directed me to a possible vision processing problem with my daughter. We had that checked out by an eye dr who said she does have some vision difficulties despite 20/20 vision but the next screening is pretty pricey so I have not finished the screening."

Response 2:
"I am the parent of a 17 year old Asperger/OCD/ADHD son. He has difficulty with organization, initiating homework and chores, finishing tasks, and social skills. We were at our wits end with him. We really didn't know what to do. Life was just not clicking for our son.

Then a friend of J-----'s at school recommended IM. We have gone thru 2 rounds of IM with Lori Schmidt. For us, the results have been pretty amazing. He is now initiating most of his homework. I will often walk into his bedroom and find him doing homework!!!!!! Before, we couldn't even find it! I would clean his room and find it stuffed in drawers, the trashcan, etc. He now does his chores without a fight, most of the time. He even volunteers to help his sisters (i.e. last night it was dark and my daughter L---- did not want to take the trashcan to the curb-she is kind of afraid of the dark). J----- did it for her. I didn't ask him to. He is doing kind things for others. The center of the universe is not J----- anymore - at least not as much as it used to be!

His social skills are still a challenge, but they are much more developed than they were even a year ago. He actually had his first girl friend this past year. And he had his first job this past summer. I was beginning to worry that he would even be able to hold a job when he graduated from high school. We have a long way to go, but we are very hopeful for the future."

Response 3:
"Dear Parent of the 8 year old boy,

I would like to tell you about my experience with IM. My daughter participated in it when she was 11 ½ years old. She attended 5 times a week for 3 weeks. We did this so that we could get it done as quickly as possible during the summer. I made an agreement with my daughter that if she did it without complaining then I would not make her work with a math or reading tutor over the summer. After about 4 lessons she told me it was easier to do dance spins on her left foot. (She is a competitive dancer.) I didn’t put too much stock into it at first. Then after she’d had about 10 sessions my dad saw her for the first time in 4 months. He said she didn’t have that “blank” look anymore when he talked to her. I noticed she started talking about things that were more detailed and more important (like telling me she was glad people were starting to care about the environment.) When we’d finished the program I waited a few days and asked her what she thought and she said this, “Well Mom, what I can tell you is this….I think now before I talk.”

Enough said….it was worth every penny! And, as if that wasn’t great enough, she improved on her MAP testing significantly over the summer without any tutoring. Family friends have noted she is more mature. She has better fine motor skills….loves to shuffle cards and was very frustrated by it before. Now she shuffles better than many adults. When she is playing a card game that requires her to keep track of lots of things at once and is based on speed, she can compete now with everyone playing and has even beaten me on more than one occasion. Before IM she needed an adult’s help to get her through it.

I know some of these examples may seem irrelevant. I’m a special educator realize that too often we judge success only on the academic scores. The truth is, IM has helped my daughter become ready to learn and in doing so she’s improving in all areas of her life. The improvements were seen in areas I didn’t even realize were issues until they suddenly were easier and my daughter’s self esteem was booming.

I urge you to give your child an opportunity to benefit from IM. Everyone’s results are unique and it may be that your doctor is basing “improvement” on a very narrow definition.

Best Wishes,
Parent of an 11 ½ year old girl."  

Response 4: A mom of a teen ager asked for some referrals and this is one she was sent. This mom carbon copied me in.

Hello, M------!

I heard from Lori Schmidt that you're considering Interactive Metronome for a teenager.  I'm happy to share my/our experience and to answer any questions you might have.

My daughter, M---- (!), did IM with Lori last summer.  M---- was 16 and an honor student.  She is also frightfully disorganized--seriously messy--and it had reached a point where I thought it could/would really impede her future.  --In jobs, in relationships, etc.  When I told M---- about the program, I thought she'd balk, but she was intrigued.

The program makes a lot of sense to me and as Lori will point out, you can't accurately predict exactly what kind of impact it will have on your child.  One thing I was concerned about was whether or not it would change her so much that she'd have a different personality altogether.  That did NOT happen, thankfully.

