We had Interactive Metronome screening last night for both dd (LD) and ds(non LD - looking at sports improvement).
My dd scored in the gifted to above average on all scores(24 to 30 for age 10) - the trainer said it was the highest score he has ever tested in kids. Would this rule out ADD at all? What about visual-motor deficits?
She was elated that she scored better than her brother. His overall score was in average range. (to his defense, he was sick and very tired). The trainer said that he would see little benefit in academics, probably see some benefit in sports, but was really borderline.
We decided not to spend the $1000 on IM. I was elated that we could rule out this therapy and pleased that the provider didn’t try to ‘sell’ us on doing the program. He was very honest and up-front with the results.
Wow
Dea,
Those are great scores. If you only knew what we have had to go through to attain scores like that. I think you can rule out the type of ADHD that benefits from IM but there are a lot of different types of ADHD.
I think IM helps the kids with ADHD and concommittant motor problems. It was the perfect fit for my son.
My son did not have the motor timing to score well even by hyperfocusing on the short form. His timing just was non existant. I do agree that your children may not have done as well on the 20 minute long form. Still, IM would probably not give you the results others have as it mostly affects motor timing.
Nope
It doesnt rule out ADHD because doing well or poorly in an IM evaluation is NOT diagnostic one way or the other for ADHD. Get an eval from a neurologist if you havent already
Interesting
I was truly amazed my dd as well as she did (but motor has never been an issue and she is quite a gifted athlete for a girl).
The provider was funny - he was ‘excited’ to have these scores from both my kids in his DB. He said that he has more samples to show parents that there are kids who can do this w/o trouble.
I think my dd’s attention issues are directly related to processing issues. She is SO much better, but still information just doesn’t process right - esp. in expressive language. Words get mixed up in her head. It’s like she processes things too fast.
I think she probably would have benefited with IM and if I had all the money and time in the world we would have done it. Part of me was kind of bummed. I thought maybe this might be another key benefit for her and now I’m back to the drawing board.
Re: Does this help rule out ADD?
The “nice” thing about ADHD is that there are meds that do a very good job and there are a variety of them available.
I knew a parent who was pushing for “autism.” I couldn’t figure out why. Autism is not particularly treatable, though improvements can be made. Several other disorders that might have been present in the case of his child are treatable with meds. plus behavioral interventions. What is so wrong with a diagnosis that is readily treatable? I have seen a number of ADHD students who were bouncing off the walls, not learning, disrupting the whole classroom, etc, settle down and work 1000% better on meds.
I know people have trouble accepting this, but the right meds for kids who really, really need them can make a world of difference for the child across the lifetime.
To diagnose the disorder have the school do an Achenbach, you also fill out the forms. The psych. scores them and then take them to a doctor. A doctor should be able to rule out the things that can look like ADHD but are not ADHD.
Re: Does this help rule out ADD?
I agree those are amazing scores. I think you can rule out LD with a motor component with those scores. My son scored 350 ms off before we did any therapy!!!! Our NN therapist just told me everything is motor with him. Could we have more opposite children and they both have been diagnosed with APD!!!
I would also agree that IM doesn’t diagnose ADD. Nathan was diagnosed by a neurologist with ADD.
Beth
Diagnosing ADD
I’m remembering something the IM therapist told me before we had the testing done. He said that IM really addresses frontal lobe/executive functioning. It also helps with left brain/right brain working better together. He said that it doesn’t help with language or auditory processing. His wife is an SLP and she does alot with Fastforword and LMB programs to address language.
My dd still has language issues and use to have auditory processing issues(she now scores average to above average) - so I guess I should have known that IM may not have been the solution.
We’ve had a TON of tests done both by our neurologist and school. Nothing has ever come back indicating that she has ADD. It’s just something I don’t think there really is an accurate test for ADD - esp. the inattentive type.
We’ve been seeing an SLP now for 6mo. I have not seen any progress and it’s cost quite a bit.
There’s still so much controversy on medication, I’m not comfortable with it unless it was the only avenue left to pursue. I don’t have a child who is ‘bouncing’ off walls, can’t sit still to learn and is not learning. She is currently making mostly A’s (except in writing). I won’t consider meds or further testing unless/until we hit a major wall and the grades start falling and school becomes a nightmare.
Re: Does this help rule out ADD?
Dea,
I saw improvements in auditory processing with IM but that is probably because auditory processing, for my son, is connected to motor. Kids are so different that it is hard to generalize.
I agree that ADD is very difficult to diagnose in a child who has processing issues and is not hyperactive. I am not convinced that my son is ADD, at least significantly, even though he was diagnosed by a neurologist as being such. IM helped him immensely for him as has NN. I do see his mind being on a thousand other things sometimes but not enough to want to try medication, at least now.
Beth
Kids that are ADDcan pull up enough resources to hyperfocus on a novel experience for a period of time. Sometimes being ADD can help one to have quick responses as they are so aware of everything around them.