Can I be any more disgusted?

I've come to really hate the local autism support group I'm a member of ever since McCarthy did her media blitz about her book and how her son is "recovered" now. Dear God so many people on there are treating her like she's some saint! They're praising her for "opening the door and getting the word out" to biomedical treatments for parents who didn't know about it. They're also praising TACA for helping get the word out. My stomach is literally turning every time I read a post. I'm tempted to leave the group and see if there's anything else locally that doesn't subscribe to all these unproven methods.

I'm sincere when I say if parents want to try the biomedical procedures with their kids to go ahead. That's their choice, their perogative. I don't agree with them and won't pursue them. But it's not my place to tell these parents they can't try it. Of course, some seem to think it's their place to shove these procedures in my face and tell me I absolutely have to or I must not love my son enough to not even consider it. I love my son very much, thank you. I love him enough to let him be who he is and try not to change or "fix" him. He's not broken!

What bothers me now is the fact that Jenny has caused this hype, and I believe scare, within the autism community. As well as, yes I see it as a false hope that their children can be "cured". Parents are not going to go into these procedures doing enough research, if any at all. They are just going to see a way to "fix" or "cure" their child. They're not going to know about the potential dangers: like that chelating has killed children. And I read the story of somebody in a community whose son ended up in the hospital after being chelated. Their not going to know that these procedures are not medically approved to be used in the treatment of autism. Or, if they do know they're going to be so drawn in by the hype that they're going to disregard it all.

It scares me that this country now has the potential of seeing possible injuries, as well as more, and a possible increase in deaths related to some of these procedures. Sadly, and I hate to say this, but it may take awareness of some of these procedures and any future injuries or fatalities that could result from them to bring to light that these are not proven treatments. The only shining lights I see are that all this hype and rush to get the kids biomedded could prove the treatments don't work. It could also light up a warning sign and push to have these procedures thoroughly researched to see if they do or do not help in any way. (Then regulated if they do.) I don't know if anything is being done for that now, though.

On the other hand, and I'm sure this is what the curbie organizations wants and are hoping to see happen, it could prove that these procedures can work and therefore more research and funding will be put into them to make sure they are safe and regulated.


What really got me going though was that it was announced on the group that Dr. Jerry Kartinzel , Jenny's son's DAN! doctor was supposed to be on Good Morning America Wednesday, Oct 3rd. Apparently it's been postponed to a later date.

Didn't Jenny do and say enough? Now to have her son's doctor on? People in the group were praising him too. Someone was hoping he gets the time to "speak the truth" to parents everywhere. Oh, and what truth is that exactly? Their version of it?

No thank you Jenny for the mess you've made. I'm sure all the curbie groups and people think you're wonderful. Why do I have a feeling you'd be very surprised and dismayed to find out not everybody agrees. Why do I have a feeling you'd be surprised to find out there's a whole other voice - one not as big mouthed and rich as you - that doesn't agree with what you're preaching.