MeRT Treatment for Autism
The New Approach to Autism: A Non-Invasive and Drug-Free Therapy
The MeRT Approach
MeRT stands for Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy. The Brain Treatment Center uses FDA-cleared equipment that generates a gentle magnetic field to balance and stimulate brain function, guided by sophisticated diagnostics and imaging which improves how the brain processes information.
As a result of MeRT treatment we have seen instances where children open up for the first time, experiencing and interacting with the world. Our doctors regularly see improvements in eye contact, communication, understanding directions and a sense of calm that reduces outbursts*.
This is happening because our doctors are locating areas brain that have have low or very low activity and using magnetic stimulation to open them up. Activating these unused pathways allows the patient to process their environment at a higher level.
MeRT treatment protocols are tailored for each patient to help bring their brain to a more optimal degree of activity, based on each individual child. Each patient will have a different starting point based on where they are on the spectrum, but regardless of where they start from, improvements are generally seen as brain function is improved.*
MeRT protocols work by optimizing brain communication which helps it to be more organized and in sync. This allows the child to have better communication skills, social skills, and more independence. This allows for a higher quality of life for both the patient and the parent.
MeRT is unique because all other therapy such as ABA, school etc all are improved as the brain pathways open up.
*Results can vary from patient to patient
Call Our New Patient Coordinator to Learn More
We Are Happy to Discuss Your Specific Situation
Call (619) 255-2101
Miriams MeRT Story…
Miriam’s daughter Raquel had been diagnosed with severe ASD at the age of one and a half.
She didn’t follow directions. She didn’t want to be touched. She didn’t speak, listen, or respond to her name. She didn’t look into her mother’s eyes. She had no emotional connection to her mother, father, 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—phonoaudiology, occupational therapy, behavioral therapy, and sensory integration. She changed Raquel’s diet, so it was free of gluten and casein.
All these efforts helped Raquel show small signs of improvement, but not anything significant. At four and a half years old, doctors still gave Raquel the diagnosis of severe autism.
“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 or Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy. She decided to give it a try. The second day of treatment changed their lives.
Raquel enjoyed the therapy, and she was happy to go, which shocked Miriam. It was the first time Miriam had ever seen her happy. After that day’s treatment, Miriam brought Raquel back 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. Miriam didn’t even realize 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.
Raquel’s 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 interaction was the first one Raquel had ever had with her twin.
A week later, Raquel discovered that 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 was able to go with her family to Disney World—the most over-stimulating place on the planet.
“We knew at that point that the frightening part of our lives was over,” said Miriam. “It’s truly a miracle.”
Hear from Adriana, Mom of Mikey, who Underwent Treatment at our Sister Clinic in Newport Beach:
A New, Non-invasive, Drug-Free Treatment for
Children on the Autism Spectrum
MeRT(sm) stands for Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy. The Brain Treatment Center utilizes a technology (MeRT) that uses a gentle magnetic field to balance and stimulate brain function, 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 that is closely guided to work on only the parts of the brain where activity and communication are sub-optimal. (TMS= Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation)
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 child!
Call Our New Patient Coordinator to Learn More
(619) 255-2101
Or fill in the form at the bottom of the page and she will contact you.
Benefits We Have Seen
Some of the Benefits* we have seen in addressing Autism with MeRT include:
- 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 are based on active and strict observation of our regimens. Results may vary based on the individual user and are not guaranteed.
Brain Patterns Found in Autism
Autism affects each person differently.
No two people will have the same experience with Autism, but there are some commonalities since it often causes issues with how a person communicates and views the outside world. Many social skills, learning, interacting with others, and the ability to function independently of care may all be affected.
The EEG will show different electrical signals in the brain of a child with autism compared to a child who is not suffering from ASD. Those affected with Autism will often have signature indicators that appear in the front 3/4 of the brain. These brainwaves are dominated by a mix of slow (Delta & Theta waves) and high (Beta wave) frequency behavior, whereas a neurotypical patient would usually have one dominant frequency in the alpha band of activity.
MeRT protocols work by neuromodulating brain waves. This optimizes brain communication which helps it to be more organized and in sync. This can allow the child to be higher functioning, and in most cases, to have better communication skills, social skills, and more independence, allowing for a higher quality of life for both the patient and the caregiver.
