Hemi-Sync® for Children and Young People with Autism and Deep Development Syndrome: New Reports

by Berenice Luque
Winter/Spring 2005

Berenice Luque, a phonoaudiologist in Rosario, Argentina, leads the interdisciplinary service “El Angel” in the Provincial Children’s Hospital of Rosario and is a colleague of TMI Professional Member and OUTREACH facilitator Nora Rosen. Before beginning the usual therapeutic and educational interventions, Berenice has her patients listen to Hemi-Sync tapes at least once a day—and three times a day if possible. This allows her to evaluate any changes attributable to Hemi-Sync before treatment starts. The following case studies suggest why El Angel’s schedule is so full that potential patients are on a waiting list.

Lisette is four years old and diagnosed with autism. She started to listen to METAMUSIC® Remembrance twice a day in October 2004. Before using Hemi-Sync, Lisette was extremely inflexible, had uncontrollable tantrums, and played poorly with other children. She did not respond to her name and repeated nonsensical words, as well as avoiding eye contact. These behavior problems—plus yelling and lack of bowel control—led to her removal from kindergarten.

After listening to Hemi-Sync, her parents observed, at first “Lisette was euphoric, excited, and dropped things to the floor. After five days she didn’t want to listen; she was too anxious and spoiled—the music made her irritable. After a week she was willing to listen to one side of the tape. She sat down and drew pictures and was very affectionate to her mother. Recently, Lisette has been listening twice a day and asks for Remembrance. After forty-five days her vocabulary improved. She now accepts more orders and changes, wants more touch with other children, and does not isolate herself as before. She has good bowel control and goes to the toilet alone, which is a great achievement. Play with her sister is more organized. She asks to hear Remembrance many times, turns it over, and puts it on the player by herself.”

Juan Manuel is five years old and diagnosed with “high-functioning” autism. Exposure to Hemi-Sync (METAMUSIC Einstein’s Dream) started in July 2004. Juan Manuel was very inflexible and did not interrelate with children in his age group. He played alone and talked to himself, using “odd” words invented or copied from television characters. He also copied others’ language (echolalia). Resistant to change, he yelled and lay down when contradicted. Juan Manuel did not know how to share and was aggressive to the extent of hitting others when angry. His constant low level of frustration caused many difficulties in public school.

When Juan Manuel began to listen to Einstein’s Dream twice a day, his parents reported: “After hearing the tape for two weeks, he is calmer, speaks better, and is beginning to replace phrases heard and copied with phrases he constructs himself. He is beginning to write only words that matter for him; he struggles to do it and shows satisfaction when he succeeds. He moves more surely when playing ball. In swimming he wants to go to the deep side of the pool with his sister. During a presentation in school he was well behaved and applauded and sang with his companions. Juan Manuel told a girl, ‘You are the love of my life.’ His games are more creative, and he has begun to do symbolic games.”

When the Walkman® broke, Juan Manuel could not listen to Einstein’s Dream for over a month. Backward movement was noticed, above all in language and in behavior—he returned to the echolalia and fell on the floor and had tantrums. Improvement was immediate when he began to listen to the cassette again. He is more focused at school and when doing his homework. Juan Manuel sees his Hemi-Sync cassette as his refuge; he asks for it when he is stressed, tired, restless, or worried about something.

Ezequiel and Claudio are brothers and have used Hemi-Sync for two years. Positive results were reported earlier. Their parents say that after two months without hearing the tape they did not observe any regression. Progress is stable and continuous. Ezequiel is fourteen years old and his brother is sixteen years old.

Federico, as stated in a former report, developed greatly with Hemi-Sync. When he quit listening for five months, he acted more spoiled, was unresponsive, lost language skills, and became more hyperactive. When he returns to Hemi-Sync, he improves gradually but does not attain the same level as before. Federico now attends a special school, however, and is separated from his former companions and teachers.

Jessica stopped listening to Hemi-Sync for three months. Her behavior deteriorated in school and she did not want to work during phonoaudiology sessions. Jessica reverted to falling on the floor in a tantrum.

General observations: Younger children with more serious difficulties react better to Remembrance. They are calmer, happier, and much less hyperactive. Einstein’s Dream is not as effective. This was tested with three patients: Camila, Leila, and Fernando. Six-year-old Leila was mentioned in a previous report. She was changed to METAMUSIC Remembrance due to an increase in hyperactivity. Leila became calmer after exposure to Remembrance.

[The earlier reports were published in Ronald Russell, ed., Focusing the Whole Brain: Transforming Your Life with Hemispheric Synchronization (Charlottesville, Va.: Hampton Roads Publishing Company, Inc., 2004), $11.00 ($10.00 to TMI members).]