Before I start I should say that I absolutely do not condone or agree with any of the alleged treatments I’m going to cover tonight. Equally, I am only giving my opinion on the information provided by the organisations mentioned here.

I recently read an article in The Guardian newspaper this weekend about another magical and scientifically unproven way to “cure” Autism. This made me very angry.  As someone on the autism spectrum, we don’t need a cure because we aren’t sick. Also, there may be some people who are on the spectrum or have Autistic children who will think that one of these so-called cures could help them in some way.

All this does is sell false hope and promises while taking people’s hard earned money. The latest is a holistic treatment called Cease Therapy.

(The following information is taken direct from the Cease Therapy webpage)

The treatment of autistic children and even adults has matured through 300 cases over the last three years and is called CEASE Therapy, which stands for Complete Elimination of Autistic Spectrum Expression.  Step by step all assumed causative factors (vaccines, regular medication, environmental toxic exposures, effects of illness, etc.) are detoxified with the homeopathically prepared, that is diluted and potentized substances that were administered prior to the onset of autism. Currently we use the 30C, 200C, 1M and 10M potencies to clear out the energetic field of the patient from the imprint of toxic substances or diseases.

Obstacles to Cure

So far the main obstacle to cure seems to be the lack of information about the causes of this disease. When important events in the life story of these children and their parents are overlooked or unknown, an essential key to the healing can be missed.

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This in itself seems completely laughable to me. There is no medical or scientific research that backs up any of the above claims. There was only one study carried out by the notorious ex-GP Andrew Wakefield who was struck off and disgraced, and wrote a paper linking MMR vaccines to autism which has been totally discredited in the UK.

The next on the list of ways to cure autism comes from every autistic person’s worst nightmare and the one group that  Neurotypicals think represents us: the website Autism Speaks. It is a treatment called Applied Behaviour Analysis or ABA.

This is taken from the Autism Speaks webpage.

Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network (ATN) now has a tool kit to help parents work with their children’s applied behavior analysts.

What is Applied Behavior Analysis?

Behavior analysis focuses on the principles that explain how learning takes place. Positive reinforcement is one such principle. When a behavior is followed by some sort of reward, the behavior is more likely to be repeated. Through decades of research, the field of behavior analysis has developed many techniques for increasing useful behaviors and reducing those that may cause harm or interfere with learning.

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is the use of these techniques and principles to bring about meaningful and positive change in behavior.

As mentioned, behavior analysts began working with young children with autism and related disorders in the 1960s. Early techniques often involved adults directing most of the instruction. Some allowed the child to take the lead. Since that time, a wide variety of ABA techniques have been developed for building useful skills in learners with autism – from toddlers through adulthood.

These techniques can be used in structured situations such as a classroom lesson as well as in “everyday” situations such as family dinnertime or the neighborhood playground. Some ABA therapy sessions involve one-on-one interaction between the behavior analyst and the participant. Group instruction can likewise prove useful.

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This is, in my opinion, a form of brainwashing and could be classed as abusive.  I’m sure that the parents are doing it because they care, they love their children and they want to help them. As such, they believe that there is no way they could be hurting their loved ones by putting them through this. Just because you care about someone or have good intentions does not guarantee you’re doing the best thing for them.

The result of this mindset is that Autistic kids are repeatedly forced to do things that are unnatural, uninteresting, and sometimes painful or dangerous. It’s all done in the name of “therapy” – and all with smiles and upbeat attitudes from the therapists. The kids might cry. They might try to escape. They may refuse to take part. But they have to do it, because it has been decided that it is good for them – that they’re being helped.  They just may not be able to see it or understand it at the time.

This is the same kind of conditioning that is used by abusive spouses and religious cults worldwide. Ask yourself – would you agree to put your NT child through this or if your friend’s parents or partner did this to them would it be ok? The answer is most likely “no”.

The final in this trilogy of what seem to me to be ridiculous and downright dangerous ideas out there is by far the worst thing I’ve ever heard of It’s called Chlorine Dioxide or Master Mineral Solution. Desperate parents in the UK, Canada, and USA are reportedly using a bleach solution in a drink in an attempt to cure autism, sometimes in children as young as 2 years old.  My understanding is that Chlorine dioxide (often referred to as simply CD) or Miracle/Master Mineral Solution (MMS) has been touted as a cure to everything from HIV to autism. The bleach solution — and, yes, it is bleach — is typically administered orally, but enemas and a bath are also encouraged procedures.

MMS caused a stir last year when police in the United Kingdom investigated parents for giving the solution to their children to cure them of Autism.

Meanwhile, in Canada, two individuals have been charged with selling MMS, despite warnings from the government.

The popularity of MMS can be largely attributed to Jim Humble, a cultish figure and ex-Scientologist who is part of the Genesis II Church of Health and Healing.

Humble’s church has its roots in and around the Los Angeles area. Secretive groups in that area using MMS were apparently investigated as recently as 2016 by reporters.

Members of those groups believe that autism is caused by a multitude of factors, including viruses and bacteria in the body. Group members believe MMS kills off those pathogens and cures autism.

According to Humble, who says he discovered chlorine dioxide in 1996, the chemical destroys pathogens and poisons, allowing the body to heal itself naturally.

It’s an established scientific fact that bleach is bactericidal, hence its common use as a household and industrial cleaner.

But the practice of using MMS, particularly in children, has been met with collective shock, outside of the fringe groups that promote it.

Dr. Cyrus Rangan, a medical toxicologist and assistant medical director of the California Poison Control System said “This sort of practice has been around for some time and it just sort of crops up now and again when someone supposedly invents a new product that cures whatever disease they say it does,  Usually there’s no evidence for it, but they sort of prey on these families who are just looking for cures or treatments,”

“Any amount of bleach and any concentration of bleach is capable of causing a chemical burn, and so the bottom line is that there really shouldn’t be any exposure,” he said.

In short: consuming or bathing in bleach in any capacity is not a good idea and is extremely dangerous. That goes for enemas and other applications, which can lead to chemical burns on the skin and internal organs.

In my humble opinion this last idea is at least misguided and abusive at worst. It could be classed as grievous or actual bodily harm or attempted murder, and you have to wonder about the mindset of the parents or carers who inflict these kinds of “treatments” on youngsters in a vain attempt to cure someone who isn’t sick.