Drive on! With IM stroke recovery

It is difficult to imagine not being able to manage simple daily tasks on your own, such as preparing breakfast and school lunches or get your clothes out of the drier, folding them and putting them away. And when John, a-47-year old man with no prior health concerns, had a stroke that’s exactly what happened. John was the breadwinner for his family and needed to get his mobility and independence back to support his wife and four teenage boys. John did Interactive Metronome (IM) training 3 times a week for a total 19 sessions and became able to manage his life normally. John passed his driving test and went back to work full-time, in addition to being able to care for his tasks at home. IM was a lifesaver for John and his family. John wasn’t the first person IM has helped and won’t be the last. 

Independent again with the help of IM: Paul’s Story

Independence is one of the most important outcomes a Parkinson’s patient is concerned with when degeneration starts to occur. So when Paul fell and couldn’t walk on his own or manage daily tasks, he felt like his life was over...especially when he was admitted to inpatient rehab. His OT introduced IM into his therapy plan and after only 6 sessions Paul was discharged from inpatient therapy but still had to use a rolling walker. Paul continued to do IM in outpatient therapy and that’s when the gains really started to show. At discharge, Paul was able to perform multiple repetitive sit-to-stand transitions without physical assistance, retrieve items from overhead and the floor independently, perform floor transfers independently, transport small items while walking, and resume working in the carpentry shop. Because he had regained control over his standing balance for short periods of time, Paul was able to resume performance of grooming tasks while standing and to sing an entire hymn at church without holding on to the pew. The read Paul’s full story below.

Alzheimer’s patient comes out of her cocoon: husband says, “I got my wife back”

When we had this case study turned into us, we couldn’t believe the results. It is about an Alzheimer’s patient who couldn’t remember her grocery list while at the store, lost her keys consistently, couldn’t remember her grandchildren’s names, and couldn’t remember how to sew (which was her previous career and favorite past-time). She went through IM and that all changed. Read the case study to find out how.

Adam talks about his training experience with IM

Adam completed a short-term rehab with IM after a TBI and showed significant improvement when comparing pre and post-test scores. He is another living testament of the incredible success in using the Interactive metronome. Here’s what Adam has to say, “I am now better able to concentrate, focus, and understand key points more easily.” Read his full story on our Success Stories page.

Why I choose to use the Interactive Metronome (IM)

Hi there! My name is Wendy Harron and I am an Occupational Therapist. I have worked at A.I. duPont Hospital in Wilmington, DE for the past 20 years helping kids suffering from Developmental Delay,  Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Learning  Disabilities, ADD/ADHD,  Sensory Processing Disorder, and various other genetic and developmental disabilities.

When heard about the Interactive Metronome words like "Technology", "Computers", "Cowbells", "Clapping" and "Tapping" flooded my ears. How could any of these help a child who has special needs? It seems that there are tons of techniques and modalities out there to help our children. How do you know which one to choose? Therapeutic Listening Programs, Astronaut Training Protocols, Captain’s Log, Brain Gym…. the list goes on and on. Each one different and requiring investigation to see which one will work for your family and your child. I had been reviewing research about a program called Interactive Metronome, seeing its positive impact on not only children with special needs, but adults with special needs, children in school, musicians, football players and even golfers! This was something that I needed to check out!

Jimmy was born missing the portion of his right leg below the knee, with dislocated hips, without ligaments in his left knee, and with a diaphragmatic hernia. He had severe motor deficits and poor balance and coordination. As a result, he often fell. Jimmy walked awkwardly and then only with use of a rolling walker. He was 8 years old when he met the inventor of the Interactive Metronome, the late Jim Cassily. Little did Jimmy know that IM was going to change his life.

Because we know how important videos have become in today's world we have started compiling footage of how the Interactive Metronome (IM) & IM-Home can help with a variety of conditions, including dyslexia. IM introduces rhythmic exercises to improve motor sequencing and planning, coordination, visual motion detection, attention, and many more key factors that affect dyslexia patients. The treatment is fun and is not limited to a therapist office; with the new IM-Home device you could maximize the results by incorporating them in your daily tasks. Watch the video see for yourself!

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Check out this artcle published in "The Dispatch" on September 17, 2011

Written by: Jan Swoope- jswoope@cdispatch.com

The eyes have it: Some find life-altering results in vision therapy

On Wednesday, 10-year-old Matt Morel of Caledonia came home from school with a social studies assignment and 10 or so questions to answer about Christopher Columbus. The everyday task might seem ho-hum in most households, but that the fifth-grader could tackle it on his own is cause for joy as far as his parents, Melanie and Keith, are concerned. A year ago, he couldn't have.

"Before Matt had vision therapy, there was no way he could read that and do it," declared his dedicated mom, who used to spend hour after frustrating hour trying to help her son slog through homework. "Even if he had an open book for an exercise in class, it was useless."