Autism is thought to affect about 2% of the UK population, with the most recent estimates suggesting that diagnostic and support costs total in excess of £32billion per year.
Despite this, autism care and support in the UK is seen and experienced by many as at best disjointed, more often non-existent. Autism is experienced by entire family units, yet many existing healthcare systems do not take wider effects on the whole family into account.
A major new trial, led by the University of Plymouth and funded through a grant of more than £2.8million from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), aims to help address that.
It will examine whether a specially developed package of support -
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SAFE: Systemic Autism-related Family Enabling - P
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"> SAFE: Systemic Autism-related Family Enabling - can significantly improve the mental health, wellbeing, and functioning of all family members, and give them coping mechanisms that build their capability to manage some of the challenges that often surround or accompany a diagnosis of autism.
The four-year SAFE2 project draws together partners including the voluntary and community sector and those working at universities and healthcare organisations, in addition to almost 500 families across the UK.
The interventions SAFE will trial have already been developed and tested through a feasibility study and other research and community-based initiatives, funded by NIHR and Autistica, and the new project will be the largest yet to explore its potential benefits for families.
It will also explore how SAFE might be applied right across the NHS, so it benefits autistic children and their families every day and the clinicians and practitioners working to improve the process of autism diagnosis and the provision of follow-up care packages.
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