AIBU to think this is child abuse

[hipposarerad]

www.theguardian.com/society/2018/apr/27/more-than-120-homeopaths-trying-to-cure-autism-in-uk

Homeopaths are offering a treatment which involves inducing diarrhoea, fever and other symptoms in autistic children order for them to eliminate 'toxins' and 'vaccine damage' in a bid to 'cure' autism. They advocate not doing anything to alleviate the effects of the treatment (which includes higher than recommended dose of vit C, among other claptrap).

I have never had much respect for homeopathy, but have thought that if people want to spend their money on placebo then fine, it's their money. But this is another level of disingenuity and exploitation.

I've tweeted this to the NSPCC, I hope they respond to me with their thoughts.

I'm feeling very upset by this. Am I, as parent to autistic children, being oversensitive? Is this OK?

Apologies, the link doesn't appear to be click-able and I don't know how to fix it

Yes it is. It makes me very angry.

Yanbu these “autism” cures need to be made illegal.

www.theguardian.com/society/2018/apr/27/more-than-120-homeopaths-trying-to-cure-autism-in-uk

Utter bollocks

How is that legal?

Still perpetuating the autism-vaccine 'link' too. Pinkbicycles, I agree that anyone offering a 'cure' needs to be stopped.

What can be done though? A petition maybe, but there are a lot of petitions for various things floating around and I'm not sure if they do any good.

Thanks for the clicking link DailyMail - a competent MNer!

I agree with you; it is very upsetting that some people think that autism is curable anyway, and some of the cures ( so called) are in my opinion abuse. Someone should be prosecuted for advocating such measures.( And then forced to take the so called cure)

I had someone trying to peddle me a mumbo jumbo cure involving essential oils for my dc who have autism. She tried to imply that it was caused by vaccines which I shut down by stating that it was hereditary in my case. She had nothing more to say but it concerns me that people are trying to get rich quick on the back of desperate parents. Who wouldn't pay money to rid their child of a debilitating neurological condition. Any parent would but sadly there is no cure for it, just management techniques.

I agree it is abuse and pointless. You can't cure autism and it's not caused by toxins in the body

Appalling.

As I saw on Twitter, surely 1 millionth of a homeopath would be more effective?

I use homeopathy myself and have found it to be great for some conditions but things like autism certainly would not be something that I even began to consider homeopathy for and tend to think that the homeopaths promoting it for autism are, perhaps, approaching charlatan territory.

Thanks for the unanimous (so far) responses. I knew I wasn't BU, I just wanted to share with you all in case you weren't aware.
If I hear back from the NSPCC I'll update here.

I'm on the spectrum myself, not on the severe end but yeah, this BS makes me feel sick and incredibly angry. It's disturbing on so many levels.

As an autistic woman and the mother of 3 autistic children I find the peddling of cures very disturbing. As if we are somehow wrong and shouldn’t be here.

YANBU OP. It should be illegal.

It’s dreadful.

Wow, that's like exorcism or something. Evil charlatans.

So it's a bit like the cures for when someone catches The Gay?

How does homeopathy work?

Dan do you mean how does it work medically or how does it work in parting people from their cash

Sounds dangerously close to the "exorcisms" performed by some religious nutters (which have killed children all over the world).

If these kids were dogs, this would be illegal. They are protected by the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.

Its not just the quacks who are abusive, is it. It's also the parents who expose their children to this kind of treatment. I cant see how its legal for anyone other than a doctor to diagnose and treat a child.

Tbh any "cure" for autism os child abuse

But fuck me what the actual fuck is this thing about curing and erdicating it anh way, if you talked that way about any other dusablity people would be horified!
Yet here we are with a group thats so open "complete edradication of autism". Its frieghtening sorry but it is. Maybe im biased, being autistic myself but, reading stuff like this makes me feel inwelcome in society that we should all be eradicated.

So it's a bit like the cures for when someone catches The Gay?*

This is actally a good comparison i think, all these conversion theapies for gay people read ABA for autistic people, cures for being gay and autistic.

You talk to most people now about those "gay cures" and they would go really cant believe we thought like that, yet its accepted and promoted when it comes to autism.

It upsets me

This is horrific stuff! Positively superstitious and medieval.

and yes, bordering on child abuse.