Suzanne Ling used an audio device to play educational sounds for her son Alexander while he was in the womb. She swears the practice kept the boy from developing autism or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, but experts aren’t so sure.

Ling used a device called BabyPlus to play “audio lessons” of sounds similar to a heartbeat. The device’s makers say it teaches babies to identify sounds and patterns.

Ling says Alexander, now 18-months, is remarkably engaged for his age and doctors told her from a very young age that there’s no way the boy has autism. She credits the BabyPlus for Alexander’s development.

But experts question Ling’s experience and say there’s no proof that prenatal learning systems like the BabyPlus make any difference. Furthermore, they suggest that such devices could actually be harmful to babies since they sleep in the womb and significant noise could disturb their natural development, reports The Washington Post. To read more click here.

Read more stories like this one. Sign up for Disability Scoop's free email newsletter to get the latest developmental disability news sent straight to your inbox.