The document outlines the use of Interactive Metronome (IM) in various school environments, including public, charter, private, and home-based education for children of different age groups. It details the benefits of IM on children's timing, rhythm, academic achievement, and athletic performance, supported by pilot studies showing significant improvements in skills such as reading fluency and motor coordination. The document also suggests ways to integrate IM into school curricula and emphasizes the importance of ongoing evaluation and collaboration among professionals and parents.

1. By: Mary Jones, OTR/L
Sensational Kids LLC
Bradenton, FL
Using Interactive
Metronome in Schools

2. Which School Environment?
Public - traditional
 An educational institution funded with tax
revenue and administered by local
government or government agency.
Public - Charter
 Elementary or high schools that receive
public money but have been freed from
some of the rules, regulations and statutes
that apply to other public schools in
exchange for some kind of accountability for
producing certain results, which are set forth
in each schools charter. No tuition fees are
rendered due.

3. Which School Environment?
Private
• Not administered by local, state or
national governments.
• Funded by student tuition and
sometimes private donation.
Home Based
• The education of children at
home, usually by parents or
tutors , as an alternative to a
traditional school setting.

4. What Age?
 Pre-school (age 3-5 years)
 Elementary (kindergarten
to 5th
or 6th
grade)
 Middle (also known as
intermediate or junior high
school – 6th
or 7th
grade to 8th
or 9th
grade)
 High (also called secondary
school – 9th
to 12th
grade)

5. Groups?...What Size
Group – small: 2-4; Large: 6-8; Class: 18-24
 Individual - Direct
 Single IM station
 Multiple IM stations
 Multiple Triggers

6. What Space?
 Classroom – assigned
 Classroom - generic
 Designated treatment
space
 Indoors
 Outdoors
 Large
 Small

7. Which Provider?
• Therapy: OT – PT – SLP
• Faculty
• Resource
• Educators
• Tutors
• Parents

8. Marketing to Schools….
What do you say?
1. What is Interactive Metronome?
2. Why is timing important?
3. How does IM help children?
4. The neurological influence of IM
5. The academic relevance of IM
6. The athletic relevance of IM

9. 1) What is Interactive Metronome?
A computerized brain training program
Administered by certified licensed
professionals
Addresses a child’s mental/interval timing

10. 2) Why is timing important?
Improved timing and rhythm perception
translates into significant improvements in
developmental progress, academic
achievement and sports performance.

11. 3) How does IM help children?
 All daily activities involve timing and rhythm:
- Listening - Daily Routines - Play - Movement
- Reading - Writing - Math - Sports - Attention
 There is a strong connection between rhythmic
ability and skilled motor acquisition.
 IM training involves reducing timing error during a
child’s interaction with a synchronized metronome
beat

12. 4) Neurological influence of IM
 Brain plasticity
 Hemispheric interaction
 Inter-hemispheric coupling
(bimanual coordination)
 Inhibitory/excitatory
facilitation
 Association
 Motor planning
 Attention
 Sensory feedback

13. 5) The Academic Relevance of IM
Pathways Center Pilot Study
 Jacokes (2004)
Use of IM in Benton Public Schools
 Pilot study by Debra Law, OT;
Patricia Snowden, SLP; Aamie
Mason, SLP
Improvement in Interval Time
Tracking and Effects of Reading
Achievement
 Taub, McGrew & Keith (2007)

14. Pathways Center Pilot Study
Jacokes (2004)
 13 subjects
Pre/post assessments included:
1. CLEF-3: Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, Third
Edition
2. Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency
3. Sensory Profile – Care Giver Questionnaire
4. Interactive Metronome Parent Questionnaire
5. Self Perception Survey
6. Handwriting Evaluation Tool
7. The Listening Test
8. Draw A Person

15. Pathways Center Pilot Study
Jacokes (2004)
Improvements noted in:
 Balance & bilateral coordination
 Sensory processing (10 subscales of Sensory Profile)
 Handwriting (legibility, copying speed, simple dictation)
 Auditory processing (concept formation, reasoning)
 Attention/concentration (parent report)
 All improvements were maintained at 3 months, with
further improvements 6 months post-IM treatment

