McCrossin Jeffrey, Lach Lucyna, Biette Sophie, Cappe Émilie
McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Adapeila, Nantes, France.
Child Care Health Dev. 2025 Jul;51(4):e70123. doi: 10.1111/cch.70123.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
照顾自闭症儿童带来了巨大的情感和实际挑战，影响着家庭幸福，因此需要社会支持。在法国，历史上对自闭症护理采用精神分析方法，这使这些挑战更加复杂。本研究旨在确定法国为自闭症儿童家庭提供照顾者同伴支持的项目，并探讨它们对自闭症护理的贡献。
进行了一次环境扫描，以确定相关的照顾者同伴支持项目。这种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，并辅以在自闭症支持社区进行的非正式咨询，以将研究结果置于背景中并完善项目的识别。纳入标准侧重于由同伴为照顾者提供持续支持的服务。从公开可用的来源并通过与服务管理人员直接通信进行数据提取。
确定了16个组织，它们提供各种形式的照顾者同伴支持，包括小组会议和个人跟进。大多数服务是面对面的，也有一些在线选项。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伴提供培训。关键支持形式包括非正式聚会，如专注于情感支持、分享经验和宣传的讨论小组。然而，关于服务和同伴培训详细信息的可用性不一致，这突出了项目描述缺乏清晰度，这可能给寻求支持的家庭带来挑战。
法国的照顾者同伴支持发展不足。关于服务提供模式、支持结构和培训的细节不足，阻碍了更广泛的可及性和采用。统一术语并宣传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。未来的研究应该评估这些项目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。
法国针对自闭症的照顾者同伴支持发展不足。尽管其在改善家庭幸福方面的价值已得到认可，但这些服务仍然有限，并且在全国范围内实施不一致。许多项目缺乏对照顾者的同伴支持培训，这突出了改善为自闭症儿童家庭提供支持的质量和可持续性方面的机会。照顾者同伴支持服务的提供方式差异很大，从非正式聚会到个性化支持，最近出现了同伴支持者角色专业化的转变。标准化术语、提升照顾者专业知识并研究项目成果可以增强照顾者同伴支持对法国的家庭幸福和自闭症护理的影响。法国照顾者同伴支持系统中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。
