om Bennet was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, a form of autism, at the age of four.

His mother, Helen, was told there was no cure for the condition that would often leave him withdrawn and uncommunicative. But she was determined to help her son.

By chance, Helen discovered that a diet cutting out gluten, dairy and sugar could help children with autism. After consulting a doctor who specialises in this area, Helen decided to put Tom on the diet.

Within two days of starting the programme, Tom's behaviour changed. He began taking an interest in his surroundings and responding to the people around him.

To find out more about Tom and Helen, follow the the link at the bottom of the page.

The National Autistic Society says interest in the effects of diet and vitamins on autism has been around since the 1960s.

However, no clinical trials have ever been conducted into the effect of an elimination diet on autism and Asperger Syndrome so there are no official guidelines for following this programme.

David Potter, head of policy and information for the NAS, also warns parents not to expect the same results as Helen if they want to put their autistic child on the diet.

He says, 'As with all approaches to treating autism it is important to remember that some will work with varying degrees of success in one person, while not have any effect at all for another.'

David says that from the anecdotal evidence they have collected, elimination diets only appear to work for between 20 and 30 per cent of people with autism.

If you want to put your child on a similar diet to Tom's, the NAS says you must seek the advice of your GP or a properly trained nutritionist who has experience in this area. It can be dangerous for your child if you cut foods out of their diet without having them properly assessed beforehand.

A typical elimination diet involves removing all sources of gluten, dairy and sugar from your child's diet.

Helen says it can be quite difficult to follow the diet at first, but she is now amazed at the number of alternatives she can find for Tom.

Here are some examples of typical meals she would feed him:

Breakfast: Puffed rice cereal with rice milk, gluten-free toast with dairy-free spread and sugar-free jam. Boiled egg. Fruit.

Lunch: A meal of chicken or fish with rice that Helen prepares the night before and asks the school to reheat for Tom. Fruit and vegetables.

Evening meal: A meal of meat, chicken or fish - Tom can eat all meats. Helen often makes her own chicken nuggets - using fresh chicken, or shepherds' pie - using mashed potato made with rice milk and dairy-free spread.

Other meal suggestions are gluten-free or corn pasta or risottos, which are made from rice.

Tom also eats plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables to make sure he is getting enough vitamins and nutrients in his diet.

For more information about autism and diet, visit the National Autistic Society website on www.nas.org.uk or call the NAS Autism Helpline on 0870 600 8585. Opening hours 10am-4pm Monday to Friday.

Now follow the link below to find out more about Tom and the effect the diet had on his life.

 How one woman 'cured' her son's Asperger syndrome