Real stories

About Caring for Jasmine

Caring for Jasmine is a series of films following the daily lives of one family - Marie, Alan and their two daughters Jasmine (then 15) and Paris (then 13). As a family they care for Jasmine, who has autism, scoliosis, dyslexia and dyspraxia.

They took a video camera into their home to tell their story about the ways they work together and support each other as carers.

With a little help from us, they made seven films covering a range of topics including their family relationships, how they dealt with Jasmine’s diagnosis and more.

Episode one: meet the family

In the first film, Marie introduces her family and explains why they wanted to take part in the videos. She says that they thought they could help others in a similar situation by sharing the information and knowledge they’ve learnt over the years in getting Jasmine the support she has needed.

Episode two: diagnosis

When do you first realise that your child might be a little bit different? Marie describes how she noticed a gap was developing between Jasmine and Paris, and Paris tells us how her relationship with her sister changed.

Episode three: help and support

Marie is going to another ‘Team around the child’ meeting. She explains how at first she found the experience of going to these meetings quite daunting, but they’ve become easier and more positive.

Episode four: relationships

Does caring have an affect on family relationships? Paris tells us how she felt before and after Jasmine’s diagnosis with autism. Marie describes how it can be easy to focus intently on caring for Jasmine, but she must remember she has two daughters who need her equally.

Episode five: daily living

In this film, Marie talks us through just one of the many things the family does to help Jasmine. She explains that breaking things down into a step-by-step process means that Jasmine copes better and feels more comfortable.

Episode six: education

Marie tells us about a phone call from her local authority about a statutory assessment for Jasmine. They’ve tried three times to get a statement – will it happen this time?

Episode seven: going places

In this last film, the family is having a weekend away to celebrate Alan and Marie’s wedding anniversary. It’s a fun time for the family, but will Jasmine enjoy it too?

Still image of Marie and Jasmine is courtesy of the Kent Messenger Group