Christine McGuinness has revealed she didn’t leave her children for five years as they had so many hospital appointments.
All three of the children she shares with husband Paddy McGuinness - twins Leo and Penelope, eight, and five-year-old Felicity - have been diagnosed with autism.
While 33-year-old model Christine recently discovered she is also autistic, which she says has helped her understand “why I am the way that I am”.
After winning praise for their BBC documentary Our Family and Autism, Paddy and Christine have launched a podcast to help families raising disabled or seriously ill children.
Speaking on the first episode of Table Talk, Christine said she effectively became her children’s “carer”.
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Detailing how living with autism affected her family life, Christine shared: “Something that people probably wouldn’t think of or understand is that you become this full time carer.
“I was very, very fortunate – Patrick works so much – I was able to have those early years at home and be the full time carer with the children.
“The first five years I never left them. I became a carer. I was doing all this speech and language therapy, going to hospital appointments three or four times a week.
“We were doing occupational therapy. There was no way I would have been able to hold down a job as well as do that.
“Thank God I was able to do it. But I speak to so many families that struggle.
“They can’t go to work and care for children that have got disabilities and other needs.”
The new six-part podcast aims to help families like Paddy and Christine’s who may be struggling to care for children with similar needs as theirs.
Paddy said: “I’m so excited to be launching my first podcast.
"As many people have seen, myself and Christine are on a journey of learning about autism and other disabilities.
“Listening to other families and hearing their important stories has made me realise how vital it is to properly highlight the real issues that families across the UK face.”
Christine added: “The Table Talk podcast has been special to me.
"I wish there had been a similar podcast when I was growing up, so I could feel more like myself and perhaps even start my diagnosis journey early.”
A recent study by the McCain and charity Family Fund, who the podcast is in partnership with, found almost half (46%) of parents without disabled children are not familiar with the challenges faced by families raising disabled children.
As a result, 78% of those with a disabled or seriously ill child want to see more families with disabled children shown in mainstream culture.
But 76% believe their disabled child will always be at a disadvantage.
