Autism

MeRT Treatment for Autism

A New, Non-Invasive, Drug-Free Therapy

The MeRT Approach

MeRT, or Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy, is a breakthrough treatment for Autism. The Brain Treatment Center uses FDA-cleared equipment to generate a gentle magnetic field in order to balance and stimulate brain function. This process is guided by sophisticated diagnostics and imaging.

As a result of MeRT treatment, many children open up for the very first time, allowing them to experience and interact with the world. Our doctors regularly see improvements in eye contact, communication, understanding directions, and more. They can also feel a sense of calm that reduces outbursts.*

This is happening because our doctors are locating brain areas with low or very low activity. They then use magnetic stimulation to open them up. This activates these unused pathways in the brain, allowing the patient to process their environment at a higher level.

Plus, MeRT is unique since all other therapies — such as ABA and school — get better results as the brain pathways open up.

MeRT: A Non-invasive, Drug-Free Treatment for Children on the Autism Spectrum

MeRT(sm) stands for Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy. The Brain Treatment Center uses MeRT technology with guided electromagnetic stimulation to balance and stimulate brain function, all guided by sophisticated diagnostics and imaging. MeRT can be used in conjunction with any other type of therapy.

MeRT could be considered a version of TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) that is closely guided to work on only the parts of the brain where activity and communication are sub-optimal.

With a diagnosis of Autism, early intervention is key to the child’s development. Results from this treatment are giving many parents renewed HOPE for their children!*

Personalized Treatment

We tailor our MeRT treatment protocols for each patient to help reach optimal performance. And it’s important to note that each child will have a different starting point based on where they are on the spectrum. However, regardless of where your child or loved one may start, we generally see improvements as brain function is improved.*

MeRT protocols work by optimizing brain communication to be more organized and in sync. This allows the child to have better communication skills, social skills, and more independence. And that means a higher quality of life for both the patient and the parent.

It is unique because all other therapies — such as ABA and school — are improved as the brain pathways open up.

Call Our New Patient Coordinator to Learn More
We Are Happy to Discuss Your Specific Situation

Call (619) 255-2101

Miriam’s MeRT Story…

Miriam’s daughter Raquel had been diagnosed with severe ASD at one and a half. Raquel didn’t speak, listen, or respond to her name. She didn’t follow directions or want to be touched. She didn’t look into her mother’s eyes and had no emotional connection to her mother, father, or even her twin sister.

Miriam spent the next three years searching desperately for anything that could improve Raquel’s quality of life. She tried several forms of therapy, changed Raquel’s diet, and did everything possible to help her. All these efforts helped Raquel show slight signs of improvement — but nothing significant. At four and a half years old, doctors still gave Raquel the diagnosis of severe autism.

“My daughter lived in her own little world…”

“Life was completely miserable,” Miriam said. “Raquel suffered from extremely high anxiety. We couldn’t go to a mall or a restaurant or the movies. We couldn’t even drive with her in the car without the panic attacks and the screaming. My daughter lived in her own little world, and we weren’t a part of it.”

Refusing to give up, Miriam heard about the Brain Treatment Center and MeRT.

The second day of MeRT treatment changed their lives.

Raquel enjoyed the therapy, and she was happy to go — which shocked Miriam. Also, this was the first time Miriam had ever seen Raquel happy.

After the second day of treatment, Miriam brought Raquel home. “I was in the kitchen with my husband,” she said. “Raquel walked up to us with a cup in her hand and said, ‘juice.’ That was the first word she’d ever spoken. We were in shock.”

Raquel then walked to a lemon tree outside, yanked a lemon off the tree, and smelled it. Before this, Miriam hadn’t even realized her daughter knew what a lemon was or that it had a smell. “It’s as if that information was there all the time but had been trapped,” said Miriam.

When her twin sister tried to take the lemon away, Raquel fought for it, saying “MY lemon,” then danced around holding the lemon away from her sister, playing with her. This was the first interaction Raquel had ever had with her twin.

A week later, Raquel discovered Miriam was her mother.

“She looked me in the eye, grabbed my shoulders and gasped, then hugged me,” Miriam said. “Then she pulled away and looked at me, gasped again, and kissed me. I’ll never forget that moment as long as I live.”

After three weeks of therapy, Raquel could go with her family to Disney World, which is unquestionably one of the most over-stimulating places on the planet.

“We knew at that point that the frightening part of our lives was over,” said Miriam. “It’s truly a miracle.”

How MeRT Works to Treat Autism

MeRT stands for Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy. MeRT is a version of TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation), closely guided to work on only the parts of the brain with sub-optimal activity and communication.

