Claire Miller, a mother of a boy with autism and severe learning disabilities, is facing the heartbreaking possibility of having to hand over care of her son to social services due to a lack of support. Her son Danny’s condition often leads to unintentional, challenging behavior that can result in harm to both himself and others. Expressing her fear, Claire shared, “I no longer feel safe being alone with my son, and it’s not his fault.” Alongside three other mothers, Claire was featured in a BBC Spotlight film titled I Am Not Okay, which aired in September 2024, allowing cameras into their homes to capture the often distressing scenes they face.
Following the broadcast of the film, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt announced a multi-million pound funding package, but the mothers feel that the promised money has yet to reach them. They provided testimony to the Northern Ireland Assembly Health Committee, with health trust leaders being summoned to provide answers regarding the allocation of the funds at Stormont later on. The families were hopeful that the funding would reinstate short-break respite services that had ceased during the pandemic and allow their children to stay overnight at a trust facility to give them a much-needed break.
Unfortunately, for Claire Miller’s family, life has taken a turn for the worse. She recounted a harrowing incident in which she was viciously attacked by her son in February, resulting in her being hospitalized with severe concussion for two days. The traumatic experience has left her with memory loss and slower speech, making it difficult to piece together what transpired that day. Carly Braiden, another mother featured in the film, shared her struggles with her son Rudi’s deteriorating behavior, leading to challenging incidents at home, including one where the police had to be called. Despite the increased funding announced by Nesbitt to improve services, the mothers are still waiting for tangible changes to be implemented.
Laura Flannigan, Julie Tipping, and other mothers like them continue to face uncertainty and lack of concrete plans for essential support services for their children. Despite efforts to explore different avenues, the families have been left waiting with no clear solutions in sight. The National Autistic Society has stood in support of the mothers, emphasizing the urgent need for real changes to be made in response to the challenges highlighted in the film. The struggle continues for these families as they navigate a system that is yet to provide the much-needed support they require
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