2 Support for families
In the UK, support from the NHS and social services tends to focus on diagnosis and the needs of the autistic child, rather than on the family as a whole. The sparse family support that is available tends to be for parents, such as respite breaks for those with a severely affected child.
However, there are many volunteer-run support groups, some of them provided by people who themselves have an autistic child or adult in the family. Additionally, there are groups on social media and email/online bulletin boards that people can subscribe to.