Interactive Metronome: is it for you?

Interactive Metronome (IM) is the most recent therapeutic intervention we did for one of our children who has had to face more obstacles than some, to achieve his current level of function. This post is my review of IM.

This spring I reached out, in desperation,  to another mom who has neurodivergent children, and asked for recommendations.  She responded with a whole list of things that they have found helpful along the way.

One of these was Interactive Metronome. 

So we gave it a try.

Here is why Interactive Metronome has been a good fit for our family, to use with one child this year:

- It is done at our home

- With 3 other young children, plus our business,  I did not see a clear path forward to continue pursuing traditional occupational therapy or other recommended therapies for him this summer- but we desperately needed SOMETHING

- One of his needs is to strengthen the cross-brain action. A few years ago, before OT, He was not able to cross midline. He would drop gaze at midline. If asked to make a rainbow in the air with his hand, he would drop at midline. He did not alternate feet coming down stairs. He can do it now, but it's still weak, and he quickly tires mentally when doing physical tasks that require frequent midline crossing. All that to say, it was easy to see how Interactive Metronome (IM) could, at minimum,  strengthen this.

- Another need is focus. IM requires focus, but it also strengthens focus.

- IM targets auditory input, which has been another sensory need.

- It is not cheap, but it is within reach, and the cost is straightforward. 

So we gave it a try. It was hard. It was intense. It stretched us both. We did it imperfectly. But we did it. 

Yes, it was worth it.

What is IM?

- Basically every day, you're tapping out rhythms in various ways with your hands and feet, for about 30 minutes. 

- The idea is clapping or tapping out rhythms to the beat of a metronome. There are visual cues, and sometimes also auditory cues, that let you know if you're early, late, or right on. Eventually, there are games integrated, like a basketball goes in the hoop when you're right on time.

- The goals are improved focus, agility, and coordination. There is also the hope that by patterning the brain in these ways, it can address anxiety and behavioral concerns as well.

-You can pick between 15 sessions of one hour each or 30 sessions of 30 minutes each. Because our son's performance tested so low at the beginning,  we went an even slower, longer path, of almost 50 sessions of 30 minutes. The goal is to do 3-6 sessions each week.

A sample screen from an IM session 

Did it work for our son?

When you have lived a few cycles of "doing well" and "not doing well" it is hard to definitely say, "This worked wonders!"- because life is full of cycles and seasons, and there is never just one factor to anything. 

Having said that, I'm confident that Interactive Metronome was a key factor in taking him to the next level in his growth and stability this year. It was definitely worth the time and effort-and a few battles- to do it this spring. 

It helped balance a few more things in his brain. It challenged his focus. It delayed yet again the potential need to rely on daily medication for him to be able to function- mentally and emotionally. 

We still have days and seasons that are rough. It didn't "cure" anything. That's not really the goal anyway. The goal is achieving maximum potential. 

IM gives measurable feedback, and his scores improved drastically for being able to keep rhythm with the metronome. Although his ending score was still not amazing as a stand-alone score, it was amazing when compared to where he started! That's what we weigh here- progress, not perfection. 

What went well?

-We did it at home, parent led, and didn't have to go anywhere. 

- We had a coach, with whom I was in close contact with throughout the program.  She was so helpful with troubleshooting and encouraging along the way. She is a Christian mom who is well-versed in mothering neurodiversity as well, so the encouragement was multi-faceted. 

-He found the games motivating.

What did not go well?

- We did it at home, parent led, and didn't go anywhere.  (Oh wait, I just named thst as a positive.  It was. It was both positive and negative.) He has responded so well to in person therapists in the past, and we missed that aspect. Sometimes, parents don't need one more opportunity to be the target, when things get hard. Sometimes, that outside voice is just what is needed for both parent and child to get over the hurdle.

- The sessions are 30 minutes long. My son’s attention span with things that don't interest him is about 2 minutes. I think he got that from his mom. But- he did it. And the battles grew less.

- It would have been better to have an adult present the duration of each session.  I couldn't always do that. So I occasionally stepped in to find him with the volume turned off, clapping merrily to his own little rhythm.  

Is IM right for your family?

If your child has concerns with physical coordination, emotional instability, focus, or developmental delays, my FIRST recommendation is to have the child evaluated by an occupational therapist or other professional,  in person. This may or may not require a physician's order. Depending what the concerns are, definitely include your healthcare provider- they have so many resources!

If you are looking to solidify your own or your child's physical coordination or attention challenges, but you don't suspect (or have already addressed) deep underlying causes, then yes, I give IM a very high recommendation.  

If you are doing therapies, but need something structured to do at home through the week, IM could potentially be a good supplement.

Best of all, IM can be done anywhere, on your schedule.

If you'd like more information,  I'd be happy to direct you to our coach.

In full disclosure,  I do benefit from anyone who uses her services through my referral, so please mention my name. 