M---- loved the therapy.  She was very excited to see her own improvements and Lori's encouragement was amazing.  M---- was always looking for ways her improvement in therapy carried over into life in general.

Truthfully, I didn't see the organizational improvements I'd hoped for, but I would have to say there has been at least some improvement in that area.  She used her "cubbies" at camp for the first time ever.  She's started using her planner at school for the first time ever.  Even though her room still gets pretty messy, she doesn't battle me quite as much about picking up and she seems to complete the job faster than she used to.  She's started taking care of herself a little better...

I think the most notable improvement for M---- has been in mental processing.  This has evidenced itself in a number of ways.  On the lighter side, she was the "drill down" queen at her summer dance camp where she basically won every competition for learning drills the fastest.  She mentioned playing some card game that involved quick thinking.  She was playing better than ever and winning when she never had before.  Those things are fairly trivial and NOT why I sought out IM!  But she's a junior this year and took the PSAT.  This is the year it matters the most (for National Merit standings).  Although she'd done respectfully well last year, it was not even close to range for qualifying as a scholar this year.  But she had a HUGE jump in her scores this year (189 last year, 213 this year).  As a minimum she'll be a commended scholar and her guidance counselor thinks she has a good shot at becoming a scholar.  This is something I never would have expected and I have to think IM played a part in helping her get through the testing with more focus and quicker processing than last year.  And just by the way, M---- just doesn't fit any scholarly stereotypes.  She still has her very random, unconventional, bubbly personality.

I have another daughter who is 3 years older than M----. More our "classic" scholar.  She would love to try IM just to see how it might help her.  I don't know if that will ever happen.  She doesn't struggle so much with organization and grades were never an issue for either of them.

M---- is still messy.  She still procrastinates a lot.  IM didn't erase my concerns.  But I do think it helped and was very worthwhile, and M---- absolutely loved Lori who (by the way) really makes IM work for her people.

Feel free to email me with questions.  I'm in Maryland this week and not checking email with great regularity, but I'll try to watch for any communication from you.

R----

My thoughts as to why Dr's might miss gains:
I like what the third parent said, 'the doctor might be basing improvement on narrow definitions, one of them being getting off meds. Many students do lessen their need for or even get off medications, but some don't.

Doctors also don't see the children enough to notice the changes. You are in their office a whole 10 minutes, maybe. Other parents or teachers would be better choices for references I believe. Many doctors are use to prescribing medications to impact focus. Even the thought of a movement based computer program impacting cognitive functioning is thinking outside the box for a good many of them. I think gradually doctors will be educated about the success of movement based, timing based interventions, but I expect it will take a long time to get there.

I find that even some parents look at just one or two annoying behaviors, and miss some of the more subtle but significant gains, especially if they are busy parents or themselves have lower than average timing. Many dad's are unable to label the specific changes though dad's will often say the child is 'maturing' post IM. I hear this statement very frequently from parents - "I don't know if it's IM or they are just maturing." Constantly! Because you expect a child to mature, sometimes it is hard to tell the difference. But quick maturation is a huge part of what IM does. IM methodically matures the neurological system. As a child ages, their internal timing improves. The whole concept behind IM is the improvement of the child's internal timing, moving their internal timing up a few years, in other words "maturing it". Noticeable 'maturation' is an IM gain.

Data Speaks through Another IM Provider

Dr. Z offers Interactive Metronome® and has posted several testimonials from his clients. Read the comments and note how people all over are seeing the same typical gains with IM that I am seeing; reading gains, initiation, attention and focus. Gains become fairly predictable when you've seen enough people through the program. We may not know exactly how IM works, but we can tell you what it does! Check it out.

Dr. Z's Webpage

Parent Input

I have just sent a link to this site to my present IM parents. Parents, I want you to post comments on this site especially on the Data Speaks Spread sheets about your child's IM training. I would like to ask you to keep all information confidential. You may share age, sex, struggles, and definitely IM changes that you have seen, but no names of your children please. Think about what information would have been helpful for you to know and share that with others. Thank you so much. I will work on a way to organize your comments but in the meantime, just make random posts if you want. Thanks, Lori