Dear April,

               Some 12 years ago I was trying to explain the concept of stealth-adapted viruses to a keynote speaker at an autism conference. The prominent psychologist responded: "You have to understand John that autism is our anchor. It is a solid rock that establishers who we are. You are trying to tell us that autism is not a disease but only a symptom. That it involves viruses and yet not ordinary viruses but something you call stealth. How can we possibly embrace these concepts and still maintain ourselves as experts? I'm sorry but don't expect much support from us." Little has changed in the past 12 years except for substituting the word business for anchor and the phrase money-making entrepreneurs for experts.

              I realize that autism does not fit the model of an acute infection with high fevers, rashes or even inflammation, the accepted hallmark of infection. Neither the psychologist referred to above or many of today's experts are virologists or even insightful biologists. What is disappointing is that they don't want to hear information that might challenge their egos or ambition to make money.

              Where can they get their money and ego boosts? The answer is the parents of autistic children. Parents are recruited to conferences hoping to hear what is new. They are the cash cows being presented with pseudo-scientific talks that are somewhat incoherent and occasionally contradictory. Very little hard data are ever presented. Challenging questioning of speakers by other speakers rarely occurs. Rather a series of diagnostically and therapeutically irrelevant tests are promoted and unproven remedies prescribed.

             The real price being paid comes not from the pockets of parents but from the lives of autistic children. I would be more sympathetic if I felt the problem was mainly one of ignorance and restricted thinking. All too often I have found a speaker, fresh from a standing ovation by parents, conferring with colleagues on how to better milk the situation.

             If autism is epidemic, why not look for an infectious cause? I have done so and have concluded that autism is an infection caused by by viruses that avoid the immune system (stealth-adapted viruses). Fortunately there is a back up denfense system in the form of an alternative cellular energy (ACE) pathway. Activation of this pathway is providing dramatic results in patients with conventional herpes virus infections. It holds great promise as an inexpensive, yet effective, method of suppressing stealth-adapted viruses.

Kind regards, John




DEFINITION * TREATMENT * PREVENTION
Autism is 1 in 150 children today, 1 in 68 families!  TAAP (The Autism Autoimmunity Project) is a non-profit charity dedicated to obtaining funding for independent research into the cause, treatment and prevention of autism and other autoimmune disorders.  Please visit our new website at http://www.TAAP.info and "TAAP into the Truth!"