Metronome Therapy and more

Actually yes and no. I have two ADHD/LD boys. We just finnished the IM program. We did it at a therapy center with occupational therapists. Studies show a direct coorelation between motor planning and sequencing with attentional problems. My developmental pediatrician,who by the way is very good with meds,didn’t not in any way back this therapy . BUT. Both of my children are also severely dysgraphic,with documented motor planning and sequencing deficits. My youngest attended 7 months of OT with no huge improvement in handwriting.This was the therapy he backed. The Pedi. felt compelled to explain to me why this program wouldn’t work and why,not agreeing to the therapy successfully preventing insurance coverage. ( my insurance wouldn’t have covered it anyway,they didn’t even cover OT) I already knew it would be private pay ,so I politely listened to all the reasons he had,then gave him a copy of the article written in AJOT regarding IM,told him unless the therapy would cause physical harm to my children,it really didn’t matter what he thought. He told me no,it wouldn’t cause physical harm,I left,and my kids went through the program.
Interesting results arose from the program.
My youngest,who is more severely affected by motor planning,he also has a diagnosis of SID,flew through the program. He made strides within the therapy greater then all the children the center has ever had. If you know anything about this program,there are bursts of repitive sessions. These bursts are calculated to show the child how well he did or how much effort was shown for that particular day. The OT would give a peice of candy for every burst. Until my kid started walking away with all the reinforcements,then they had to change and make the candy worth so many points! This child had to be patterned when he first started,meaning the OT would have to do hand over hand showing him how to do the movements.
My oldest,had more difficulty. He started out at a much lower number,the lower the numbers the better the movements,he platued and had trouble breaking through to scores in the teens. Which the scores must come down into the teens before you see academic improvement. The lower the scores the more the motor movements are brought into a subconcious level,making it more effective. My oldest wound up doing the program for at least three weeks longer than my younger son did. The program is three days per week,and some say it should be done four days per week. Leaves little time for a life after school,for as long as the program runs. It is reccomended that this program be done prior to any remedial programs being contemplated,except Fastforword. Reason behind that is,auditory processing problems could prevent being able to successfully do the program.
Okay did it help them? We started the program before doing on cloud nine with my oldest. He had much difficulty in math. Thought maybe this LMB program might help this. In the process of doing the program he has shown dramatic improvement in math,and is doing long division. He was having trouble multiplying when we first started IM. Was it IM that did it? Can’t honestly answer this.
My youngest is making wonderful strides in academics. Incredible ones. He is amazingly able to memorize words in science I can’t pronounce. They are on a gifted science curriculum,he is 11 and friday they had a test on vascular vs. nonvascular plants.
Both of my children are in a small private school,specificly for students who are gifted LD and or ADHD,their placement made a HUGE difference,they are allowed to learn their way,this made a HUGE difference,they are allowed to excel in subjects they are able to excel in,this made a HUGE difference.

I honestly can not tell you what made the difference,the only thing I can say is it didn’t hurt them,they like doing it,and it seems to have complimented their academic progress.