Words of encouragement about IM needed!!

Yes,and don’t watch! It was hard for me to imagine being able to do it myself! I don’t know my left from my right that quickly. I wouldn’t watch them do it. I would wait outside or I would go get dinner whatever.

I stayed for about a third of the sessions. I saw amazing progress this way. At first, the therapist had to guide his hands. And it is painful to watch them be soooo bad. So I agree with Socks, don’t watch.

And the first week he was just exhausted. She told me it was normal and told me not to expect much from him at first. But it got much much better!!!
He told me somewhere near the end that he didn’t know why he didn’t at first want to go to IM, it was so easy now!!!

Hang in there!!

Beth

Don’t know about IM but when my son is really tired he is a mess, hyper, ornery, just plain difficult. I am seeing this now that he started a full day camp with tons of activity.
IM must just wear the poor guy out. Someone on here said that if it wasn’t difficult it probably wouldn’t be worth much.

Think of how hard it must be to make new connections in your brain.

I used to see people struggle through physical therapy, it was exhausting for them. The harder they worked the better the results.

I’m trying not to watch, but I have to stay in the room right now. I think he’d be anxious if I left which would make it worse. I think (after obsessing about it all night) that this work really hits him where it hurts. Its hard, and its sensory, and when he’s on sensory overload all of his avoidance mechanisms kick in. Which is why he’s hyper, talking too much etc. So maybe that means its the right therapy for him right now…. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Thanks for good wishes.

Bring a book then!!!! I actually found watching IM to be very boring and usually brought something to do.

Beth

I’m starting to look into neuropsychologists for my son and wondered if you knew someone who wrote really useful reports for parents. I tried to email you privately but it got returned.

Beth

Hi, my son is somewhere in the middle of IM program. I am not in the room - I went in once- just out of curiosity and decided never again until he is done- he started wining, was distracted et.c. Now, the provider even leaves the room from time to time and he works totally independently, which she says works better for him because he “cannot be playful” as she said it- which I read he cannot be manipulative to get her engaged into conversation et.c- just doing something else… We started slowly- not more than two meetings per week (we just couldn’t fit any more into our schedule) and maybe it made a difference. Another good thing- we have a chiropractor as a provider of this program and she does body work for him after the session and he absolutely loves that- so for the 15 minutes of body work he works really hard on IM….

Thanks for the warnings. We’re going to do this while Daddy’s off work and we’re supposed to be on holiday. There’s no provider near where we’ll be in winter.The nearest would be 4 1/2 hour drive each way. So thought easiest would be to do hour a day everyday for 3 weeks daddy’s there and then we could finish up another week at beach wo him if need be. Daddy may do it with him…

I’m still convinced this is an important part of my son’s remediation. Its just hard getting started. Make sure you can complete the program in 3 weeks. I thought I had it all figured out - do it the 3 weeks between camp and school. Nope, he needs extra sessions. So he’s going every day after camp for the next 2 weeks. Not ideal - but we are still planning to be done before school begins.
Good luck. and definitely send daddy! : )

that’s because my mailbox was too full. It should( my emial) work now.

Yes,I used a neuropsychologist for my youngest. I was very happy with the report. If you like,email me and I can give you her name.

I also used a Licensed school psychologist who was very good,for my oldest. It depends on what you want done.

Thanks for the encouragement. I’m trying to schedule in the extra sessions , but just hoping he can handle the everyday schedule and not be too tired. daddy time is at a premium and we all look forward to having 3 weeks of him. It’d be a shame if he’s too tired to enjoy the beach or museums after…. And i want to get this done before we go back to LIPS and Seeing Stars, Karate, and Swimming. May wait for vision therapy there is a centre near where we’ll be for winter (near- 2 hours away). Good luck. Keep us posted.

Socks,

I tried again but it got returned again. Could you email me and then I could reply.

Don’t know what the problem is but it isn’t working.

Beth

[email protected]

We did the 15 sessions over five weeks which is probably part of the reason it was easier for us. My son was in school though so that was an additional burden.

Hang in there!!

Beth

I don’t think the IM session will tire him out for the rest of the day - especially if the other activities are leisure. I’m finding my son is rambunctious after IM, kind of hyped up actually. Good luck!!

