How did secretin get associated with autism in the first place?
In 1996, a small, severely autistic boy called Parker Beck, who was suffering from continual vomiting and diarrhoea, was brought to the University of Maryland for investigation, which included the administration of secretin. After he got home, Parker’s digestive problems improved markedly, and so did his autistic symptoms. After this incident, Victoria Beck, Parker’s mother, became an enthusiastic proponent of secretin as a possible cure for autism. Most importantly, she received the support of the influential Bernard Rimland, Ph.D., director of the Autism Research Institute of San Diego, California.
