With IM and iLS there is actual improvement in other indirect tasks such as tying ones shoe and behavior regulation. The notion behind Interactive Metronome (IM) is that it works to improve the brain 's rhythm and timing, which is essential for many bodily functions. A deficit in this area can affect attention, concentration, motor control, coordination, balance, gait and control of impulsivity. Since SPD causes delays in the relay time of messages, the IM system therapy uses rhythmic sounds and beeps that are heard via the headphones that the patient must attempt to mimic and synchronize by clapping their hands or tapping their foot. Each time the patient is out of sync with the program, he or she hears guiding sounds in their right or left
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Taub did a study called “Improvements in Interval Time Tracking” where participants were evaluated on their improvement in timing and rhythm after using the IM system. The result of the study finds that "students in the IM treatment group, when compared to the control group, demonstrated statistically significant improvements, close to a two standard deviation increase in measured timing and rhythmicity scores". (Taub, McGrew, Keith 856) A similar study by Robert J. Shaffer also supports this claim that IM therapy helps patients with behavior control, particularly aggression, as well as other symptoms associated with SPD such as attention and motor control. (Shaffer …show more content…
It can also provide a social outlet that may otherwise be difficult for the patient to engage in. However, it stands to reason that with Sensory Integration Therapy used as the only therapy treatment, a child improves at a given task simply due to practice, whereas with IM or iLS he or she is able to complete a series of unrelated new commands on the grounds that the neural pathways in the brain have changed. When combining these home programs along with OT, there is a vast improvement in the overall performance of these patients. This is because the neural pathways that were built or strengthened during technology-based therapies are now accessible during traditional OT treatment. With these new connections, the brain is able to process and integrate faster and more accurately. Therefore, ideal treatment would include both standard OT, enhanced with IM and
Taub did a study called “Improvements in Interval Time Tracking” where participants were evaluated on their improvement in timing and rhythm after using the IM system. The result of the study finds that "students in the IM treatment group, when compared to the control group, demonstrated statistically significant improvements, close to a two standard deviation increase in measured timing and rhythmicity scores". (Taub, McGrew, Keith 856) A similar study by Robert J. Shaffer also supports this claim that IM therapy helps patients with behavior control, particularly aggression, as well as other symptoms associated with SPD such as attention and motor control. (Shaffer …show more content…
It can also provide a social outlet that may otherwise be difficult for the patient to engage in. However, it stands to reason that with Sensory Integration Therapy used as the only therapy treatment, a child improves at a given task simply due to practice, whereas with IM or iLS he or she is able to complete a series of unrelated new commands on the grounds that the neural pathways in the brain have changed. When combining these home programs along with OT, there is a vast improvement in the overall performance of these patients. This is because the neural pathways that were built or strengthened during technology-based therapies are now accessible during traditional OT treatment. With these new connections, the brain is able to process and integrate faster and more accurately. Therefore, ideal treatment would include both standard OT, enhanced with IM and