Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is an emerging therapy that offers new hope for those living with autism spectrum disorder. While it isn’t a cure, research into TMS has shown it effective in reducing many of the challenging symptoms associated with autism, helping people improve daily functioning and well-being.
When it comes to autism treatment, it’s understandable for people to tread with caution. For many parents, the goal is not to ‘fix’ or ‘cure’ autism, but to help their child thrive while fully embracing their unique identities. In these situations, TMS may be a valuable treatment. In this article, we’ll explore TMS treatment for autism, including how it works and what to expect from the procedure.
What is autism?
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a broad neurodevelopmental condition that touches many areas of a person’s life, from social interactions and communication to behavior, emotional regulation, and sensory experiences. Because autism is a spectrum, no two individuals with ASD are exactly alike. Some may need significant support in daily life, while others lead independent lives with minimal assistance.
The two primary symptoms of ASD are:
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- Difficulty with social interaction and communication: People with autism may struggle to navigate social settings or express their thoughts and feelings in a way that others easily understand.
- Repetitive behaviors and routines: Some people with autism engage in repetitive actions or develop routines that provide them with a sense of comfort and stability
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 1 in 36 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with ASD. It’s also common for people with autism to experience related challenges, like depression, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Because each person experiences autism in their own way, support and interventions should be tailored to their unique strengths and needs.
Read More: Everything You Need To Know About OCD in Kids and Teens
What are the types of autism?
There are five main types of autism spectrum disorders:
- Asperger’s Syndrome: People with Asperger’s often have strong intellectual abilities but may struggle with social interactions and understanding nonverbal cues.
- Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD): This rare condition is marked by normal early development followed by the loss of previously acquired skills in areas such as language, social engagement, and motor abilities.
- Rett Syndrome: Mostly affecting females, children with Rett Syndrome experience loss of hand function and speech skills after a period of typical development.
- Kanner’s Syndrome: Also known as classic autism, Kanner’s Syndrome is marked by challenges in social interaction and communication accompanied by intense repetitive behaviors.
- Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS): This diagnosis is given to those who show some traits of autism but don’t meet the full criteria of other types.
What are the signs of autism?
People with autism can display a variety of signs and symptoms, including:
- Limited eye contact
- By the age of 9 months:
- Don’t respond to their name
- Lack a range of emotional facial expressions, such as joy, sadness, anger, or surprise.
- By the age of 12 months:
- Show little interest in playing simple interactive games
- Rarely use gestures, like waving goodbye
- By 15 months, don’t share their interests with others
- By 18 months, don’t point to objects to share them with others
- By 24 months, lack awareness of others’ emotions, like hurt or upset
- By 36 months, don’t play with other children
- By four years old, don’t engage in imaginative play, i.e. pretending to be a superhero
- By five years old, don’t perform through activities like singing or dancing
- Arrange toys or objects in a specific order and are upset if the order is changed
- Repeat the same words or phrases (echolalia)
- Play with toys the same way every time
- Are intensely interested in specific aspects of objects, e.g. wheels on a car
- Are distressed by slight changes
- Possess obsessive interests
- Feel compelled to follow specific routines or rituals
- Engage in movements like flapping hands, rocking the body, or spinning
- React unusually to sounds, smells, tastes, sights, or feelings
- Delayed language and motor skills
- Delayed learning or thinking abilities
- Inattentive, impulsive, or hyperactive tendencies
- Diagnosed with seizures or epilepsy
- Unusual sleeping or eating patterns
- Suffer from digestive disorders
- Display unusual emotions or mood swings
- Show signs of anxiety or tension
- Excessive worry or the lack of fear.
Note that people with autism may not show all – or any – of these signs. Every person’s experience with autism is unique.
See More: Parent’s Guide to Helping Teens With Depression
How is autism diagnosed?
Diagnosing autism involves careful consideration by a medical professional. Usually, this involves examining a child’s behavior and development history and evaluating psychological and physical health to get a full picture of the child’s needs.
Most children are diagnosed with ASD between the ages of four and six, but early signs can be detected from as young as 18 months. The sooner support is provided during crucial development years, the better the outcomes tend to be for both children and their families.
How do you treat autism?
Treating autism usually involves a combination of behavioral therapies and medication, although there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
The most common autism treatment options include:
- Speech and Language Therapy: This is the most common autism therapy, focused on helping people improve their communication skills and better express themselves.
- Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA): ABA uses a reward-based system to teach children new skills and encourage them to apply what they’ve learned in everyday settings.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): In CBT, the patient explores how their thoughts and feelings affect their behavior and learn to reframe their thinking to approach situations differently.
- Discrete Trial Training (DTT): This is an ABA technique that breaks skills down into smaller, more manageable steps, using rewards to encourage desired behavior. Occupational Therapy (OT): OT focuses on building essential life skills that foster independence, from daily tasks like dressing and eating to showering and navigating social situations. OT can include:
- Sensory Integration Therapy: Helps improve how individuals process and respond to overwhelming sensory input.
- Physical Therapy: Helps enhance motor skills and coordination, which can be areas of difficulty for some people with autism.
- Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication-Handicapped Children (TEACCH): This educational approach creates a supportive learning environment tailored to the needs of children with autism, with an emphasis on visual learning.
- Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT): This play-based behavioral therapy focuses on pivotal areas of development to encourage meaningful engagement and learning.
- Medication: While medication doesn’t address the core symptoms of autism, it can manage related conditions, such as anxiety, depression, seizures, sleep disorders, or gastrointestinal (GI) issues.
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS): This noninvasive brain stimulation procedure uses electromagnetic pulses to stimulate parts of the brain linked to mood regulation, helping ease certain ASD-related symptoms.
The ultimate goal of autism treatment is to support a child’s growth and development by helping them build essential life skills and minimizing challenges. The earlier this journey begins, the more opportunities there are to support a child in developing vital social, linguistic, practical, and behavioral skills.
TMS therapy for autism
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy is an innovative, non-invasive treatment that’s gaining attention for its potential to alleviate some of the challenges faced by people with autism.
Sometimes referred to as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), TMS therapy involves delivering targeted electromagnetic pulses to parts of the brain responsible for mood control. While the idea of sending magnetic pulses to the brain might seem daunting, the procedure is safe, painless, and non-systemic.
During a TMS session, a small electromagnetic coil is placed over the head and gentle magnetic pulses are delivered to underactive brain regions. These pulses stimulate nerve cells and release vital neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. Because people with autism are believed to have low brain serotonin concentrations, regular TMS treatments can help rebalance brain activity over time.
Although TMS therapy is currently FDA-approved for treating major depressive disorder (MDD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), its therapeutic benefits are being explored for conditions like autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
See: Who Qualifies for TMS Therapy? (TMS Requirements)
What happens during a TMS treatment for autism?
The first TMS treatment for autism will usually last around 60 minutes, with subsequent sessions taking around 20 to 30 minutes. Here’s what you can expect from the process:
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- Preparation: You’ll be guided into a comfortable chair in the treatment room and the TMS technician will answer any questions you have and settle you in. We aim to create a calm environment to ease any concerns and make sure you’re relaxed before starting treatment.
- Placing the coil: The TMS technician will identify the ideal spot on your scalp for the electromagnetic coil and determine the appropriate level of magnetic energy for your treatment.
- Mapping: The coil will deliver targeted magnetic pulses to specific regions of the brain. You might feel a light tapping sensation on your scalp or hear a gentle clicking sound during the procedure. Some patients experience a mild tingling or twitching sensation in their forehead as the pulses are applied.
- Motor threshold testing: To determine the right dose of magnetic pulses, the technician will gradually increase the intensity until you experience a small twitch in your fingers. This ‘motor threshold’ helps set the personalized level of your treatment and can be adjusted as needed based on your response to therapy.
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- Monitoring: Our team will closely monitor your comfort throughout the session. Afterwards, you’re free to go back to home, work, or school as usual.
- Follow-up sessions: We usually recommend scheduling around 30 sessions over six weeks, although the exact number will depend on your symptoms and response to the treatment. Follow-up sessions last around 20 to 30 minutes. Most TMS patients notice an improvement in the first two to four weeks of treatment, according to Autism Parenting Magazine.
How does TMS therapy treat autism?
TMS therapy targets specific regions of the brain believed to contribute to core autism symptoms, like the prefrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, and parietal cortex. By delivering magnetic pulses to these regions, TMS can help modulate brain activity and potentially alleviate certain challenges faced by people with autism:
Regular TMS sessions for autism can help:
- Enhance motor skills
- Improve attention and focus
- Reduce repetitive behavioral symptoms
- Alleviate depressive symptoms
- Address other ASD symptoms, like lack of sleep and appetite.
Keep Reading: Is TMS Appropriate for Treating Adolescents With Depression?
Side effects of TMS for autism
While TMS therapy is well-tolerated by most patients, some may experience mild to moderate side effects. These are generally short-term and disappear on their own.
Side effects of TMS can include:
- Mild headaches
- Light-headedness
- Discomfort in the neck or scalp
- Tingling sensations
- Facial twitching
- Sleepiness
- Seizures, in extremely rare cases.
Benefits of TMS for autism
The benefits of TMS therapy for autism include:
- A high success rate in reducing symptoms, such as repetitive behaviors and attention deficits
- A non-invasive and non-sedative treatment that doesn’t require medication
- Few to no lasting side effects.
In one study, children who received TMS therapy for autism experienced significant improvements in social skills and language abilities. Caregivers also noted improvements in cognition function and the ability to imitate behaviors more effectively. Another study involving adults with both autism and depression found that TMS not only relieved depressive symptoms but also led to noticeable improvements in autism-related behaviors. Ongoing research and clinical trials continue to explore the full potential of TMS as a treatment for autism, especially in children.
Similar Reading: How TMS Helps Military Members & Dependents
Summary: TMS treatment for autism
TMS therapy shows early promise as a treatment for people on the autism spectrum. By delivering targeted magnetic pulses to specific regions of the brain, TMS can help improve core challenges of ASD, including social skills, repetitive behaviors, and attention deficits.
If you’re curious about how TMS therapy could benefit you or a loved one, reach out to us at BestMind Behavioral Health. We offer TMS therapy at our comfortable clinics in Colorado and Oregon, where our team is ready to provide compassionate, personalized care to help manage autism-related challenges and improve daily life.
