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EXCLUSIVE How autism could be beaten with a 10p vitamin pill. A top doctor tells ETHAN ENNALS his breakthrough... and how just two weeks after treatment non-verbal Ryan said 'I love you Dad' for first time

It's one of the most pressing and controversial questions in modern medicine: just why are cases of autism skyrocketing? The lifelong developmental disorder - which begins in early childhood, making it difficult for people to understand social cues and express themselves to others - was once considered rare. However, over the past 20 years, the number of people in the UK living with autism has surged by almost 800 per cent, according to research published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. There are now about 700,000 people in the UK with a diagnosis.
The ultimate guide to private healthcare, by top doctors: The TEN things you must know, how to get treated fast - plus we've crunched the numbers to save you hundreds

The NHS faces a near-record workload, with more than seven million people in England alone awaiting hospital treatment. Three million of those have been in the queue for more than 18 weeks. This, experts say, is the main reason why more and more patients in the UK are turning to the private sector to speed up the process - even if it means forking out more hard-earned cash. One in eight Britons is now thought to have private medical insurance - policies they either pay for, or which come as part of a salary package - to cover themselves and, in many cases, their families, for diagnosis and treatment in the event of serious illness.