South County Focus Training uses technology to teach
concentration
A new cognitive training program that uses highly adaptive technology to help children and adults improve their concentration, focus, motor control and even social skills, is now being introduced in Morgan Hill.
Karen Wrinkle, an occupational therapist by profession, has branched out on her own to offer the cognitive training program, known as Interactive Metronome, to children and adults who have a difficult time maintaining their focus and attention, or who simply would like to improve on these skills.
Wrinkle still works weekends as an occupational therapist in the psychiatric ward at Valley Medical Center in San Jose, but during the week, by appointment, she is at the Extreme Learning Center at 155 E. Main Street, where she meets clients.
A typical session involves the client listening to a series of reference tones and guide sounds in different rhythmic patterns through headphones connected to a computer. The client responds with repetitive hand and foot movements. Wrinkle, through the computer, tracks timing based on milliseconds and how the client responds with the hand and foot movements.
In the simplest sense, responding to the beeps in a timely fashion can sharpen a client’s listening skills and hand and foot coordination. But as a person goes through a series of sessions, studies have shown that the audio and visual stimulation also improves a wide range of cognitive, behavioral and physical processes.
“It helps people improve their ability to process information and triggers certain areas in the brain to fire more efficiently,” explained Wrinkle. “A person is able to process the information and execute steps to complete a task. It improves attention, coordination, balance, sharpens focus.”
The program teaches individuals stay on task and not be distracted. Children and adults with attention deficit disorder, autistic spectrum disorder, gross/fine motor control issues as a result of other learning disabilities or a physical disability have experienced positive results from the program, said Wrinkle.
The program was created by the late James Cassily, a musician who studied child and behavioral psychology. A growing number of doctors in over 1,700 clinics, hospitals and schools are using the IM program to improve their patients’ overall cognitive and physical skills.
Wrinkle learned about the program a couple of years ago and enrolled her son, Adam, then 9, to help him improve his focusing skills.
“We were just half-way through the program when my parents and sisters noticed a marked improvement in him. He was on-task,” Wrinkle said. The improvement in Adam’s attention skills impressed her family so much that each of them enrolled in the program. Then they encouraged her to undergo training and provide the program in Morgan Hill.
Wrinkle became a certified trainer last summer and officially opened for business soon after. She joined the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce in September. A booth at the Taste of Morgan Hill and word of mouth has brought her over 20 clients – children, as well as adults, from Morgan Hill and as far as Milpitas and Hollister. Children as young as 11 years old and adults of any age can undergo the program.
A client participates in a total of 15 sessions. Sessions are an hour-long, three times a week. Cost is $105 per session; $90 if pre-paid.
Wrinkle stresses, most important about the program is “clients are motivated. I see the bright smiles and they are really proud of themselves. They’re competing against themselves and enjoying it.”
“Best of all,” Wrinkle added, “they come back to me and tell me their math scores improved, their soccer coach kept them in the game longer. The program raises their self-esteem, improves eye contact and their ability to handle stress.”
Wrinkle said the program is good for sports teams and can be adapted for those with mental and physical challenges. Students’ math calculation skills and fluency, reading and language processing can be improved with the sharpening of focus skills.
She noted, “It can even help you improve your golf game!”
To learn more about South County Focus Training and the Interactive Metronome program, contact Wrinkle at (408) 838-5786.
Rose Meily is the City Editor for the Morgan Hill Times. Reach her at 779-4106 ext. 201 or by e-mail at rm****@*************es.com
