A FAMILY are hoping that a fundraising campaign will help them to coax their young son from his locked world.

Sandra and David Barker, from Bishop Auckland, want to take two-year-old Ryan to a centre in America which offers development programmes for autistic children.

They read in The Northern Echo about the progress made by four-year-old Ben Collins, from New Marske, near Redcar, after his parents Sandi and Paul took him to the Options Institute, in Massachusetts.

After ten months on the Son-Rise programme, Ben was able to speak and communicate for the first time.

His story brought new hope to the Barkers, who also have a daughter, Megan, four.

They have started raising the £1,600 to take Ryan for a start-up programme, where they will learn how to help him develop.

Mrs Barker's employer, the Asda supermarket chain, began the campaign with a £200 gift from the Asda Foundation.

She said: "Ryan has not been fully diagnosed, but he shows all the signs of being autistic.

"At the age of two, he had a mental age of one, and this pattern of development is going to continue.

"We are convinced he knows the letters of the alphabet, even though he can't yet speak.

"The institute will show us how to work with Ryan to bring out his true potential. We will do anything to help him.

"We didn't think there was any hope until we read about Ben and the progress he made.

"We had a stillborn baby six years ago, so Megan hasn't got a big sister or baby brother."

Asda staff are planning a sponsored walk between the Bishop Auckland and Spennymoor stores.

Mr Barker and two colleagues from Thermax are contributing with a sponsored cross-country bike ride.

Anyone who would like to help the family can contact them on (01388) 450842