MYTHS

There are a large number of myths and fairy tales about what causes ASD, and many parents of children with the condition have spent many thousands of dollars doing needless and sometimes harmful procedures in the faint hope that the procedures will cure their child. It is clear, though, that they cause of developmental delay in children is due to two or more deficiencies of the children, whilst in the womb of a deficient mother. Thus, all children have been found to be deficient in vitamin B2, vitamin B12, iron and/or vitamin D. Despite this, people with children with a child with autism appear to be desperate enough to try anything, that has a vague, but non-proven chance of success. This is a very, very costly non-solution to a basic biochemical deficiency.

The major problem with this way of thinking is that it has lead to the major Paradigm of Autism Hence "There is no known cause of autism, it is a mixture of environmental and genetic factors", AND "There is no known cure for autism"

Autism Paradigm

There is currently no cure for autism. The corollary to the paradigm is that if there really is cure for autism, then leading experts and governments are somehow unaware or it, and hence if there is a major breakthrough in autism treatment it would be International news and everyone would know of it. This can be exemplified by the complete lack of Scientific effort currently underway by many large organizations working in the field of Autism Research Viz: "XYZ does not focus on curing autism, XYZ is more interested in research efforts that will support people on the autism specturm and their families and carers to realize and reach their goals and aspirations". Clearly there will have to be a massive paradigm shift in organizations such as the aforementioned before, would possibly countenance any new scientific research. Even then it is likely, that the individuals involved within the hierarchy of such organizations will have to maintain a status of "cognitive dissonance" in order to justify or validate their previous paradigm. One of the major problems with the Paradigm is that it becomes self-fullfilling in that no-one working on the cause of autism will get public funding, which may explain why up until now significant advancements have not been made in the field. This is despite literally $100 million being spent on research see Donate

It is the object of the current page to dispel some of the more common myths and thereby help to "Save the children".

Nemechek Protocol

The Nemechek protocol, is a protocol that appears to be based on the concept that ASD is caused by inflammation, which "can be seen" by the high levels of the so-called inflammatory markers, KA/QA/HVA/VMA observed in autism. Hence the protocol is based on treating putative bacterial inflammation in the gut, and thereby reducing inflammation, which is postulated to also be occurring in the brain and therefore hindering development. The protocol involves treating with high dose fish oil, olive oil and inulin. The problem with the protocol is the assumption that high levels of KA/QA/HVA/VMA are due to inflammation, however, these are not inflammatory markers, they are markers of vitamin B12 deficiency (see https://b12oils.com/b12.htm ). There are claims that the protocol has some benefit in some children, however, this could be explained by high levels of vitamin K in the olive oil, and also the high levels of vitamin D in Cod-liver oil. The later could be of some benefit as it is known that the majority of children with ASD are vitamin D deficient see https://b12oils.com/vitamind.htm .Normal fish oil does not contain significant amounts of vitamin D.

Cutler Chelation Therapy

For many years, there was a belief that conditions such as ASD and CFS were caused by heavy metal contamination in the brain, and that people would not make significant progress unless the metals were somehow removed from the brain. The "offending" metal was postulated by Dr Cutler (a physicist who is now dead) to be mercury. Hence the Cutler protocol was "invented". In the protocol, repeated high doses of proposed chelating agents meso-demercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), dimercaptopropanesulfonic acid (DMPS) and ALA (alphalipoic acid, or thioctic acid). Use of both DMSA and DMPS have been shown to be effective at chelation of Arsenic and Lead following acute exposure, when the material is still circulating in the blood, ie the first 24 hours, but after that it is ineffective. Further, these two chelators are fairly non-specific and so whilst they will chelate lead and arsenic, they also chelate and eliminate essential metals such as chromium, cobalt copper and iron, which are used for physiologic function. Further there is no known method of transport whereby DMA and/or DMPS can actively target out some yet to be proven or identified deposit of mercury, strip it off any neighbouring protein, and then use some yet to be identified cellular expulsion method to selectively remove only the toxic metals without removing other metals such as zinc, magnesium, calcium, copper, iron, etc. Further, it is known that reagents such as DMSA and DMPS do not enter the brain. The use of ALA is also controversial, hence the sulphur atoms in the structure are disulfide linked and so are not available for chelation, or metal reduction. ALA, is though, an essential co-factor in pyruvate dehydrogenase and in alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, however, nearly half of the bodies ALA comes from the consumption of meat. HMTA of children with ASD does not indicate levels of mercury any higher than the average population. There has been no substantive evidence of efficacy for the Cutler protocol. HMTA has though revealed many metal deficiencies in ASD, including Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, and critically Iodine, Selenium and Molybdenum. Side effects of the treatment include vomiting, diarrhea, rash, low blood neutrophils.