*Results can vary from patient to patient
Testimonial
Hear it from the Parents…
“We are dropping a line to thank you for your help last summer with Immanuel. We 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 & 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. We are thrilled by Immanuel’s progress and the fact that he can play with other kids—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.
Common Characteristics of Autism
These are some of the characteristics of Autism, however, these will vary depending on where the child is on the Spectrum:
- Inability to read body language or understand changes in the tone of voice
- Little or no make eye contact
- Appearing disconnected from the outside world, and not engaging with their environment
- Not acknowledging or responding when they are being spoken to
- Lack of verbal skills
- Blank facial expressions
- Monotone speech patterns
- Appearing to lack emotions, connection, or compassion for others
- Responding inappropriately in social settings
- Being disruptive, hyperreactive, or loud
- Not understanding questions or instructions
- Not initiating conversation on their own, in some cases repeating what is spoken to them
- Being obsessive about routines
- Fixation on objects or events
- Exhibiting repetitive movements
- Acting out aggressively when they don’t want to do something
- More extreme reactions in over-stimulating environments
The Details…
The Exact Steps of MeRT Treatment
We understand that MeRT is a relatively new, cutting-edge treatment and you may not be certain if this is right for your situation. But this is not a decision that needs to be made right away or all alone.
1. Your first step would be a simple phone consultation with our New Patient Coordinator. Here you can discuss symptoms and history, ask all the questions you want, and have her explain the protocols, fees, and details of treatment.
If you are interested in taking the next step in seeing if MeRT treatment is right for you, we can set up an appointment for an EEG (a simple, painless, and non-invasive brain scan).
2. First Appointment. Your first appointment with us will consist of us performing a qEEG (quantitative EEG)/EKG test which is used to evaluate brain activity and will show us any dysfunction or mis-communications that are occurring. A qEEG is sometimes referred to as a “brain map” and shows exact areas of the brain that are experiencing dysfunction. This tool is valuable as it allows us to customize treatment specifically for YOU. This test is performed by our chief neuro-technician and takes approximately an hour to complete for an Autism mapping. We will also gather your new patient paperwork at this time, and get you scheduled for your initial assessment period of treatment.
3. Second Appointment. The second appointment is a clinical evaluation with Kate Ryan, R.N., and takes approximately 45-minutes. This appointment can be completed 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, Kate will answer any questions you may have and discuss your applicable treatment plan. Additionally, you will have an opportunity to meet with our physician and Medical Director.
4. Treatment. 6-weeks of treatment is recommended for patients undergoing MeRT in order to achieve optimal and long-lasting results. However, prior to committing to the 6-weeks of treatment, we have each patient first go through an assessment period of treatment to see how they will respond. The assessment period is included in the 6-weeks of treatment.
The assessment period is 1 to 2 weeks long depending on the age of the patient. For children who are 10 years and younger, the assessment period is 1 week in length. It consists of attending 4 treatment sessions, Monday through Thursday, and is followed by a repeat qEEG to determine progress.
Assessment for anyone 11 years and older is 2-weeks in length and consists of 9 treatment sessions followed by a repeat qEEG. Treatment would be provided 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 5 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.
For those who are not ready to commit to an assessment period, or if we need to see the results of the testing to confirm that MeRT can help, we also offer the option of coming in for a qEEG/EKG and then having a consultation with Kate and/or Dr. Kim to go over the results. After your clinical consultation, you will still have the option of going through an assessment period should you choose to do so.
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.
Because each person’s brains and conditions are unique, treatment protocols are customized specifically for each individual which are guided by the qEEG results. Repeat qEEGs and clinical consultations occur every 2-weeks throughout treatment. The effects of treatment generally last a lifetime, though some folks do opt for occasional follow-up treatment.
During your treatment session, you will sit in a comfortable chair while the neuro technician administers this gentle treatment with a hand-held magnet that is held near the scalp. While you may feel a slight sensation during treatment, it is not painful or uncomfortable. Magnetic pulses are delivered for 6-8 seconds during each minute of treatment.
Potential side-effects of treatment are minimal and should begin to dissipate after you begin to progress through treatment.
Interested but not sure?
Talk with our New Patient Coordinator
It doesn’t cost anything to call us and talk about what is happening. Our New Patient Coordinator is here for you. She understands your pain. She listens. She can explain the process and protocols, costs, possible insurance benefits, and any other details you want to know. She can answer your questions. There are no obligations and she will take the time you need to know whether or not you should take the next steps.