EVER since his birth Blaine Innes has been trapped in a world where he has been unable to communicate.
The autistic six-year-old suffers from hyper-sensitive hearing – even the sound of someone spreading butter on a slice of toast can send him into a state of panic.
But yesterday it was revealed that the boy from Aberdeenshire has spoken direct
ly to his parents for the first time after they raised £10,000 to take him to a world-renowned autism centre in the United States for treatment.
His mother, Moyra, said: "I could not believe it. Blaine never makes eye contact, but he turned to me and said 'Mum'. It was a very special moment and meant the world to me.
"All I've ever wanted was my little boy to show some acknowledgement and give me a little bit of love back. It's been worth waiting for."
Both Blaine and his older brother, Blair, 14, were born with autism.
But Mrs Innes, from Fraserburgh, explained that, while Blair was able to communicate, her other son had been "locked away in his own little world", where the only way he could protect himself from the effects of his condition was by covering his ears with his hands as he walked around.
Earlier this year, after exhausting all the treatments available in this country, Mrs Innes and her husband, Graeme, enrolled their son with the Autism Treatment Centre of America in Sheffield, Massachusetts.
They started raising the money needed to fund the course of treatment and their flights to the US. The family finally set out last month on their 4,000-mile trip to Massachusetts, where Blaine had five days of intensive treatment.
To get there, Blaine had to endure two flights and eight hours in noisy aircraft.
But as soon as the family got to the isolated centre, his parents noticed the calming effect the quiet surroundings had on Blaine.
Mrs Innes said: "He seemed much more at ease and looked at us a few times as if to say, 'Thank you, this is just what I needed'. The change in him was unreal.
"He even gave me two kisses at one point, which is very unusual for him."
She revealed that it was at the end of the week-long therapy sessions that Blaine spoke directly to her for the first time in his life.
"I've often wondered if Blaine had any idea of what was going on around him," she said.
"But saying 'Mum' showed me that he knows I'm here and that he loves me. The therapy was the best thing we could have done for him."
Mr Innes said: "Blaine has at times said things like 'Mum, mum' in the past when his mother has been nowhere near.
"But when he was in America he used the word 'mum' for the first time when he was looking directly at his mother. And he also said the word 'no' in the proper context when I said something to him.
"It was a real thrill for both of us, because being able to communicate will unlock so many things and help his life.
"Once he can communicate, his life will become so much easier, and so will ours."
