While I have sympathy for her (I daresay raising an autistic child is a big challenge), this does not change the fact that she panders to and propagates antiscience nonsense. For which she should rightly be mocked. There is no excuse for credulously accepting and expounding such rubbish.

Certain Autistic behaviors can be aggravated by certain foods. I have observed this with the Autism in my family, but jeez, it almost goes without saying at the chemical level, folks*. It’s possible that it may be similar to the link between dyslexia and certain foods (which I am experiencing as I type this).

Look at it this way: all a “drug” is, is a substance that, when put in the body, causes the body to act chemically different, in certain ways, than it would have if the drug was not there. This also describes many foods. Just two examples of obvious drug-foods: chocolate, coffee. At the chemical level, dairy can be a drug to some people. So, in the autustic body, foods can aggravate symptoms. And don’t forget, Autism is a spectrum, not a single condition.

*you know you’re getting old when you unironically use the word “folks”!

It just looks wrong to take a mother with an autistic child and use her scientific ignorance as a platform to make a joke about apparent similarities with some politicians ignorant view on science. It’s just not cricket. Even if she is a celebrity.

I also don’t like the idea of labeling people with words such as ‘anti-science’. I have no doubt you are technically correct with certain aspects of what you are saying, being that certain beliefs of certain support groups may condone anti-scientific ideas etc, but to label her, as an individual as ‘anti-science’, well , it’s just arrogant, and rude.

I’m sure you may think I am not getting the point, but the bigger issue here is tact. It does not matter how correct someone is, if they are tactless in their presentation of the facts, people generally will switch off. It may also be the case that it was not your intention to be tactless, but you were. It undermines credibility.

Yes, one of the great tragedies happening right now in the autism community is that many well-meaning parents are falling for the DAN! therapies hook, line, and sinker. There is no adequate pro-science counter-balance to DAN! and the government does not seem to care one way or the other.

One of the few web sites taking the pro-science approach is http://www.asatonline.org. ASAT stands for Association for Science in Autism Treatment. I would urge any parent of an autistic child to check out a prospective therapy on

http://www.asatonline.org/resources/treatments_desc.htm

before deciding to pursue it. They list them all from animal therapy to vitamin therapy. It will tell you the real scoop on what scientific research (or usually lack thereof) is backing the particular therapy.

Apology accepted… and in your point, as just stated, I would tend to agree with you, although my belief is that the court system is ultimately charged, as its goal, with finding the truth. That is its one and only purpose. As for whether or not that always happens and whether or not politics enters the equation, well, that’s another discussion.

@Tom Marking -
Thank you for your links and more information on DAN!. It’s a group I’ve heard mentioned recently by the people I know with Autistic children but one I knew little about… and the name sounds so positive for such a dangerous, junk science organization. I’ll be sure to gently give them the information on this group you’ve provided so they can be as educated as they can about their sources for support. Thanks again.