16. Applied Intelligence
• Problem Solving & Critical
Thinking Skills
• Ability to Retain & Apply
Learning
Developmental
• Fine Motor Skills
• Gross Motor Skills
• Communication Skills
• Adaptive Behavior
• Independence
• Hearing/Vision
• Sensory Awareness &
• Tolerance
Classroom Behavior
• Self Control
• Attend Over Time
• Work Independently
• Organizational Skills
• Attention to Detail
• Willingness to Work
Perceptual Processing
• Ability to Interpret & Analyze
Information
Psychological/Social Skills
• Self Management
• Self Esteem/Self Concept
• Responsibility
• Integrity
The Use of IM in the Benton Public Schools
Pilot study by Debra Law, OT; Patricia Snowden, SLP;
Aamie Mason, SLP

17. BASC-2
Teacher
Rating
Scales
Report
Area
Number of
students
scoring
Clinically
Significant
Pre/post
Number
of
students
scoring
At Risk
Pre/post
Number
of
students
scoring
Typical
Pre/post
Hyperactivity 2/0 1/1 5/7
Aggression 1/0 1/0 6/8
Conduct
Problems
1/0 1/0 6/8
Externalizing
problems
1/0 0/0 7/8
Anxiety 0/1 2/1 6/6
Depression 0/0 4/0 4/8
Somatization 2/0 3/0 3/8
Internalizing
Problems
1/0 3/0 4/8
Attention
problems
3/1 2/2 3/5
Learning
Problems
2/0 3/4 3/4
School
Problems
2/0 2/2 4/6
Atypicality 1/1 2/1 5/6
Withdrawal 2/1 2/0 4/7
The Use of IM in the Benton Public Schools
Pilot study by Debra Law, OT; Patricia Snowden, SLP;
Aamie Mason, SLP
BASC-2 SCORES

18. Improvement in Interval Time Tracking
and Effects of Reading Achievement
Taub, McGrew & Keith (2007)
 86 children grades 1 – 4
 IM training accounted for
18-20% growth in reading
fluency
 Significant impact on critical
early reading skills
 Phonics
 Phonological awareness
 Rapid automatized naming
(reading fluency)
Published in Psychology in the
Schools

19. 6) Athletic relevance
Performance Training of St.
Thomas Aquinas High
School Student-Athletes
Jackokes (2003)
Motor Study: Journal of
General Psychology
Libkuman & Otani (2002)

20. 6) Athletic Relevance
St. Thomas Aquinas High School Student-Athletes
Jacokes (2003)
29 student-athletes
IM training in groups of 15-17 over 15 days
Pre/Post Measures:
 Team timing (IM Short Form Test scores)
 Team focus (IM IAR Scores)
 Team mental processing (WJ III Reading & Math
Fluency)
 Team execution (survey)

21. 6) Athletic Relevance
St. Thomas Aquinas High School Student-Athletes
Jacokes (2003)
Results:
 Team timing
 increased from 55th
to 99th
percentile
 decrease from 46ms to 15 ms
 Team focus
 90% increase in IAR on Short Form Test
 Team mental processing
 Reading fluency increased 2.03 years
 Math fluency increased .99 years

22. 6) Athletic Relevance
St. Thomas Aquinas High School Student-Athletes
Jacokes (2003)
Team execution survey results:
 Improved Team Focus by 45%
 Increased Overall Team Synchronization/Timing
by 62%
 Raised Overall Team Execution by 56%
 Decreased Offensive Miscues by 50%

23. 6) Athletic Relevance
St. Thomas Aquinas High School Student-Athletes
Jacokes (2003)
 Student-athlete comments post-IM training:
 “I am in the right place at the right time.”
 “I feel I get less mentally tired at practice since we started training.”
 “I tend to have a better time of zoning out all that is around me
aside from the task at hand.”
 “I can adjust to a defense better, especially reading the blitz and
 calling audibles.”
 “My ability on defense to read routes and offensive formations and
react to plays has improved greatly.”
 “My reading concentration has improved and I now read much
faster.”
 “I feel my body is more in sync with my mind and it reacts better
than prior to IM training.”

