Today TreeHouse is transforming the lives of hundreds of young people and their families through its teaching and, crucially, through the educational support services it offers a network of other mainstream and special schools, and parents and children across Britain.

Over half a million people in Britain suffer from autism, a life-long communication disability. Yet few receive the education they need to unlock their full potential. When TreeHouse was set up, the prevailing wisdom was to educate as many children as possible with special needs in mainstream schools.

However that does not work for many autistic children who find mainstream schools overwhelming and frightening. Autistic children are frequently branded as troublesome because teachers misinterpret their disability as bad behaviour. They often end up being excluded from the school, denying them yet more of the education they so badly need.

TreeHouse uses the most up-to-date educational methods and intensive one-to-one teaching to draw out the abilities of all its pupils. It offers primary and secondary education to 59 pupils and, crucially, educational support to many more parents, siblings and teachers across Britain. This a particularly exciting time for TreeHouse.

Currently housed in temporary facilities on a site Highgate, north London, a new permanent building is under construction. This will allow TreeHouse to become the national resource centre for the education of autistic children in the UK, spreading its excellence nationwide. Funds to complete the new centre, and to pay for the next phase of expansion are urgently needed. We know from the numerous letters and emails sent in by readers that autism is something cared about passionately.

Almost everyone knows a family which has been touched by the condition, and is aware of the great advances that are being made in the education of autistic children which helps them to prepare for an independent life when they reaching adulthood.

* Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurological condition which affects communication, social understanding and behaviour.

* One in 100 school age children have autism.

* 27 per cent of school aged children with autism have been excluded from school, the majority more than once

* There are only 7,500 specialist places for 100,000 children with autism

* Only 22 per cent of teachers working with children with autism have had specific training. Typically this training only lasts between one and four hours.

* 80 per cent of couples who have a child with autism split up