The States has teamed up with a local autism charity to deliver a programme supporting parents and carers of autistic children and teens.
Autism Guernsey has been running the programme for about five years, but Health and Social Care has now agreed to support and fund it for a further three.
The scheme is based on the National Autistic Society’s Parent Programme, and includes classes for three different age groups: EarlyBird Plus (for primary school–aged children), Teen Life (10-15) and Transition to Adulthood (older teens).
Julia Watts, CEO of Autism Guernsey, said one child whose parent had been through the programme had been able to “get back into education”, despite “high levels of anxiety”.
It was a “real success for both ourselves and for the States of Guernsey, and it’s quite an emotional journey to go on with somebody for that process”.
Peer support
Amy Ford, HSC’s Clinical Lead for Autism, said the the six-week course “brings together families who are experiencing similar challenges”.
“It offers peer support to families who can feel quite isolated, and helps them share their experiences with other parents and learn together”, she said.
Parents of children with similar symptoms, such as non-verbal children, will often be grouped together.
The group size is also kept to about eight families, to prevent it getting overwhelming, she said.
“We know that often the parents coming along may also have social communication challenges, trying to make it as friendly and easier space for them as well.”
The courses could also help parents put “strategies and support” in place, which could “massively impact [autistic children’s] ability to communicate and to feel comfortable in different environments”.
Stability
Deputy Dr George Oswald, HSC President, said: “Autism Guernsey plays an essential role in supporting families in our community.”
He said HSC remained “committed to working together to build services that are responsive, inclusive, and shaped by the voices of autistic people and their families”.
Mrs Watts said Autism Guernsey and the States already “collaborated on a regular basis”, as part of the States’ Framework for Autism.
The States is part-funding the “really valuable” service for three years, with Autism Guernsey matching it, and will contribute £24,000 in 2026.
The funding would provide “stability” for the service, Mrs Watts said.
Mrs Ford said the take programmes took “pressure off other services” and allowed them to “focus on the diagnosis”, knowing there was “support from Autism Guernsey for families once they have been seen”.
Autism Guernsey has an annual budget of £400,000, so it hoped the new partnership would help raise awareness and also bring in extra funding, especially from private donors and corporate sponsors.