What is Interactive Metronome Training?

What is Interactive Metronome Training?

There is a growing understanding that motor planning and sequencing is one of the most significant processing capacities that underlie a broad spectrum of mental and physical impairments and endowments.

Everything the human brain does requires very precise natural timing.  Natural timing is an important foundation of our ability to attend, learn, process information, and physically execute actions.

The patented Interactive Metronome (IM) system, uses guidance sounds and repetitive limb motion exercises to help trainees improve their underlying motor planning and sequencing ability. The IM computer program and special sounds systematically guide the trainee through a learning process.

What IM is used for: Interactive Metronome® is used with both children and adults to help the brain process information more efficiently and productively. It has been shown to improve the following: motor planning, sequencing, rhythm, timing, concentrating, thinking and interacting with others. These are all areas that affect one's learning or coordination. Students that have problems focusing, attending, and concentrating in school have improved significantly with IM. 
Motor planning and sequencing problems have been linked to a variety of developmental, behavioral, and learning challenges. Many children and adults we see may show:

• Language deficits (poor listening comprehension, poor verbal expression, poor reading comprehension)
• Poor organizational skills
• Poor memory
• Poor fine and gross motor skills
• Poor attention and concentration
• Poor academic performance

Benefits: IM  has been shown to produce significant results in children and adults with a wide range of physical and cognitive difficulties including ADHD, including

• Attention and Focus
• Motor Control and Coordination
• Language Processing
• Reading and Math Fluency
• Ability to Regulate Aggression / Impulsivity

Ongoing studies continue to validate correlations between IM and academic achievement in mathematics, language, reading and attention to task. The IM program has also proven to be a powerful tool for improving both the physical and mental aspects of athletic performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Interactive Metronome® New? Interactive Metronome, Inc. was founded in the early 1990’s.  After nearly a decade of research, the patented IM program was introduced for the first time in 1999 to qualified professionals.

How Does Training Transfer to Everyday Situations? Over the course of the program, the brain’s efficiency and performance transitions seamless neuronetwork signals from one area of the brain to the other. Through this, key areas of the brain are involved in making sustained changes to this integral network.  Ultimately, day to day functioning or desired goals are obtain and sustained long past treatment completion.

How Often Do I Come? Frequency of sessions depends on data collected at the initial session.  This program is adaptable to meet the needs of the client.  Some come once a week and some may come up to three times per week.

Is Interactive Metronome Safe? IM research has shown no adverse effects to training. 

Research on Interactive Metronome

Learning Disabilities and Neurological Disorders: The benefits of IM can be achieved by individuals who have been diagnosed with learning disabilities (LD), such as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as well as individuals with Parkinson’s disease, Autism, and related syndromes.

A double blind, placebo controlled study of 9 to 12 year old males diagnosed with ADHD found those undergoing the IM training program showed significant patterns of improvement in attention, coordination, control of aggression/impulsivity, reading and language processing.  This study was published in the March/April 2001 issue of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy.

Academic Performance: Interactive Metronome® training has also proven effective at enabling significant performance gains for unimpaired individuals with any of a variety of goals.  Improved academic performance is the goal of many unimpaired children and young adults who take IM training. IM training is currently being conducted at top private and public schools for this purpose.

Over 700 middle and high school students were trained with the IM over 12 one hour sessions and given select pre and post stub-test of the Woodcock-Johnson III standardized test. The aggregated results from the IM group showed statistically significant increases in grade equivalent (GE) performance In the following areas 1) reading fluency increased by 2.21 GE 2) Math fluency increased by 1.36 GE (Interactive Metronome, Inc., Internal research 2002)

The largest public school in Florida conducted a controlled study of 360 ninth and tenth grade students to examine the correlation between improvements in students’ timing and academic achievement. Post-test results showed the IM group scored significantly higher in broad reading and reading fluency and compared to the Control Group.  Those students’ math calculation skills, math fluency and attention also improved significantly.