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New therapy helps student improve focus

New therapy helps student improve focus

By AMY FLOWERS UMBLE

Date published: 11/19/2003

TRAVIS THOMPSON, a dark- haired 10-year-old, bounds into the room with cheerful energy.

He greets Denise Pado, his occupational therapist, with a beaming face.

"He just hates to come here, can't you tell?" his mom, Candy Thompson, says as Travis jumps onto a platform swing.

Pado guides Travis over to the computer, telling him he'll have to work first. He can choose his reward.

Travis requests his treat with an enthusiastic cry. "Crabby patties!"

Pado promises the SpongeBob SquarePants candy and Travis affably puts on a pair of headphones and positions himself in front of the computer.

Travis--who has autism--is now an old pro at this work. He's been doing Interactive Metronome training with Pado for 18 sessions.

The technique is pretty new to Pado. Travis is her test subject.

Pado first heard about the training when she was working for the school system. A parent heard of the program and told Pado about it.

"I thought, 'That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, and how much money did they take from you to do this?'" Pado said.

But the student started showing remarkable improvement. Pado was intrigued. She knew that one day she would get certified to do the therapy.

Pado left Spotsylvania County schools last year and began her own private practice, Ni River Therapy Center. She became certified to do the IM therapy.

And she chose Travis to be her "training subject." She broached the subject to Travis' mom.

She explained the therapy--Travis would wear headphones and respond to repetitive cowbell sounds. He would respond using his feet and hands, performing rhythm exercises.

"The IM addresses a fundamental brain process. Therefore, it has a wide range of applications to enhance performance," Matthew Wukasch, CEO of Interactive Metronome Inc., said in a press release.

Thompson had never heard of the program when Pado mentioned it, but she thought it sounded interesting.

"If it could do what it says it does, that's just phenomenal," Thompson said. "I figured even if it didn't work, he could spend time with his favorite OT."

The company behind the therapy touts the program as a nondrug treatment for ADHD and says it helps in the treatment of Parkinson's, ADHD, autism and other learning disabilities.

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Date published: 11/19/2003