An Irish father is thought to have been feeding his son bleach for the past two years as he believed it would 'treat' his autism.

Despite the widespread outrage at such behaviour, the belief that chlorine dioxide can cure autism is not a new one and evidence of this practice has emerged before now. A report in The Sun claims that the dad is a member of CD Autism and has conversed with the group via social media since 2015, updating those involved on his son's condition. It is thought that the little boy has been given a bleach solution, believed to be sold under the name MMS - Miracle Mineral Solution, in addition to a blood drug GcMaf, which can be applied in a cream format. Fiona O'Leary, who has campaigned for autism previously, has spoken about the matter and plans to meet detectives in a bid to investigate this case further. In 2016, a group of parents in Southern California were also believed to be giving their children bleach to 'cure' their autism and only last month, a woman in Chesire was reported to police after apparently discussing the practice in a secret Facebook group. We contacted the Irish Society of Autism who responded with the below statement:

"We have seen in the media again recently and are concerned about “cures “ for Autism involving GcMAF (an unlicensed blood product) and MMS ( Miracle Mineral Solution).

"There is no verified scientific evidence to support these claims and any person with Autism who uses them risks serious harm.

 

"We know and understand that Autism can present many challenges and difficulties which leaves parents and families more vulnerable to dubious and dangerous claims.  We recommend that parents and families seek professional advice from the HSE or other trained professionals".