Toxin Removal

In a similar fashion to the Cutler Chelation Therapy, there are those who believe that heavy metals can be specifically removed by nanosized zeolite-like molecules. In the Advanced Toxin Removal System (Advanced TRS), clinoptilolite zeolite is nanosized and encased in water. The concept being that somehow these tiny particles can travel where ever water can move and magically source out some heavy metal toxin, and just as magically remove it specifically from the body without removing any of the essential metals. This approach is naive at best, and further, HMTA of children with autism does not show any increased concentration of toxic metals over and above those in the local atmosphere. Bentonite clay is also used orally, but as any person who works with small molecules such as vitamins and minerals knows, this is totally non-specific and will leave the recipient even more depleted in essential vitamins and minerals.

Vaccine Injured

There are a group of individuals "Anti-vaxxers" who believe that there is a connection between vaccination and autism, and the concept has arisen that children become vaccine injured, which then causes autism. One of the early theories revolved around the use of thiomersal as a preservative in vaccines. The use of thiomersal has now been discontinued, however the rate of vaccination has risen from one in one thousand to now one in thirty-forty in the USA, over the past 20 years, yet vaccination rates have remained the same. Potentially vaccines, though, could, and should promote strong immune responses to the vaccinating antigens. The generation of such immune responses is critically dependent upon the activation of phagocytic cells, such as Macrophages. The immune response would then consume large quantities of vitamin B2, iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin D. Given that deficiencies in each of B2, B12, iron and vitamin D have all been shown to be predisposing factors for the development of ASD, any child who was "marginal" in these nutrients could have a negative response to vaccine. For this reason, any person being vaccinated should ensure that they receive adequate intake of vitamin B2 (plus Iodine, Selenium and Molybdenum), vitamin B12, iron and vitamin D, at time of vaccination. This will ensure that the child has a better immune response to the vaccination protocol.

Elevated Propionic Acid

Many of the children with ASD have been found to have elevated propionic acid, and this has been postulated to cause the condition. Propionic acid (CH3-CH2-COOH)(C3H6O2) is a normal metabolite of odd chain fatty acids, and also can come from the deamination of Alanine (CH3CH-NH2-COOH). In functional vitamin B2 deficiency, which every child with ASD that we have data for has,  they cannot gain sufficient energy from fats or sugars and so have to gain it from protein breakdown, and so metabolites of amino acids start to appear in the urine, particularly if there are other deficiencies. Normally, propionic acid is processed by the biotin-dependent enzyme Propionyl-CoA carboxylase, but in biotin deficiency, which most of the kids have, particularly if they have been put on a diet low in eggs, they can't do this and so elevated levels of propionic acid can be found. Generally this is accompanied by elevated levels of methylcitrate in the Orgnic Acids Test. Hence biotin replete, neurotypic individuals have methyl citrate of 0.6471 +/- 0.38, whilst in ASD this is increased to 1.37 +/- 0.7724. Many ASD individuals have levels much higher than this with data in the 2.0 to 5.0 not being uncommon. The elevated Methylcitrate and propionic acid resolve upon treatment with 150-300 ug/day biotin. "Propionic acidemia is due to deficient activity of the enzyme propionyl-CoA carboxylase. Because propionyl-CoA requires biotin as a cofactor, disorders of biotin also cause propionic acidemia."

