Caregiver Peer Support for Families of Autistic Children in France

IF 1.8 4区医学 Q2 PEDIATRICS

Child Care Health and Development Pub Date : 2025-07-02 DOI:10.1111/cch.70123

Jeffrey McCrossin, Lucyna Lach, Sophie Biette, Émilie Cappe

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Caring for autistic children presents significant emotional and practical challenges, impacting family well-being and creating a need for social supports. In France, these challenges are compounded by historical reliance on psychoanalytic approaches to autism care. This study aims to identify caregiver peer support programmes for families of autistic children in France and explore their contributions to autism care.

Methods

An environmental scan was conducted to identify relevant caregiver peer support programmes. This approach involved an internet search using keywords related to autism, caregiver peer support and France, supplemented by informal consultations in the autism support community to contextualize findings and refine the identification of programmes. Inclusion criteria focused on services offering ongoing support to caregivers by peers. Data extraction was performed on publicly available sources and through direct correspondence with service administrators.

Results

Sixteen organizations were identified, offering various forms of caregiver peer support, including group meetings and individual follow-ups. Most services were in-person, with some online options. Peer support roles varied between paid and volunteer positions. Few organizations reported offering training to peers. Key support formats included informal gatherings like discussion groups focusing on emotional support, sharing experiences and advocacy. However, inconsistencies in the availability of detailed information about services and peer training highlight limited clarity in programme descriptions, which may pose challenges for families seeking support.

Conclusions

Caregiver peer support is underdeveloped in France. Insufficient detail regarding service delivery models, support structures and training hinders broader accessibility and adoption. Aligning terminology and promoting the value of caregiver peer support could enhance its role in autism care. Future research should evaluate the impact of these programmes on caregiver and family outcomes and explore stakeholder experiences to refine support mechanisms.

Summary

Caregiver peer support for autism is underdeveloped in France. Despite its recognized value in improving family well-being, these services remain limited and inconsistently implemented across the country.
Many programmes lack peer support training for caregivers, highlighting opportunities to improve the quality and sustainability of the support provided to families of autistic children.
There is significant variation in how caregiver peer support services are offered, ranging from informal gatherings to individualized support, with a recent shift towards professionalizing the role of peer supporters.
Standardizing terminology, promoting caregiver expertise and researching programme outcomes could enhance the impact of caregiver peer support on family well-being and autism care in France.
The unique challenges and developments in France's caregiver peer support system offer valuable insights into the broader processes and evolution of peer support on a global scale.

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法国自闭症儿童家庭的照顾者同伴支持

照顾自闭症儿童带来了重大的情感和实际挑战，影响了家庭福祉，并产生了对社会支持的需求。在法国，由于历史上对精神分析方法的依赖，这些挑战变得更加复杂。本研究旨在确定法国自闭症儿童家庭的照顾者同伴支持计划，并探讨他们对自闭症护理的贡献。方法进行环境扫描，以确定相关的照顾者同伴支持方案。该方法包括使用与自闭症、照顾者同伴支持和法国相关的关键词进行互联网搜索，并辅以自闭症支持社区的非正式磋商，以便将调查结果置于背景下，并改进规划的确定。纳入标准侧重于向同行护理人员提供持续支持的服务。通过与服务管理员的直接通信，在公开可用的资源上执行数据提取。结果确定了16个组织，提供各种形式的照顾者同伴支持，包括小组会议和个人随访。大多数服务都是面对面的，也有一些在线服务。同伴支持的角色在有偿和志愿职位之间有所不同。很少有组织报告为同事提供培训。主要的支持形式包括非正式聚会，如讨论小组，重点是情感支持，分享经验和倡导。然而，关于服务和同伴培训的详细信息的不一致性突出表明，方案描述的清晰度有限，这可能对寻求支持的家庭构成挑战。结论法国照护者同伴支持不发达。关于服务提供模式、支持结构和培训的细节不足，阻碍了更广泛的获取和采用。调整术语和促进照顾者同伴支持的价值可以增强其在自闭症护理中的作用。未来的研究应评估这些方案对照顾者和家庭结果的影响，并探索利益相关者的经验，以完善支持机制。在法国，照顾者对自闭症的同伴支持并不发达。尽管这些服务在改善家庭福祉方面具有公认的价值，但在全国范围内的执行仍然有限且不一致。许多规划缺乏对照料者的同伴支持培训，强调有机会提高向自闭症儿童家庭提供的支持的质量和可持续性。在提供照顾者同伴支持服务的方式上存在显著差异，从非正式聚会到个性化支持，最近转向了同伴支持者的专业化角色。标准化术语、促进护理人员专业知识和研究方案成果可以增强法国护理人员同伴支持对家庭福祉和自闭症护理的影响。法国护理同伴支持系统的独特挑战和发展为全球范围内同伴支持的更广泛过程和演变提供了宝贵的见解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Child Care Health and Development 医学-小儿科

CiteScore

3.40

自引率

5.30%

发文量

136

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

期刊介绍： Child: care, health and development is an international, peer-reviewed journal which publishes papers dealing with all aspects of the health and development of children and young people. We aim to attract quantitative and qualitative research papers relevant to people from all disciplines working in child health. We welcome studies which examine the effects of social and environmental factors on health and development as well as those dealing with clinical issues, the organization of services and health policy. We particularly encourage the submission of studies related to those who are disadvantaged by physical, developmental, emotional and social problems. The journal also aims to collate important research findings and to provide a forum for discussion of global child health issues.