TONI BRAXTON - BRAXTON SOBS ABOUT AUTISM SHOCK

Soul singer TONI BRAXTON broke down in tears on US magazine show THE VIEW yesterday (29JAN07) as she recalled the first signs her youngest child was autistic. The UNBREAK MY HEART singer spent two years searching for answers relating to her son DIEZEL's (corr) developmental issues, but it was only when she placed him in school in Las Vegas last year (06) that his autism was diagnosed. The singer, who is currently in residence at the Flamingo hotel and casino in Vegas, apologised for her tears, saying, "I get all emotional... I just found out, and, when you're just finding out about something, it takes a second to get used to it." Braxton, who was a guest host on The View for an autism special, revealed she started noticing Diezel, now four, was struggling when he was two. He showed classic symptoms, like insisting on order, developing speech problems and refusing to socialise with other kids. She explained, "(There was) no eye contact. He didn't play along with his brother; he would play at his side. All the kids would be in the house; he would be away from them. "He had to have an order, always an order - he had to eat on the red plate with the Mickey Mouse fork, everything had to be in order. He had to sit on the left side, always."