Cerebral Folate Deficiency

The ability of a cell to trap and retain folate is dependent upon the addition of a polyglutamate tail on folate. This tail is "added" once folate enters the folate cycle by the enzyme folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS). In methyl B12 deficiency dietary folate - which is primarily 5MTHF is not processed by methionine synthase and so is not converted to Tetrahydrofolate, and so cannot enter the folate cycle to be polyglutaminated. The result is that intracellular folate levels are low, despite the observation that serum folate levels may be high. This has lead to the concept of Cerebral Folate deficiency. Yes, there is a deficiency of folate in most cells in the body, including the brain, but this has arisen due the universal functional vitamin B12 deficiency, observed in ASD.

Elevated Glutamate

Production of GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the body requires the conversion of Glutamate to GABA by the enzyme Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase (GAD). This enzyme requires the active form of vitamin B6, pyridoxal-phosphate as a co-factor. Production of PLP, however, requires one of the two active forms of vitamin B2, FMN. In deficiency of Iodine and/or Selenium, levels of FMN are reduced, resulting in elevated glutamate and reduced GABA, with an altered glutamate/GABA ratio. Treatment should consist of fixing the functional B2 deficiency. There is a "realm" of thought that the child should avoid glutamate. Glutamate, though, is a non-essential amino acid, so the body will make it using the aminotransferase of aspartate + a-Ketoglutatate ,<=> oxaloacetate + glutamate, or Alanine + a-Keotglutarate <=> pyruvate + Glutamate. This basic bit of biochemistry seems to have been missed by those who attempt to control behavioural issues in children with autism, rather than fixing the Iodine/Selenium deficiency, that causes the functional B2 deficiency (See Pathway).(Sears et al, 2021; Yang and Chang, 2014; Roja 2014). This increases the number of "mistreatments" performed on children with autism, but those who do not understand basic biochemistry. Interestingly, there are a higher number of mutations in GAD - glutamate decarboxylase, in children with autism (data not publshed).

Inflammation in the Brain in Autism

There is a popular theory put forwards by Dr Theoharides and others (Theoharides, et al, 2016; 2013; Alam et al, 2017; Doeyas, 2018; Prata, et al, 2017; Al-Haddad et al, 2019) that autism is caused by brain inflammation. Examination of publications by these authors does not reveal any convincing data to support the theory. Of note is that the elevated neurotransmitter metabolites, HVA, VMA, QA, and KA that occur due to functional B12 deficiency, have often been cited as inflammatory markers with little evidence to support that contention.

Photobiomodulation of Epilepsy and Autism

Another crack-pot theory from a Dr who should know better, Dr Richard Frye.

GcMAF therapy and Autism

Following the concept that it is altered immune response in the brain that causes autism, recently GcMAF therapy, which is designed to activate macrophages, with the thought (or lack thereof) that this will overcome the immune dysfunction in autism. The result appears to be similar to that seen in Long COVID, in which hyperferritinemia, typical of Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS) (Rosario et al, 2013; Kernan and Carcillo, 2017), is observed and the biochemical markers of vitamin B2 deficiency become elevated and markers of functional iron deficiency such as lowered Haemoglobin, lower Haematocrit and elevated citrate are observed. In addition functional B12 deficiency becomes worse. This has resulted in the treated individuals actually getting worse, which would also be expected considering, what happens in Long COVID, in which there is extensive macrophage activation. This was not mentioned by the company

