http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_575509.html

An autistic boy may have saved his adopted mother's life by reportedly speaking his first sentence.

Richard Smelczerczyk raised the alarm when she collapsed while having an epileptic fit at their home in Hull.

Mrs Smelczerczyk says she can't remember the fit but has been told she passed out and was in danger of choking.

The 11-year-old managed to let his aunt know his mother needed help when she happened to phone the family.

Jean Scott says she then rang her brother, Robert, and sister, Joanne, who rushed to the house and sat with Mrs Smelczerczyk until she came round. She's now fully recovered.

She suffers from Todds Palsy and can have post-epileptic paralysis for anything between four hours and four days.

Mrs Scott said: "When Richard answered, I was a bit shocked because he has never really answered the phone. He just kept saying 'Mummy has hurt heady, Mummy has hurt heady' and I knew straight away that something was wrong."

The Hull Daily Mail says Richard has been unable to string sentences together or speak fluently and tends to communicate through individual words.

Mrs Smelczerczyk, who adopted him two years ago, said: "This is a big achievement and he seems to know what he has done. He's as proud as a peacock, making eye contact with people, which is unusual, and smiling much more frequently. It's fantastic."

Story filed: 18:54 Thursday 25th April 2002

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