Autism therapy guided by your child’s own brain map
Autism is our primary focus. We record a 19-channel qEEG, look at how your child’s brain is working, and use that map to plan gentle, non-invasive TMS aimed at regulation, sleep, attention and communication. No medication and no sedation.
Prefer to write? Request a consultation or verify your insurance.
When the usual supports haven’t been enough
Most families who call us have already done a great deal: speech and occupational therapy, ABA, school plans, sometimes several medications. Those supports matter, and we never ask anyone to stop them.
What parents describe is the part that hasn’t moved. Sleep that never settles. Meltdowns that arrive without warning. A child who is working hard and is still overwhelmed by noise, transitions or a change in routine.
Brain-guided care starts from a different question. Along with asking what a behavior looks like, we measure what the brain is doing, and we build the plan from that.
What a brain map can show
A qEEG records the brain’s electrical activity from 19 sites on the scalp and compares it with a reference database of people the same age. It’s painless, and your child stays awake the whole time.
In autistic children, maps often show patterns such as extra slow-wave activity over the frontal lobes, regions that are firing out of step with one another, or differences in how strongly areas connect. None of these patterns diagnoses autism, and no two children look alike.
What the map gives us is a starting point: which regions and rhythms to work on, and a baseline to measure change against.
How we use TMS
Transcranial magnetic stimulation uses brief magnetic pulses, delivered through a coil resting on the scalp, to shift the activity of the brain tissue underneath. Your child sits in a chair, awake. There are no needles and no anesthesia.
We choose the site, frequency and intensity from the brain map, begin with conservative settings and adjust as we go. Sessions are short, and most children settle into the routine within the first few visits. If a session isn’t going well, we stop. Nothing is ever forced.
What the research says, plainly
You deserve a straight answer on this. TMS is not FDA-cleared for autism, and using it this way is called off-label: legal, common in medicine, and backed by less evidence than a cleared use.
A 2018 review that pooled 23 studies found moderate improvements in repetitive behaviors and social behavior. The same review concluded that the evidence is still preliminary, because most of the studies were small and only six compared real TMS against a sham treatment.1 A consensus statement from autism and brain-stimulation researchers reached a similar view: promising, and in need of larger trials.2
So here is what we can promise: careful screening, conservative settings, objective tracking and honesty about what we see. Some children respond clearly, some modestly and some not at all. If the map and the weekly reports aren’t moving, we’ll tell you.
How we track progress
Each week we ask what you’re seeing at home and at school, and we fold that into the plan. Partway through care we repeat the qEEG and set it beside the first one.
You see both through our NeuroAxis progress reports, so you’re looking at the changes yourself instead of taking our word for it.
Safety
TMS has been used in clinics since 2008. The common side effects are mild: a headache, scalp discomfort where the coil rests, or tiredness after a session.
The serious risk is a seizure, which is rare. Because epilepsy is more common in autistic people, we review every child’s history and EEG before starting and keep stimulation settings conservative. TMS isn’t suitable for anyone with metal or an implanted device in or near the head, such as a cochlear implant.
Alongside therapy and school
TMS doesn’t replace speech therapy, OT, ABA or a good school plan. Keep what’s working. We also offer psychotherapy at the clinic, and we’re glad to coordinate with the providers you already have.
Sources
- Barahona-Corrêa JB, Velosa A, Chainho A, Lopes R, Oliveira-Maia AJ. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for treatment of autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience. 2018;12:27.
- Oberman LM, et al. Transcranial magnetic stimulation in autism spectrum disorder: challenges, promise, and roadmap for future research. Autism Research. 2016.
Last updated October 2026.
Questions about autism treatment
Is TMS FDA-approved for autism?
No. TMS systems are FDA-cleared for major depression and OCD, among other uses. Using TMS for autism is off-label, which is legal and common in medicine, but it means the evidence is still developing. We go over what that means for your child at the consultation.
What ages do you work with?
We see children, teens and adults. Whether TMS makes sense for a particular child depends on their history, their EEG and whether they can sit comfortably through a session. We decide that together at the consultation.
Will my child tolerate it?
TMS feels like a light tapping on the scalp and makes a clicking sound. Most children get used to it within a few sessions. We start at low intensity, take breaks and never force a session.
Do we have to stop ABA, speech or OT?
No. Keep the supports that are working. We schedule around them and are happy to coordinate with your child’s other providers.
Is this the same as MeRT?
No. MeRT is a trademarked system offered only by licensed clinics, and Reign-Bow doesn’t offer it. Our qEEG-guided TMS is planned by our own clinical team and reviewed by our medical director. Why families choose Reign-Bow.
Will insurance cover it?
Coverage depends on your plan and on what is being billed. We verify your benefits before treatment (we work with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare, Cigna and Aetna) and give you self-pay pricing for anything that isn’t covered.
Autism care for Chicago and the suburbs
Our one clinic is in Lombard, a short drive from most of DuPage County and reachable from Chicago and the south suburbs by I-88, I-355 and I-294.
Call our office
We’ll answer your questions, check your insurance benefits and help you decide whether a brain map is the right next step. Our team answers the phone during clinic hours.
Prefer to write? Request a consultation or verify your insurance.