Autism is due to Genetics

There are many people who believe that autism is due to some genetic predisposition. There is evidence that there are some mutations in those with autism, however closer scrutiny reveals that the condition cannot be predominantly of genetic origin. Hence the incidence of autism has increased from around 1 in 1000, 25 year ago, the incidence has dramatically increased over the past 25 years, and is now 1 to 30 (South Korea) 1 in 35 (in the US) and around one in 40 in Australia (as of 2021). Clearly there is no genetic method of increasing the incidence of a non-lethal mutation in the population by over 200-fold within one generation. Despite this obvious disconnect, many research groups are still labouring to prove a genetic link for the condition. Despite this, several groups are clinging to the concept that autism is due to mutations in the MTHFR gene, and have even developed an MTHFR gene mutation protocol. These protocols appear to be generated with little knowledge of basic genetics by either those peddling the protocol or the poor unsuspecting parent going through with the protocol. Hence, the incidence of the common MTHFR gene mutation C665T by pure genetics should mean that the population as a whole would be 25% "-/-", 50% "+/-", and 25% "-/-", however, due to selection in low dietary folate and functional B2 deficiency, there is a change of ratio in the normal population to 10% "-/-", 37% "+/-", and 40% "-/-". This is almost identical to the observed frequency in the population with autism 8.5% "-/-", 43.6% "+/-", and 47.9% "-/-". Hence, the actual frequency of the "+/+" allele is less in the population with autism, NOT, more.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Initiation of digestion involes an initial phase, the cephalic phase, in which histamine, is secreted into the stomach and stimulates gastric motility and gastric emptying. In Iodine/Selenium deficiency, there is reduced activation of vitamin B2 to FMN, and that in turn results in reduced activation of vitamin B6 to P5P.This in turn reduces the ability of the P5P-dependent enzyme, histidine decarboxylase to convert histidine to histamine, with the result that there are problems with that stimulation of gastric emptying and normal gastro-intestinal movement, resulting in a condition called, Gastroeosophageal Reflux Disease. Many children with autism suffer from gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, such as abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, gastroesophageal reflux, intestinal infections, and increased intestinal permeability (Bjørklund et al, 2020) Kamionkowski et al, 2022; Nath 2017; Lucarelli etal, 2017). Of these, GERD, is most likely caused by lack of production of Histamine in the cephalic phase of digestion, which then does not stimulate normal gastric emptying. Production of histamine occurs via the action of the P5P-dependent enzyme, histidine decarboxylase, hence in children that are deficient in Iodine, and/or Selenium, there will be reduced production of histamine in the stomach, and hence gastric emptying will be compromised. Unfortunately, due to poor understanding of the biochemistry of GERD, many children are treated with PPIs, which will reduce the secretion of intrinsic factor from the parietal cells in the stomach, and the reduced gastric acid secretion will result in iron deficiency, as well as non-release of vitamin B12 from haptocorrin,. Hence B12 and iron deficiency will be worse. Vitamin B12 deficiency is a known associative factor following the long term use of PPIs.

In functional B12 deficiency, there is poor maturation of the intestinal villi which then can cause histamine intolerance due to lack of activity of the enzyme Diamino Oxidase (DAO), and also sulphite intolerance due to lack of activity of the Molybdenum dependent enzyme Sulphite oxidase (SUOX). This then means that the children may experience a generalized food intolerance, specifically to high histamine foods, or those with sulphite as a preservative. The Physician, believing that these intolerances are due to allergies to the foods, will run an food allergen test, looking for IgG antibodies to the food allergens. The children will show a positive reaction to many foods that the child's eating, and the child will be placed on a highly restrictive diet. This, response appears to be due to lack of knowledge of the bodies response to food allergens. It is very normal for all people to generate an IgG antibody response to antigens from foods that we all eat. Generally the size of the antibody response is proportional to the amount of the food that we eat. It is totally natural response and the average person has a multitude of specific IgG antibodies. These antibodies are generally protective and as such are not allergic responses. IF an allergic response is suspected, the child should have a traditional skin prick test with the suspected allergen (Russell-Jones etal, 1981, 1984),

TMS is being trialed in an attempt to "help those who struggle with aspects of having autism". Upon questioning about how such stimulation can cure the biochemical deficiencies in autism, the research groups were at a loss to answer.

Bioresonance/Kerri Rivera

If one looks closely at all of the myths one is reminded of the witches in Shakespeares play (Macbeth: IV.i 10-19; 35-38), sitting around the cauldron chanting

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