24. 6) Athletic Relevance
Motor Study
The Journal of General Psychology
 Comparison of IM-
trained golfers to a
control group
 Pre/post tested on
computerized driving
range
 Significant
improvements in golf
shot accuracy

25.  20% Overall Gain in Shot Accuracy
 35% Increase for advanced golfers who had consistent swing
mechanics
6) Athletic Relevance
Motor Study
The Journal of General Psychology

26. Research Considerations
where to start…
 Go to www.interactivemetronome.com
 Open “Research” tab
 Follow listings for :
- Published and completed scientific papers
- Papers in the process of publication
- Ongoing Research
- Efficacy of timing and rhythm interventions
- Temporal Processing and Gait
- Research Packets.
 Temporal Research Resources are available in the following areas:-
* ADHD * Executive Functions
*Attention * Intelligence
* Auditory Processing * Memory/working memory
*Autism * Mental Timing Theory
*Brain Injury * Motor Skills
* Dyslexia * Music
* Processing Speed * Reading
* Speech

27. How to fit IM into the school
curriculum
 Individual or small-to-medium group sessions
during non-academic periods (i.e.,
break/lunch periods).
 Individual or small-to-medium groups in
designated therapy space during periods
assigned by teaching staff.
 Individual interventions during homeroom
based activities
 Before or after-school, onsite scheduling for
individual or group sessions
 Laptop set up most flexible with use of
mobile storage i.e. bag/cart

28. Monetary considerations
 Grant funds available
 Fees for services
 Curriculum budget
 School contracting for
services

29. Dealing with Distractions
Analyze your environment
 Visual
 Auditory
 Spatial
 Temperature
 Smell
Modify with:
 Partitions
 Positioning
 Creative scheduling
 Creative themes
 Activity incentives

30. Managing attentional challenges
Learning differences
 SPD
 Spectrum
 ADHD/ADD/NDD
Strategies
 Motivation
 Size of room
 Pacing of sessions
 Allow for more repetition
 Allow for more concrete presentation of session material
 Calming strategies pre-during-post IM

31. Keeping a student engaged
Useful tools to help modify IM activities:
 Velcro
 Multiple Triggers
 Specialized Triggers
 Colored Tape
 Weighted tape
 Fidget items
 ‘Quick fix’ items
 Reinforcement items
 Age-appropriate toys and games

32. Group considerations
 Rhythm group with passive metronome
 Obstacle course with IM component
 Multiple triggers – turn taking/social
skills/game playing/speech and
 cognitive overlay.
 Speakers over headphones

33. Session content and duration
Content
 discipline considerations
 age considerations
 modifications
Duration
 the more repetitions and
engagement, the better the
results….
 however, a little can go a
long way…

34. Determining treatment goals and
reviewing progress – collaboration with
professionals and parents.
 Treatment goals: Functionally and academically based Discipline specific
 Progress based on gains as measured by standardized tests
 DeGangi - Berk Test of Sensory Integration
 Bruininks - Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT2)
 Woodcock Johnson III
 Academic Benchmark test scores
 Minnesota Handwriting Test
 Beery Visual Motor Integration Testing (VMI)
 Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT) or parts of.
 ADHD Monitory System (Rabiner, D. Phd)
 Gray Silent Reading Test
 Stanford Reading Test
 Developmental test of Visual Perception (DTVP)
 Connor’s Behavior Rating Scale

35. Determining treatment goals and
reviewing progress – collaboration with
professionals and parents.
 IM software and documentations
Specific scoring and performance checklists
 Functional performance gains
Functional rating scales
Highlight specific problem areas
Review the course of neuro-plasticity….prepare staff and families for
potential clinical/academic down turn or ‘funk’ period before leveling
out.
 Academic gains
Classroom performance
Ability to complete homework assignments

36. Determining treatment goals and
reviewing progress – collaboration with
professionals and parents.
 Formal and informal reporting from staff and family
Use of checklists and verbal reporting
 Written and aural samples
Collect before, during and after.
 Photographic and video samples
Use for data collection, education and as a reward system
 Collaboration…education-education-education!
 Availability – whenever you set out to influence the development of a child’s
central nervous system, have a communication system set up for staff and
families

37. Any Questions?
Now that you’re thinking
outside of the box…