Ref. 12415/3A 79-YEAR-OLD Devizes man is undertaking a marathon sponsored walk to raise cash so that a two-year-old local boy can get treatment for autism.

John "Mac" McKinnon, from Broadleas Road, will set out on the 120-mile trail along Offa's Dyke in September to raise cash for the Give Sam a Chance fund set up by his great-niece, Amanda Taylor.

Mrs Taylor's two-year-old son Sam was diagnosed with autism about seven months ago. She said: "This means he is unable to speak, communicate or make sense of the world around him."

The causes of autism are still uncertain, but a new diet has already had a positive effect on Sam's condition.

Mrs Taylor, of Century Close, Devizes, said that taking supplements and avoiding wheat and milk products had helped Sam.

"He has improved a lot since he has been on the diet. Visitors to the house used to distress him very much, but he is quite good with people now.

"But you can't leave him on his own and, because he does not know how to point to what he wants, he has temper tantrums through frustration."

Mrs Taylor wants Sam to undergo Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), which has had dramatic effects on children with autism.

Some 47 per cent of children undergoing ABA are able to enter mainstream education after the course of therapy, compared with two per cent without it. But it involves 40 hours of therapy a week and it does not come cheap.

So Mr McKinnon, who is devoted to his little great-grandnephew, agreed to raise money for Give Sam A Chance by walking his way across Wales.

He will be accompanied by his wife, Ursula, who was already doing the sponsored walk in aid of the Christian charity, Samaritan's Purse.

Mrs McKinnon said: "The Offa's Dyke trail is 182 miles long and we will be doing about half of that, though we may do more if we find we are getting on all right. We should be able to do 12 to 15 miles a day comfortably."

Mrs McKinnon, the local co-ordinator for the Samaritan's Purse shoebox gift appeal, Operation Christmas Child, wants to raise money for two of the charity's projects, providing prefabricated shelters for people living in squalid shanty towns in Romania, and bringing water filters to provide clean water for families in Mozambique.

Meanwhile Mrs Taylor is about to embark on a home teaching programme for Sam and is looking for a volunteer who enjoys working with children and who might find the involvement in the therapy rewarding.

She said: "Sam is a delightful little boy and, thanks to the programme, we now have great hopes for his future. The therapy works best on children under four so there is a certain amount of time pressure on getting the programme up and running for him."

The volunteer will receive full training, but must be available for up to ten hours a week. Mrs Taylor said: "This could eventually lead to paid work."

To find out more about Sam's programme, contact Mrs Taylor on (01380) 725998. To sponsor Mr McKinnon, ring (01380) 726746. Sponsorship forms are available from the Gazette office in Devizes, Duck's newsagents and Jackie's store in Maryport Street.