Jenny McCarthy's Journey

Kartzinel said that for autistic children, gluten and dairy act as a morphine-like substance; they react by becoming either lethargic or giddy after consuming these products. McCarthy immediately started Evan on the diet and said she was astounded by the changes she saw in her son.

"As the weeks went on, I noticed my kid coming out of this cloud," she said. "He said to me, 'I want to go swimming.' My kid was only saying one word things. My kid just said a freaking sentence. Not only that, his eye contact was then on."

From that initial breakthrough, progress slowly but steadily continued. Sarah Scheflin, Evan's speech therapist, said, "When we first met, [Evan] would flap his hands, he would zone out. If I said what's your name, he would say, 'Name.' He was clearly autistic."

'A Little Hope'

Two and a half years later, with medication, daily therapy, a special diet and other supplements, 5-year-old Evan has made a remarkable transformation. His speech therapist notes that he came from not being able to answer a question to having a full conversation.

While there is little scientific evidence to support the wheat-free/dairy-free diet, other parents of autistic children swear by it and there is a study under way at the University of Rochester medical center. Most mainstream doctors, however, remain skeptical. Some suggest that perhaps children like Evan were not autistic to begin with.

McCarthy remains hopeful and feels blessed by her son's progress. She is finally ready to talk publicly about her ordeal in her new book.

"I'm here to say, hey, here's a little treatment with a little hope," McCarthy said. "Because no one offered me any and look where my kid is today."