Autism parents are highly vulnerable to pitches for quack "cures."
In The Politics of Autism, I write:
The conventional wisdom is that any kind of treatment is likely to be less effective as the child gets older, so parents of autistic children usually believe that they are working against the clock. They will not be satisfied with the ambiguities surrounding ABA, nor will they want to wait for some future research finding that might slightly increase its effectiveness. They want results now. Because there are no scientifically-validated drugs for the core symptoms of autism, they look outside the boundaries of mainstream medicine and FDA approval. Studies have found that anywhere from 28 to 54 percent of autistic children receive “complementary and alternative medicine” (CAM), and these numbers probably understate CAM usage.
Misinformation about "autism detox treatments," which claim to remove toxins and heavy metals from the bloodstream, is circulating online. These products, often made from zeolite, are unapproved by the FDA and can pose serious health risks. Dr. Alycia Halladay of the Autism Science Foundation discusses the dangers and myths surrounding these treatments.
