Ananova:

Families of children with autism are not getting the support they need, according to a new report out for the start of Share the Care Week.

The national charity Shared Care Network is co-ordinating the week in a bid to recruit more volunteers to help support the families of children with autism.

A poster campaign, backed by the Department of Health, will be launched this week urging people to "Give a little time and make a big difference" by becoming a short term carer for a disabled child.

The charity also released a report "Better for the Break" which looked at nearly 300 familes of children and teenagers with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) aged between two and 19 years.

It showed there is an urgent need for more respite services to cover short periods for families who have a child with ASD.

Parents of children with autism suffer from stress and exhaustion, according to the report.

Of the families questioned, 82% said they needed to supervise their child 24 hours a day.

They said their child's condition was often misunderstood and more than half got no regular help from friends and family.

Short break services were shown to help families cope by giving parents a respite from caring.

They also gave children with autism the chance to meet new people and gain new experiences.

Story filed: 01:37 Monday 23rd September 2002

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