WHEN Sam Griffin peered through the classroom door, she hoped she would see son Jack playing with his friends.

But what she saw filled her with sadness. "All the other children were enjoying their break and playing with each other," Sam recalls. "But Jack was pacing up and down, spinning around and totally in a world of his own. I was heartbroken.

ust wanted my little boy to be like every other child -and it wasn't happening."

Sam had always sensed Jack was different. She says: "None of the parenting tactics that had worked with his older brother, Daniel, seemed to work.

"I tried everything from cuddles and bribery to ignoring him but in any given day he'd spend longer screaming than he would being quiet."

Within weeks of Jack starting school last year it became clear he was also having problems concentrating.

Sam says: "He was given a set of words to take home and learn but he couldn't concentrate on them for more than a minute before running off to do something else."

She was even more worried about his social interaction. She says: "I felt we could probably work on his concentration but if he didn't have any friends, then that could really do him some harm."

Alarmed

The school was also alarmed -and within weeks of starting there Jack was referred to a paediatrician and an educational psychologist.

He was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome -a form of autism that affects the way a person communicates and relates to others.

Sam says: "I was devastated but at least it gave me an explanation for his behaviour."

The turning point came when she and Jack were waiting for a hospital appointment.

As Sam flicked through a magazine, she came across an article about a child with Asperger's whose behaviour had improved after he was given a fatty acid supplement called Eye Q.

Several studies have shown that omega-3 -an essential fatty acid found in oily fish -plays a key role in learning, memory and concentration.

Supplements have been used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia and other learning difficulties.

An article just published in the Journal Of Human Nutrition warns that few of us get sufficient omega-3 from our diets and suggests supplements should be more widely used. Desperate for help, Sam bought some of the citrus-flavoured oil for Jack to try -but at first he refused to drink it.

Sam says: "Then I stuck a photo of his favourite character, Sonic the Hedgehog, on the bottle and told him it was his Sonic Juice."

He started to drink it and within a few weeks she noticed changes. His concentration improved and he began taking a much greater interest in learning.

But for Sam the most important difference was how Jack behaved with other children.

She says: "Within a few months he went from not being able to name one classmate to wanting pals to come home."

Others also noticed the improvement in Jack. Sam says: "His teacher had been worried about how he'd cope with moving up to Year One. But even she commented on how much better he was at mixing with other kids."

Independent special needs consultant Elspeth Bunker says: "I've been seeing a child with Asperger's who is very similar to Jack and he's also seen incredible changes since being on fish oils.

"It really can help some children."