Amazon is selling ‘autism cure’ books – that suggest kids DRINK BLEACH
Despite autism being a lifelong condition with no known cure, many authors are able to push dangerous "cure" books online
AMAZON is selling dubious autism "cure" books and manuals - some of which prescribe dangerous bleach-based remedies for kids.
A quick search for "autism cures" in the selling site's search engine brings up hundreds of bizarre titles.
A new investigation by has found that Amazon is allowing pseudoscientific books recommending parents put their kids through harmful "treatments" including drinking, bathing in or enemas out of bleach-like substances.
We found that one title, Healing the Symptoms Known as Autism, was still being sold by two booksellers for £38.62 but after contacting Amazon, found that they'd been removed.
Autism is a lifelong condition that affects how people communicate and interact with others.
The says that around one in every 100 people in the UK is autistic.
There is no known cure although people with the condition can live happy and fulfilled lives with the right support.
According to Wired, Kerri Rivera's Healing the Symptoms Known As Autism, instructs parents in how to make chlorine dioxide - a bleach-like substance that is sometimes marketed as a "Miracle Mineral Solution".
Type "Miracle Mineral Solution" into the Amazon search bar and you'll get a tonne of titles coming up, from MMS Handbook: Health in Your Hands, to MMS - An Easy Cure, and 50 MMS Healing Miracles.
They all come with a warning from Amazon saying: "Please note that the following description is provided by the publisher/author of this title and presents the subjective opinions of the publisher/author, which may not be substantiated. The description does not express the views of Amazon."
Among the overall positive feedback from people, one Amazon user commented: "Disgusting that Amazon are promoting a technique known to injure and kill children.
"If you are planning on using MMS (AKA bleach) to "cure" your child of autism, you should do the right thing and hand your child over to protective services.
"This is promoting child abuse. MMS is not FDA approved, nor is it free - making it no different to the claims quacks make about big Pharma."
In fact, the Rivera book was actually the subject of a Change.Org campaign to have it removed from the Amazon sellers list.
MMS has been linked to short term issues like sickness, diarrhea, fever, lip swelling, rashes, hair loss, and behavioural issues.
Long term, it's thought to lead to respiratory problems, heart disease and cancer.
The petition claimed that the book not only encouraged parents to get their kids to drink the bleach-like solution, but also follow a strict gluten and dairy-free diet and use anti-parasitic medication.
The theory is that in time, these practices could clear the body of parasites and "heal" the body.
After severeal doses, "worm-like" substances are produced, which the author claimed was worms, or "the evil parasites". In actual fact, they were just bowel mucosa.
And there's been to suggest that stripping certain food groups out can improve autism in any way.
Other books currently available to buy on Amazon include Sex Cures Autism, The Path to Cure: The Whole Art of Healing Autism, and Yogic cure of Autism.
Jane Harris, Director of External Affairs and Social Change at the National Autistic Society, told The Sun: “Autism is lifelong, it is part of who people are. It is simply wrong for anyone to claim dodgy and harmful therapies are a 'cure'. It is appalling that anyone could profit from selling them - and abusive to make someone use them.
“No responsible retailer should be giving a platform to people who promote dangerous products to vulnerable families.
"There are around 700,000 autistic children and adults in the UK. Life for autistic people and families can be desperately difficult at times, especially just before and after receiving a diagnosis when so much is unclear.
"We must do everything we can to protect people from charlatans and quacks.
"People need to know how to spot when something might be dodgy or dangerous, and how to report this to the authorities. And agencies must make use of their powers to stop their production, promotion, sale and use.
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“We must also make sure autistic people and families have accurate information about the support that can actually help – and this support must be available when and where it’s needed."
The Sun reached out to Amazon UK who claimed that the offending books were no longer available.
Amazon declined to comment on specific accounts.
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