Yesterday went much better. Not that he’s doing better - that I can’t really tell. I think he had some runs of being on the beat (bursts?) but that wasn’t my concern. The feeling of the whole experience was better. He seemed more relaxed, less agitated. We go back in today…. I’m crossing my fingers.

Bursts are a big deal—he may have turned the corner!!!

Keep us informed.

Beth

Socks,
I am looking into IM for my sons. One has severe LD, speech issues, ADD, the whole nine yards and No2 has some sensory integration issues/social maturity issues but academically seems great but we found he is really struggling in certain ways.
What kids of issues did your son’s have and how did IM address them?
Thanks in advance
robinA

I could be wrong about the burst thing. But he seemed to hit the beat a few times in a row, and I could tell his overall rythm seemed better. I’m waiting for that miraculous day when he can use utensils properly. This was the thing that sold my husband on IM. Who cares about reading - we ‘d just like to have a meal that isn’t a total mess! : )

Will definitely keep you all posted.

Have I mentioned how much I appreciate the info. and support I’ve found on this board?

My oldest son is officially dx with dysgraphia and ADHD. He has visual spatial difficulties and severe off task tendencies.

My youngest is also dysgrpahic,ADHD,CAPD and SID.

IM improved sensory input tolerance. seems like he tolerates thing that he could tolerate before,such as loud noises.

both have shown poor motor planning and execution,which didn’t help legiblity in handwriting.

The biggest thing I noticed IM did for both of them is sustained attention. Never before could they continue to attend to something they found hard to do.
I will say their writing did NOT improve. My oldest has always had a talent for drawing ,but there has been improvement there also. I also noticed they can use a knife to cut food! Just the other day,we went out for steak,and they cut the meat with out difficulty. Only mom lost a piece on the floor:-)

Hmmm …
My ex-husband yelled at my poor daughter (his step-daughter, starting at age eight) every supper for five or six years. I like to cook and value a family supper, and I got so tensed up I couldn’t stand it — one of the many reasons he’s now an ex.
She cound never hold a pencil or pen “properly” and neither could I, and I still don’t, although holding my pen funny I do calligraphy and watercolour miniatures. She had underdeveloped hands, at age fifteen buying shoes in men ‘s department, clothes in women’s, and gloves in children’s. She now writes nicely and does calligraphy, still hjolding her pen funny too.
She held the fork or spoon in a fist grip because she simply didn’t have the leverage. If not forced into an impossible grip that he felt was “correct” and not stressed into muscle spasms, she was actually neater than I am; of course I still spill a lot. I just don’t have a rug under the dining table and don’t worry much about it.
If IM helps you, great!
I can tell you from my own experience with my mother and my daughter’s similar experience with her stepfather that the very very WORST thing you can do is to make a fuss over it and scream the child into nervous fits.
And if the kid holds the pen funny, well, there are worse faults in life. Do encourage a smooth flowing writing with free arm motion and a good rhythm, and don’t worry too much about the grip if it doesn’t interfere with the smooth motion.

Yes, not having drinks and peas flooding the table would be nice. And he is getting a bit too old to eat his meat with fingers. My husband keeps thinking of the scene in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels movie where Steve Martin’s character wears an eye patch because of mishaps with a fork… Thanks Beth for encouragement about rest of holiday. We’re going to try schedule of morning one day then late afternoon the next.

When we started IM we though it would take 10 sessions for him to complete syncronization (the pre-training necessary to get him ready to even do IM) . Yesterday was day 6 and all of sudden he was there! so we begin the real IM program tomorrow. We don’t see any change him, but I wasn’t expecting it yet. Just happy something is happening …

Karen,

Keep the updates coming. I look forward to all of this information. I am glad to hear he didn’t need all 10.

Now go and spend the money you saved on something for yourself. You deserve it!

Linda F

That’s a wonderful thought - but I’m not counting my money just yet . : ) I’m sure something unexpected will come up that we’ll need to do for him…. I just keep thinking that all of our investment in him now will be cheaper in the long run than having a 30 year old son living at home with us because he can’t cross the street alone! (LOL)

Oh, you made me laugh!!! Got to keep your sense of humor in this ball game!!

Beth