The incredibly scary thing Australian parents are doing to "cure" their kids of autism.

Warning: This post contains graphic images and accounts of child abuse.

Australian parents are reportedly forcing their children to drink bleach in a misguided attempt at “healing” autism.

Those same parents are also also subjecting their children to bleach enemas – bleach injected into the bowel via the rectum.

It’s all part of a practice called “bleach therapy.” But instead of curing the neurodevelopmental disorder,  the practice causes children to scream and writhe in pain – and experts say it’s “tantamount to child abuse”.

As ifyouonlynews.com reports, these parents believe parasitic intestinal worms are the cause of autism in their children – and that enemas using a bleach solution known as ‘Miracle Mineral Solution’ (MMS) – can kill those worms and “cure” autism.

MMS contains chlorine dioxide (sodium chlorite and citric acid) and was allegedly created by Jim Humble, a former Church of Scientology member who later started up ‘Genesis II Church of Healing & Health’.

The “bleach therapy” treatment is also spruiked by a woman named Kerri Riverain a book and on her website CD autism. Riverain operates out of a dubious clinic in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and describes herself as “a biomedical consultant”.

The website claims that “over 8,000 families in over 60 countries” including Australia use the procedure.

On a closed CD Autism Facebook group with around 7,500 members, parents swap stories of bleach enemas.

Some post pictures of what they claim are worms flushed out by the practice – although paediatric gastroenterologist Professor Don Cameron told Mamamia they weren’t worms at all.

Warning: These pictures are graphic. 

“First of all autism, is not called by worms. The pictures that i’ve seen (from screenshots of the Facebook group)- those things are not worms,” Pr Cameron said.

“Even if someone had worms you wouldn’t treat worms by giving them enemas.”

Pr Cameron, who is also President of the Gastroenterological Societry of Australia (GESA), added that it was “entirely possible” that the “bleach therapy” could be physically harmful.

“There’s also incredible potential for psycholgical harm,” he said. “Autistic children by nature are already anxious, they have trouble understanding the world around them anyway.

“I think that giving enemas under such dubious circumstances is, frankly, tantamount to child abuse.”

For parents considering the procedure, he emphasised one simple message: “Don’t do it.”

Related content: Why are autism rates rising? Science says it’s got nothing to do with vaccines.

Dr Katherine Ellard of GESA agreed the cruel practice may be harmful.

“Bleach enemas could certainly cause damage to the colonic mucosa. The likelihood of this happening is related to the concentration of bleach used in the enema,” she told Mamamia.

“I appreciate that people with autistic kids are in a very difficult situation and are desperate for potential cures, but really….words fail me,” she said. “If a doctor was suggesting this, they should be referred to the Medical Board.”

In the US, the FDA has warned the public against using or consuming the product as it produces an industrial bleach “used for stripping textiles and industrial water treatment”.

Related content: New app is a major breakthrough for children with autism.

Additionally, according to Raw Story, the Environmental Protection Agency has warned chronic exposure to small doses of chlorine dioxide could result in neurodevelopmental and reproductive damage.

MMS is distributed over the internet and its promoters claim it can also cure HIV, Ebola, hepatitis, common colds, acne, cancer, as well as other conditions, according to Raw Story.

Around 250,000 Australians — or  about one in every 100 people — have Autism Spectrum Disorder.

ASD impairs communication and social interaction, and is also associated with restricted and repetitive behaviour patterns and interests.

There is no known cure.

Related content: No, vaccines do not cause autism.