Jessica is only 10 years old and yet already she is helping to care for all her younger siblings. Her sister Hannah, six, has Aspergers and ADHD, and is devoted to Jessica – she can’t sleep without her in the bed, which stops Jessica from going on playdates and sleepovers with her friends.
However, when Hannah has one of her frequent episodes, the girls’ mother Bethan has to take her to a quiet room in the house, leaving Jessica in charge of their two younger siblings – Katie, four, and Lucy, three.
Bethan, from South Wales, explains: “The younger two can’t be left in a room on their own. As my husband works, Jessica keeps them safe and entertains them while I tend to Hannah, who needs to be calmed…