Sara & Ben tackle motor planning issues using Timocco

I started treating Ben, age 4.5, for multi-system disability and motor problems that originated from difficulties in motor planning. In his initial assessment, I noticed problems in gross and fine motor abilities that prevented him from taking part in arts and crafts activities.

Even when he progressed and improved in motor coordination, planning and sequencing, he still continued to struggle with being consistent in motor tasks and didn’t want to practice them at home. As a therapist, I found it vital that Ben continue to practice different motor activities outside our therapy room.

I could see that Ben was interested in Timocco activities during our sessions and his motivation to succeed was growing. A few months ago, I introduced Ben’s parents to Timocco and recommended that they start using it at home.

Once they decided to go ahead, Ben’s in-clinic user profile (which includes plans and results) was automatically connected to his home user profile. This gave me the ability to continue working with Ben and see all the results from his previous games. It also allowed me to create a home training plan for him and to follow his progress. We also communicated between sessions on the message board in the system.

When I built Ben’s training plan, I marked all the weekdays since the parents couldn’t tell me specifically which days that they knew for certain that they would be available to help him use Timocco. When possible, I specify the days for practice as the days that I know the child and parents have time but not more than three times a week.
When I logged into Timocco I could see what games he was playing and for how long. If I saw that he spent only a short time on a certain game, I understood that he didn’t understand what he needed to do or that it was too easy or difficult for him.

For example, “Car Game” demands a high level of motor planning, accuracy and timing. I could see that Ben was struggling with this game at home so in our next clinical session, I showed him how to play and succeed in the game. It also gave me a better understanding about what games he likes and dislikes. His parents told me he is always happy to play with Timocco but prefers not to be told in what positions to play in.

My ability to track what Ben did at home gave us more topics to talk about and more experiences for him to share with me. It also meant that I could give him positive feedback about his homework performance when we met. With time it’s helped us build a very trusting relationship.

For me as his therapist, the goals of strengthening his upper extremities, core strength and persistence in motor challenges were met.

Sara Orit Torem, OTL
Clalit Health Services and Ma’ale Ve’Har regional support unit.