Key Summary
- Ads falsely promised “recovery” and misled vulnerable families
- Experts warn parents are being exploited out of desperation
- Autism and ADHD have no cure, whereas only proper, evidence-based treatments help
The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has banned the advertisements of certain ADHD and Autism supplements due to their false claims, says The Telegraph.
The banned brands, through online campaigns, guaranteed unacceptable benefits to the vulnerable groups of people.
They include EllaOla supplement, Israel based Customised Autism Treatment, and UK-based brand called Get Dopa.
They were called out for fake promises like improved energy and concentration, autism recovery, mental clarity, active mind, etc.
The ASA said they risked steering people away from appropriate medical advice.
As per experts like Jolanta Lasota, chief executive of Ambitious about Autism, such unethical advertisements scam parents of children suffering from these health conditions.
Co-founder of ADHD UK, Henry Shelford, said people easily for fall for such manipulative ads and partly blamed the long waiting period for NHS appointments.
In reality, neurodivergent conditions like autism and ADHD have no cure.
However, the NHS has approved treatments that help people manage their condition better.
The ASA banned such advertisements as they are not factual, and gave false hope to the vulnerable individuals and their families.
