'People don't know what it's like': Mother wants more support for parents of children with autism
ITV Channel's Emma Volney meets some of the parents calling for more support
A Guernsey mother who has two daughters with autism says "people have no idea what it's like", amid calls for extra support for parents.
Antonia Rainbow set up the 'Autism & Me' Facebook group in 2023 for local carers of neurodiverse children as she believes while the island's system for diagnosing young people with autism has improved, more needs to be done to assist parents.
Antonia tells ITV News: "If someone spent the day in your shoes, they just wouldn't believe it.
"You're pre-empting all the time, what is going to set them off [the children] and how you can react to it, how you can diffuse the situation."
However, Antonia adds that "meeting other people in the same boat as you is so lovely" when asked about the impact the group was having on her.
It now has 450 members with events organised for neurodiverse children to ensure they do not miss out on social activities that they may not otherwise be able to take part in due to their condition.
Antonia explains that neurodiversity affects people differently and often makes it hard for her daughters to join in socially.
She says: "There are no summer holidays that cater for children with neurodiversity, none.
"There is nowhere that you can leave your children safely, alone, during the summer so it's incredibly difficult."
She adds that while caring for children with autism is challenging, motivation comes from the "little wins" of seeing them involved in a range of activities - from watching films to library trips.
When asked about her thoughts on how well Guernsey's government caters for the needs of neurodiverse children, Antonia replies: "What's happening is that you get diagnosed then you get left. So yes, they've done a great job on actually getting kids diagnosed quicker. They've brought in off-island support but actually, then what happens?"
The Government brought in a UK-based company to address the rising demand for diagnoses in March.
ITV News has approached the States of Guernsey for a response to the issues raised.
Niamh McDermott runs the charity AllMatters Neurodiverse Jersey which has nearly 2,000 members in its Facebook group.
She says businesses should allow parents who care for neurodiverse children to have more flexible working arrangements.
Niamh has a child with autism and believes employers should be given basic training about neurodiversity and autism.
She explains: "Parents like us, we have to keep so much patience and energy for our children so it's very hard to have that in other areas of life."
Niamh adds that seven years ago she had to quit her job after her neurodiverse child was unable to access full-time education and describes the experience as "very isolating" - she has also called for extra support for parents in Jersey.
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