Carers of people with autism

Everyone on the autism spectrum is different, but all have difficulty with social interactions and communication, and in how they experience and understand the world around them.

See the National Autistic Society's definition of autism.

Coping as a carer for someone with autism

The strain of coping, often for many years, for someone who sees the world so differently, or appears unresponsive or destructive, can be huge. You may feel you spend a great deal of your time fighting to get the support and help both you and the person you support need.

The person you care for may not want outside support or may struggle to engage with services or new people, making it harder to get support and a break.

It's also not uncommon for there to be more than one person with autism in the family. This can all put a great pressure on family life.

Carers Assessment

If you are caring for a person with autism, you can ask for a carer's assessment to discuss how your life is impacted by your caring role and get extra support if you need it, even if the person with autism doesn't want an assessment for themselves.

Many people with autism can become more independent, with the appropriate support, and services in place. It's important that your experience as the carer (and that of any other family members) is listened to in any plan for the person with autism. As a carer you can feel 'battle-weary' at times, but you are the expert in supporting your loved one, and professionals should listen to and understand your knowledge and experience, and appreciate your role and needs.

Register as a carer here.

Useful links

The Learning Disability and Autism Carers Support Group is run by our Caring for Carers team. The aim of the group is to support carers who support an adult with a learning disability or autism.