Nine-year-old Alex Cullenbine was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at six years old – but his mum, Donji, said she knew from 18 months that something was different.

He avoided making eye contact, was slow to develop speech and was overly sensitive to sounds.

Since his diagnosis, he had received behavioural therapy one or two times a week but he remained gaze avoidant.

However, a few weeks after he started taking part in a small trial funded by the US government, at Stanford University, Donji noticed a difference in her son.

“He was starting to flick glances to my eyes and then dart his gaze away. At first it happened a few times a day, which was absolutely stunning. I remember catching my breath and almost doing a mental double-take.

“It gradually progressed to a handful of times per day, particularly when he wanted me to listen to him with my full undivided attention.”

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