What makes MeRT different from standard TMS treatment is the comprehensive testing we do beforehand. We create a detailed map of the brain with a qEEG (quantitative electroencephalogram). The qEEG shows us the specific brain function of each patient – and where the brainwaves may be out of sync.

Call Our New Patient Coordinator to Learn More

Call (619) 255-2101

Or fill in the form at the bottom of the page and she will contact you.

Brain Patterns Found in Autism

No two people will have the same experience with autism, but some commonalities exist. Autism often causes issues with how a person communicates and views the outside world. It may affect many social skills, learning, interacting with others, and the ability to function independently of care.

The qEEG will show different electrical signals in the brain of a child with autism compared to a child without ASD.

Those affected with autism will often have signature indicators that appear in the front three-fourths of the brain. A mix of slow (Delta & Theta wave) and high (Beta wave) frequency behavior dominates these brainwaves.

This differs from that of a neurotypical patient, who would usually have one dominant frequency in the alpha band of activity.

MeRT protocols work by neuromodulating brain waves based on the qEEG results. This optimizes brain communication, which helps it to be more organized and in sync.

This can help your child to be higher functioning — allowing for a higher quality of life for both your child and you.*

Our Medical Director is a Pioneer in MeRT Treatment

A board-certified internist with over two decades of medical experience, Dr. Julie Kim is the Medical Director of the Brain Treatment Center in San Diego and our Cardiff Braincare Performance Center. She also serves as Medical Director for the original Flagship Brain Treatment Center in Newport Beach.

Over the past decade, Dr. Kim has treated over 5,000 patients with MeRT (Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy). In fact, she was one of the first doctors to work with MeRT technology and is the most experienced MeRT clinician in the world.

Because of her expertise and experience, Dr. Kim co-created the initial safety protocols and physician training programs and has worked with Wave Neuroscience to train and support other physicians.

In the past four years alone, she has trained over 100 physicians to interpret qEEG results and use the full MeRT protocols.

Dr. Kim has seen MeRT therapy change the lives of not only her patients but also the community surrounding each patient. That’s why she’s so passionate about bringing this technology to as many people as possible.

Read more about Dr. Julie Kim here.

Hear it from the Parents…

“We are dropping a line to thank you for your help last summer with Immanuel. My wife and I are RVing this weekend and marveling at how well Immanuel now socializes with other children at the campsite.

“We were here last year around the same time and he needed constant play supervision because he kept arguing and trying to control play. This weekend he’s able to go along with what others are playing.

“He is also at a private school with no special ed teacher to support him, and he is able to succeed without the extra support. It’s a small classroom, but last year it would have been impossible. Immanuel has made such strides socially, with nonverbal cues, being flexible, and regulating his frustrations.

“His occupational therapist has been amazed, as well. She evaluated him before he started treatment with you but started therapy AFTER we returned from Texas. She says that he has been crushing the prescribed program— he scored significantly above expectations at the latest eval and he’s is speeding through the stages.

“Immanuel’s progress and the fact that he can play with other kids thrills us—he’s had numerous play dates at our house and they’ve gone well. This touches our hearts more than anything—that he has friends now.

“Again, thank you for making this treatment available and for your guiding us through the process. We looked forward to the summer.” – David and Debbie J.

Autism Parenting Magazine Features MeRT Treatment Success

In the third week, something happened. The family was driving around sight-seeing when they realized that they were getting lost in the California desert. Mary and Frank began to argue, and right in the midst of it, the moment they had waited six years for finally came.

“‘I remember he said a seven-word sentence basically to the effect of “I want you two to stop fighting.”And it shocked me so much that I almost stopped breathing,’ Frank recounts. ‘I looked at my wife and said, “Do you realize what just happened? He just said a seven-word sentence.” I had tears in my eyes, and I was happy at the same time. He was so upset that it pushed these words through.

“From there, Frankie’s progress snowballed. They returned home after only a month, but the difference between the child who arrived in California and the one who left was striking.

“They had taken a video of Frankie on the plane when they started the journey, ‘and he’s just making baby babble,’ Frank says. ‘We have another video of him on the plane coming back. And he looks out the window and says, “Goodbye California, see you soon.” This was a nonverbal kid, 30 days later. And his feet are flat on the ground.’

“Doctors said Frankie would continue to improve even without regular MeRT, albeit a bit slower. Today, he is 11 years old, verbal, and attends a public school.

“He tells Frank stories about times when he wanted to speak but couldn’t. ‘He goes, “You know, I’m so glad we went to the brain treatment because now I can talk,’” says Frank.”

