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Families across the US are fighting ADHD and Autism with a personalized brain fitness program. The computer based program is called 'Interactive Metronome' and its video game like technology has helped one student go from special needs to top of his class.
Just a few years ago, Adam Solomon was struggling with a severe case of ADHD. Labeled a special needs student at school, he was often relegated to the corner of the classroom to be on his own.
His parents were met with a decision: provide medicinal treatment for their son or leave him in the state that he was in. Unhappy with the choices available to them, his parents opted for an alternative measure recommended by a friend.
"This changed my son's life," said Adam's mother, Diane Solomon. "...it saved the life of my family."
Interactive Metronome (IM) is a five week therapy program that uses a computer game to help improve timing in the brain. Using a pair of headphones, Adam matched his clapping to the sounds in the game as the screen displayed his reflex timing.
"When he hits that middle box four times in a row, he's growing basically a new brain connection..." Diane said.
Essentially, the program improved Adam's mental facilities to ultimately assist in his focusing.
"You're milli-second brain timing is a key factor in how you pay attention and focus," Sherrie Hardy, owner of Hardy Brain Training said. "Our training program takes the brain from a dysregulated state into a gifted and advanced state that we can focus, pay attention and learn easily."
The program was a success for Adam. Today he is seeing significant improvements.
"He's in Karate, Boy Scouts, learning to read and speak another language," Diane said.
While no therapy is guaranteed to work in every case, Adam is proof pills are not the only option when it comes to treating ADHD.
"I know how much I've improved since I was in third grade," said Adam. "I've had terrible grades for a long time. It feels so much better to have great grades...I pay attention better."
The program can get pricey, five weeks of training costs close to a thousand dollars. Although n some cases insurance does cover some of the costs.