The treatment could lead to a new hope for sufferers of a condition that affects 600,000 people in Britain today.

It consists of a number of simple physical movements that are different depending on the needs of each individual.

The Dore Clinic has achieved massive successes while working with 1,000 patients suffering from the symptoms of high-functioning autism.

Patients with varying degrees of the brain condition have reported improvements in their symptoms and in some cases have completely overcome their symptoms.

And, in one extreme case, a patient who has been unable to communicate throughout his life, has started to speak lucidly for the first time. He is in his 40s.

The breakthrough was discovered by Dore while working with patients who suffer from dyslexia, ADHD, dyspraxia and poor concentration.

Over the last nine years they have treated 25,000 people suffering from these conditions with a series of exercises aimed at stimulating the cerebellum, the tangerine shaped part of the brain that controls hand-eye co-ordination, balance and motor-neurone movements.

The clinic is now trying to raise £2 million to fund independent, scientifically-based research based on their successes and increase the number of high-functioning autistic cases who have been through the programme.

Medical director Dr Roy Rutherford said: “The results so far have been remarkable. Although we are still in the early stages of our research these findings are extremely encouraging and very surprising.”

Wynford Dore, the founder, added: “This is a complete shock to us as we developed the programme initially for dyslexia and ADHD. Over the last few years we have been approached by a huge number of people suffering with autism and we couldn’t guarantee that Dore could help them. There is no way we could have predicted these results.”

Typically people suffering from autism struggle with social interaction, communication and often have restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behaviour.

The report reveals:

l Expressing emotions – 75 per cent improved, 44 per cent symptom gone

l High sensitivity to touch/sound – 86 per cent improved, 51 per cent symptom gone

l Aggressive behaviour – 68 per cent improved, 38 per cent symptom gone

l Dependence on routine – 72 per cent improved, 42 per cent symptom gone

In addition 56 people who had been formally diagnosed as suffering from autism have now completed the programme.

Of this number 100 per cent showed improvement across a battery of cognitive, literacy and motor tests and 72 per cent showed improvement in social skills, self esteem and mood.