Benefits we Have Seen from MeRT Treatment for Autism

• Improved Eye Contact
• Less anxiety, more relaxed
• More independence
• Improved concentration and focus
• Better interaction with others
• Response to Directions
• Improved sleep
• Longer sleep duration
• Improved mood, Less Anxiety
• Increased ability to cope with stress
• Greater attention span
• More sociability
• More motivation to learn
• Better emotional stability
• Increased ability to adapt to change
• Greater self-confidence and self-esteem
• More “presence” in the world going on around them
• Improved language skills

*Results vary from patient to patient and are not guaranteed

The Exact Steps of MeRT Treatment

We understand MeRT is a relatively new treatment, and you may not be sure if this is right for your situation. However, this is not a decision you have to make right away or all alone.

Phone Consultation

Your first step is a simple phone consultation with our New Patient Coordinator. In this free, no-obligation consultation, you can discuss symptoms and history, ask all the questions you want, and have her explain the protocols and fees. She can also further explain the treatment itself.

After the call, if you are interested in taking the next step, we can set up an appointment for a qEEG (a simple, painless, and non-invasive brain scan).

First Appointment

When you come in for your first appointment, we will perform the qEEG and EKG as mentioned above in the Treatment Overview section. These tests will help us evaluate brain activity and show us any dysfunction. The qEEG, or brain mapping, is a valuable tool as lets us customize treatment for YOU.

Our chief neurotechnician performs the qEEG/EKG testing, which takes approximately an hour to complete for an autism mapping. We will also gather your new patient paperwork at this time and schedule you for your initial assessment period of treatment.

Second Appointment

Your second appointment will be a clinical evaluation with Nurse Practitioner Kayleigh Prowse, which takes approximately 45 minutes. You can have this appointment via Telemedicine or in-clinic, whichever you prefer. Please note that if you choose a Telemedicine appointment and are seeking treatment for your child, your child will need to be present.

During this consultation, Kayleigh will answer all your questions and discuss your applicable treatment plan. You will also have an opportunity to meet with our physician and Medical Director, Julie Kim, M.D.

Assessment Period

We recommend six weeks of treatment for patients undergoing MeRT in order to achieve optimal and long-lasting results. However, prior to committing to the six weeks, we have each patient first go through an assessment period of treatment to see how they will respond. This assessment period is included in the six weeks of treatment.

The assessment is two weeks long, consisting of nine treatment sessions, followed by a repeat qEEG. We provide treatment for the first week, Monday through Friday, and the following week, Monday through Thursday. A typical treatment session lasts about 30-45 minutes.

Additionally, the follow-up qEEG results will be covered with you by your provider.

If clinical changes are occurring as they should, and the qEEG also shows progress, then you would then continue treatment which would occur five days per week, Monday through Friday. Generally, you will begin to feel the benefits of treatment within a week or two, but because treatment is cumulative, should continue to note improvements throughout the course of your treatment, and even for some weeks after treatment. Because treatment is consecutive, you must be able to stay in or around the area while undergoing your therapy.

Treatment

If clinical changes are occurring as they should and the qEEG also shows progress, then you will continue treatment. This ongoing treatment occurs five days per week, Monday through Friday.

You should start to feel the benefits of treatment within a week or two, but because treatment is cumulative, you should continue to note improvements throughout the course of your treatment, and even for some weeks afterward.

Additionally, because we perform treatment on consecutive days, you must be able to stay in or around the San Diego area while undergoing your therapy.

Because each person’s brain and condition are unique, we customize treatment protocols specifically for each patient, guided by the qEEG results. And repeat qEEGs and clinical consultations occur every two weeks throughout treatment.

As a note, the potential side-effects of treatment are minimal and should begin to dissipate as you progress through treatment. Moreover, the effects of treatment generally last a lifetime, though some patients prefer occasional follow-up treatment as needed.

* Improvements and results of MeRT are based on strict and active observation of our treatment protocols. Results may vary based on each person and are not guaranteed.

Ashley’s Success Story

I would love to give a shout-out to the Brain Treatment Center and everyone who did the therapy on me there because this was the last therapy I got in my life of living with autism!

This changed me completely! This one stopped me from shaking my strings a few weeks after, and now I can drive and run on ridges and am a cashier at Costco and run marathons!

I would 100 percent recommend these guys!” – Ashley R.

Insurance for MeRT Treatment

Interested, but not Sure?

Talk with our New Patient Coordinator

It costs nothing to call us and talk about what is happening.

Our New Patient Coordinator is here for you.

During your call, she can answer any question or concern you may have.

She can also explain the process and protocols, costs, possible insurance benefits, and any other details.

It’s important to note that there are no obligations, and she will take the time you need to know whether you should take the next steps.

Call Our New Patient Coordinator to Learn More

(619) 255-2101

Or fill in the form below, and she will contact you.