Autistic or Toxic? How I Unlocked the Mystery of My Son's "Autism"

by Scarlett South

Overview

What killed Luke's twin, and left Luke in an autistic fugue?

Luke was thrust into our world barely clinging to life, hastened in his arrival by his dying twin. The doctors scratched their heads and ventured guesses as to what had damaged them, then admitted defeat when their theories proved wrong.

At the age of three, Luke was completely nonverbal, and was labeled as having autism. As the years passed, Luke's behavior spiraled out of control, until the subject of institutions began to creep into conversations.

Then one day when he was seven, his mom, beaten down and broken by life, stared at the old well as they pulled up into their yard, after yet another confrontation with Luke's principal. Something clicked in her head, as if someone had just turned on a light, and she turned and gaped at Luke.

She realized then what killed Luke's twin, and what was really wrong with Luke.

Autistic or Toxic? is a true story about a mom and her quirky, but hilarious, son, as they traveled down that mysterious road towards autism recovery, and the devastating lows and triumphant highs they met along the way.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781734989007
Publisher:	White Sands Publications
Publication date:	10/06/2020
Edition description:	Large Print
Pages:	152
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.38(d)

About the Author

Scarlett South is a registered nurse specializing in autism, a contributor to Autism Parenting magazine and author of Autistic or Toxic? How I Unlocked the Mystery of My Son's "Autism." But her proudest achievement is her awesome son, whom started out in life labeled as being severely autistic, and who is now an independent and productive member of society. Scarlett is based in Florida.

Editorial Reviews

2021-09-25
A mother whose child was diagnosed with autism shares her experiences and offers advice on treatment in this debut memoir.

In her preface, South, a registered nurse, remarks that she wrote this book “with the hopes and dreams of helping children with autism flourish into independent adults.” Her son, Luke, was diagnosed with autism at 3 years old. When doctors declared Luke’s twin’s death shortly after birth “a mystery,” the author began to worry that something was wrong with her surviving son. Plagued by illness, Luke went stiff when cuddled and was uncommunicative as an infant. After Luke’s diagnosis, South vowed to discover what was “reallywrong” with her son. The author confides how Luke’s condition placed a strain on her marriage and that his father, an internal medicine doctor, left after having an affair. South pursued the cause of her son’s autism, eventually discovering a specialist who found Luke to have heavy metal poisoning. The memoir tells of how Luke, who was at risk of being institutionalized as a child, through treatment, went on to become a “happy, healthy, productive member of society.” South’s well-intended memoir is written in clear, conversational prose that is loaded with emotions: “Lo and behold...the doctor’s words rang true. Within six weeks Luke said, ‘Mama.’ It was the happiest day of my life!” In her preface, the author mentions the “road toward autism recovery.” But later in the book, a physician explains: “Your son is notautistic. His body is burdened with heavy metals.” South does not sufficiently distinguish to what degree her advice is helpful to parents of children diagnosed with autism who do not have heavy metal poisoning—given that there are no medically recognized cures for autism itself. The author also advocates chelation therapy, which she admits is controversial and has led to deaths. South asserts she is not a doctor and that her son’s treatment “may not work for every child with autism.” But with Luke’s later diagnosis in mind, South’s suggestion of possible “recovery” from autism will be likely met with some skepticism from many readers. The author’s devotion to her son is palpable throughout, and Luke’s story is an inspirational one. But to what degree the book will help children with autism develop into independent adults is debatable.

A family account written with conviction, although it’s ambiguous and controversial at times.

Kirkus Reviews