This project focused on developing a new therapy to protect families from the harmful effects of stigma and isolation after an autism diagnosis.

Caregivers play a crucial role in an autistic child's life but studies show that many are affected by the stigma of autism. They are often isolated, have low self-esteem and lack social support.

‘SOLACE’ is a support programme that aims to support parents and carers to challenge and reject the stigma around autism. This is the first time a stigma support intervention like this has been developed for carers of autistic children. This study tested how effective the intervention is for those who receive the support.

The process

The team recruited 34 parents or carers of children who have recently received an autism diagnosis or who expect to receive a diagnosis soon.

The group was split in two. One group took part in the SOLACE support group, while the other group did not receive SOLACE and continued as they otherwise would (the 'control’ group).

The SOLACE group ran once a week for eight weeks. During group sessions, parents and carers discussed strategies and shared experiences with each other. A private Facebook group was also set up for further discussions. During the ninth week, SOLACE participants met again to give feedback on the group sessions. This input provided valuable information to improve the SOLACE group support programme in the future. Six weeks later participants were asked for the impact the group had over time.

Those in the ‘control group’ were asked questions before the study started and eight to nine weeks later. These responses were compared with the SOLACE group.

How this project is making a difference

The team found that parents from the SOLACE group reported improved mental health, higher self-esteem and self-compassion after the intervention period. They also reported lower self-stigma and increased positive feelings about the role of caregiving. The "control" group did not show these improvements. Parents particularly welcomed being able to share their experiences with other parents and learning about self-compassion.

The team will now use the findings and learnings from this project to develop a much larger randomised controlled trial. This is an essential step towards the therapy being adopted and rolled out to more parents and carers.