IM vs PACE

We have done both IM and PACE. This would be my advice, based on my experiences. I would read through the IM web site. It is quite informative. We did IM because of attention issues but found a broad range of improvements. Basically, IM works on motor planning and motor planning seems to be connected to a number of other issues, not just attention.

IM is more sensory-motor based. PACE is more cognitively based, although it has some sensory motor components. My son did not do well with PACE, at least for all the effort we made, because of unresolved sensory motor problems (and he had therapy for a year already—we misjudged how far he had come). Logically, I would say you would do IM before PACE (we did it the other way around), if IM was needed.

You could find a IM provider and have your child take the pretest. It will give you a sense of whether motor planning is an issue for your child. If your child scores fairly normally, then you could have your child take the pretests for PACE and see how he scores.

IM has been found to result in improvements in kids who are not classified as learning disabled. My daughter’s parochial school is offerring it, in a group setting, to kids. The principal decided to do this after reviewing a study done at a local Catholic highschool which documented impressive academic gains. I think the study is on the web site.

Beth

Beth is correct anyone would benefit from IM. We did IM and I really didn’t see my son’s attention issues until his attention improved with IM. I saw that some of the things that I thought were LD had an attention component.

I saw improvements in sequencing, attention and motor planning. He does better academicly as a result.

I will probably do PACE at some point but I am glad we did IM first. Other interventions I have tried seem to move faster after IM.

Have you tried any programs or tutoring yet to directly help with dyslexia?

We’ve done PACE and are considering IM for next summer, but for the past 3 years my son has been working with an Academic Language Therapist on his reading, writing, and spelling skills. She uses a program called Alphabetic Phonic which is also offered FREE through our local Scottish Rite learning center. She also brings in other techniques that she knows will work.

I believe that programs like PACE which work on underlying weak skills are very helpful. They are inticing because they are marketed as “quick fix” big impact products. And I think the intensity in the programs (where the child works very hard for a short time on specific skills) can give those kind of results.

But, tutoring programs which are directly related to school or improving reading like Alphabetic Phonics, PhonoGraphix and others are something to consider too. An experienced tutor who works well with your child and is willing to adapt their approach to reinforce and enhance school-related challenges can make a huge difference. It has been helpful for both my son and ME to have an extra cheerleader and sounding board that knows my son and his challenges very well. Out tutor is a retired teacher who has been trained as a reading specialist and does the tutoring because it is her passion, not so much as a business. As a result, she is not motivated to keep us as a client, so much as she truly wants to help our son. It is a long-range solution. But, cost-wise and time-wise, an experienced tutor at $25-45/hour can be a really good thing if they know what they are doing. We’ve done a combination of both. I consider the tutoring a more tried and true approach, and things like PACE which can potentially give you results to be more of a gamble. Just my humble opinion.

I want things that WORK. And in the choice between spending $1500+ for 15 sessions of IM, or $1500 for 45 customized tutoring sessions spread out over a semester, I’ve chosen the tutoring. IM looks like something worth saving up for a summer intervention, but I wouldn’t trade our tutor for anything.

Just food for thought.

Please let me know what school is your child going to?

I think a local LD school is offering IM here as well. They have an OT on staff who is certified so I don’t know if its thru the school or thru her private practice. But it makes sense.

Thanks for your responses. I’m looking at IM right now, but I also really need to consider what Rosie said!