How do conspiracy theory communities in Latin America and the Caribbean structure, articulate, and sustain the dissemination of disinformation about autism? To answer this question, this research investigates the structuring, articulation, and promotion of autism-related disinformation in conspiracy theory communities in Latin America and the Caribbean. By analyzing publications from 1,659 Telegram communities over ten years (2015 - 2025) and examining more than 58 million pieces of shared content from approximately 5.3 million users, this study explores how false narratives about autism are promoted, including unfounded claims about its causes and promises of miraculous cures. The adopted methodology combines network analysis, time series analysis, thematic clustering, and content analysis, enabling the identification of dissemination patterns, key influencers, and interconnections with other conspiracy theories. Among the key findings, Brazilian communities stand out as the leading producers and distributors of these narratives in the region, accounting for 46% of the analyzed content. Additionally, there has been an exponential 15,000% (x151) increase in the volume of autism-related disinformation since the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting the correlation between health crises and the rise of conspiracy beliefs. The research also reveals that false cures, such as chlorine dioxide (CDS), ozone therapy, and extreme diets, are widely promoted within these communities and commercially exploited, often preying on desperate families in exchange for money. By addressing the research question, this study aims to contribute to the understanding of the disinformation ecosystem and proposes critical reflections on how to confront these harmful narratives.

翻译：拉丁美洲和加勒比地区的阴谋论社群如何构建、阐述并持续传播关于自闭症的虚假信息？为回答这一问题，本研究调查了该地区阴谋论社群中自闭症相关虚假信息的构建、阐述与传播机制。通过分析1,659个Telegram社群十年间（2015-2025年）的发布内容，并检视约530万用户分享的超过5,800万条内容，本研究揭示了关于自闭症的虚假叙事（包括对其病因的无根据宣称及神奇疗法的承诺）如何被推广。采用的研究方法结合了网络分析、时间序列分析、主题聚类与内容分析，从而能够识别传播模式、关键影响者以及与其他阴谋论的关联。主要发现表明，巴西社群是该地区此类叙事的主要生产者和传播者，占分析内容的46%。此外，自COVID-19大流行以来，拉丁美洲和加勒比地区与自闭症相关的虚假信息量呈指数级增长，增幅达15,000%（151倍），凸显了健康危机与阴谋论信念激增之间的相关性。研究还发现，诸如二氧化氯（CDS）、臭氧疗法及极端饮食等虚假疗法在这些社群中被广泛推广并用于商业牟利，往往利用绝望家庭的困境换取钱财。通过回应研究问题，本研究旨在增进对虚假信息生态系统的理解，并就如何应对这些有害叙事提出批判性思考。