Even without that kickback, I would still recommend IM. 😀

Living with neurodiversity

 "I'm normal. What's wrong with everyone else?"

My dad said this occasionally. 

If you knew my dad, you know he wasn't really "normal"- whatever that is.

He had a genetic form of dystonia that showed up in various forms in several relatives. Since it is a neuromuscular disorder,  he was obviously neurodiverse, in very visible, physical ways.

Now that I'm grown and have children of my own, I recognize that Dad's neurodiversity may have been more of a thing than I ever recognized in his lifetime. 

I don't know that any of it was troublesome or negative (as long as he was able to do things for himself)- it's just who he was. 

He got dressed in the same way every day. His shoes went on in the same order. He ate peanut butter more than the average person. He disliked every cheese except mozzarella, but he never complained about food he was served. "Thanks for the food. It was very tasty!" was his well-masked statement of gratitude when served something he secretly fought to eat. 

He was an excellent mathematician. He had crazy formulas for remembering numbers.  He had lots of shirts, but only wore a select few.

I have respect for my dad like I have for few men. But not because he was "normal."

 "Normal" has never been clearly defined to me.  Probably because I have my own set of  quirks and abnormalities. 

My undiagnosed (or self-diagnosed) stuff comes out in different ways. Some seasons are more intense than others, but I often have to consciously refrain from constantly interrupting in conversation. I have to consciously finish my sentences,  or I'll leave 3 unfinished thoughts hanging. I get mentally bored easily.  I hunt dopamine. I have to take life in small bites. I leave tasks unfinished, unless, like sentences,  I consciously finish them. 

Executive function skills are hard, hard, hard.  I can do them, but they are very hard. 

Page from Mr. Rush, by Roy Hargreaves. This picture is a map of my life,  some days.

I get "brainaches" and freeze up or melt down when overstimulated. If I'm judged on household organization,  I will get a big "she tries" (maybe "she'll try" Olympics break dancing next- she might have the same chance of success at that).  I mean- I usually know where my stuff is, so please don't shuffle my piles. So it's organized. It just looks messy. 

 I've come to understand that because of the way my brain work, I have to adjust expectations AND use different tools, to achieve any level of success with some of these things.

On the other hand, because of the way my brain soaks up and spits out information,  I can ramble off line after line of rhyming words with very little effort.  I can brainstorm big projects- I may not be the person to carry them through to completion, but I'm an expert in the Ideas Department!

My former self sought stimulation. My current self goes through seasons of constant overstimulation. It's empowering to realize the role that neurodiversity plays, because it helps me understand my freezeups and meltdowns. It's not simply emotional instability, and there are tools to help. 

Neurodiversity is the powerhouse that enables me to get things done- especially under the pressure of a good deadline!

Neurodiversity can be dysfunction. 

Neurodiversity can be dynamic.

I didn't understand these things about myself until I'm having to try to steer the boat with offspring who share my DNA. 

Raising children, with neurodiversity in the mix, is a circus. Entertaining. Exasperating. Educational. Exhausting. Exciting. Exceptional.  Twice exceptional,  actually.  

I learn about things I never wanted to need to know. Goals change. Routines evolve. Therapies help. We try to maximize our ability to function as a team. 

On a hard day, the neurodiversity has the potential to quickly explode into dysfunction. On a good day, the neurodiversity is dynamic, and we Get Things Done.

One thing is certain: my former self wanted to learn or experience something new every day. My current self lives that dream. Every day. 

Can I have a brain break now?!?

The power of repeated acts of kindness...

 I have been the recipient of a completely unexpected, undeserved, delightful, repeated act of kindness from a customer who has become a friend. 

 The first time she brought flowers was a day that Craig and I were working our grilling stand at market alone, on our anniversary, because "This is what we do for dates." After a bit, she came by with some flowers for our "date." 

Since then, she has randomly showed up at our stand with flowers. This summer, it has been a regular occurrence. We have market; Genie shows up with flowers.

Some weeks, I enjoy them all week long. Other weeks, I love them well for a few moments, then spread the love on to another person. 

I have learned a lot about giving, by being on the receiving end of this ongoing gift.

1. I don't have to have a lot, to give a little. 

2. Merchants don't expect their customers to bring them gifts of encouragement. But merchants are people, and people need encouragement. I want to keep my eyes open, and be willing to spread small acts of kindness, with no strings attached, to people I interact with- including merchants.

3. Giving sometimes has a Snowball Effect. She gives me flowers. I sometimes give the flowers with some food to someone having a tough week. So it gives me an amazing opportunity to both enjoy the gift for a bit, then pass it on, when I see someone who needs it more than I do. 

4. Having this handed to me week after week increases my alertness to "Who needs a little cheer?" 

5. A small, repeated gift is perhaps sometimes more impactful than a large, one-time gift. "I see you. You matter. I appreciate you." "I still see you. You still matter. I still appreciate you."

Thanks so much, Genie - for your friendship,  for all the flowers, and for all you have taught me about giving.