Snake Oil and Autism: The Truth About Autism Cure Scams

Searching for miracle cures fans false hopes, wastes time, and enriches con artists.

Every parent wants a perfect child who grows up to have a major impact on the world and the love and adoration of the masses. Parents fantasize about living vicariously through their child prodigy, who will fulfill every dream they couldn’t in their lifetime.

Of course, every parent is then disappointed, but most parents get time to abandon their crazy fantasies and accept whatever reality their child embodies.

Autistic parents don’t get this luxury. They must abandon their fantasies early and realize almost none of their dreams will come true.

See: From Denial to Acceptance: Parenting After an Autism Diagnosis

The Lure of Snake Oil

Desperate parents searching for a cure are susceptible to all manner of ripoffs by con artists selling Snake Oil.

This is reinforced by stories such as Lorenzo’s Oil, where a parent really did find a cure for an unusual medical condition through dogged research.

Every special needs parent thinks they will be the lucky one who discovers the cure.