Another New Scientist book review, hot off the presses, from 25 August 2012.  It's not about Autism specifically, but it looks at autoimmune disease so I thought I'd post it.

"An Epidemic of Absence: a new way of understanding allergies and autoimmune diseases" by Moises Velasquez-Manoff, Scribner Books.

In November 2010, science writer Moises Velasquez-Manoff went to a clinic in Tijuana, Mexico, to be infected with 30 flesh-burrowing hookworm larvae.  This dubious act had a purpose: Velasquez-Manoff has eczema, allergies and alopecia universalis - an autoimmune condition that causes total body hair loss.  This controversial new treatment purports to alleviate these conditions by infecting people with the very parasites humans have long fought to eradicate.  

In 'An Epidemic of Absence', Velasquez-Manoff chronicles his experience with worm treatment.  Eventually his allergies dwindle, fine hairs sprout and his eczema disappears.  He also explores the underground community using parasites to treat asthma, Crohn's disease and autism. (!! See note.  Alison)

He sprints adeptly through an exhaustive account of the immune system and our failure to grasp its complexities.  We banished infections with sanitation and medicine in the west, he says, but now have to face the consequences: overactive immune systems and a host of new conditions.

The examples of immunity out of balance are striking.  In Karelia, an area split between Finland and Russia, for instance, the incidence of type 1 diabetes, coeliac disease and allergies is greater on the Finnish side where water is sanitised.  

So does the immune system need the invaders it was designed to defend against?  Velasquez-Manoff thinks so.  The last 150 years of germ warfare were overkill, he argues, and now we need an 'ecosystem restoration project' to bring back the microbes and parasites we evolved to cope with.  

By Coutney Humphries

(Note:  While I would not mind at all to be cured of Hashimotos and Lupus, both of which tend to rule my life, I cannot say the same for autism.  So while I'd gladly eat worms to cure my autoimmune problems, I will not do so at the expense of losing that unique consciousness that is "me".  And just because quite a few autistics tend to suffer from an overactive immune system, I don't personally think that autism is the direct cause.  Lots of NTs also have autoimmune problems as well.  Alison.)

This post was last modified: 08-27-2012 06:45 AM by Alison.

I've known this for years.

^I agree with this. I don't think our brain structure would be affected by the parasites--they would only affect how our immune system responds to stimuli....but our brain structure is not an autoimmune reaction so it shouldn't change--but imagine if it was. We could be seasonal autistics LOL