Understanding education

After establishing her kindergarten in 2005, Wang Xinhui soon discovered that her true calling was to help neurodivergent children, who are often stigmatized in society, to get the best possible start in life, Wang Qian reports.

Wang Xinhui was always a woman with a mission. Upon receiving her master's degree from Chifeng University in 2005, Wang, who had studied early childhood education, immediately sought to realize her dream of opening a kindergarten.

She couldn't have known how, a few years later, she would find her ultimate calling — one that would have such a positive impact on an often underserved section of society, shining a light of hope in the lives of families with neurodivergent children.

The autism spectrum is a constellation of neurodevelopmental conditions, which, as of the end of 2020, affect around 3 million people in China aged under 18, according to a recent industry report conducted by the China Association of Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons.

"Early diagnosis and proper treatment can help minimize their symptoms and improve their skills. My incentive for setting up the school is the hope we bring, not only to the children, but also to their families," says Wang, the school's director.

With every child with autism, the family is affected in some way, facing various challenges, from emotional stress to financial burdens, Wang says, adding that it can sometimes be a long and difficult journey.

"Once, a mother told me that her only hope was to live one day longer than her child. I could feel her heartbreak and I wanted to do something for parents like her," she says.

Established in 2009 in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, the Star Road Rehabilitation Center has helped to improve the quality of life for thousands of children with autism.

Every year, about 200 children study at the school and about 30 of them will be able to enroll into standard primary schools, according to Wang.

After passing the school's assessment, Wang's students can let go of their parents' hands and get into a mainstream classroom, accompanied by a special needs assistant.

In her eyes, there is little difference between children with autism and their neurotypical peers, other than a slower response time to certain stimuli.

"Among the students from my school, one with high-functioning autism is about to graduate from college. Although it is a rare case, it proves that neurodiverse people can excel in the classroom and shouldn't be counted out from the formal education system and society," Wang says.

According to WHO, some people with autism can live independently, while others require lifelong care and support.

Having studied autism for decades, Jia Meixiang, a doctor from the Peking University Sixth Hospital in Beijing, agrees that early intervention for children with autism helps improve their intellectual ability and social skills. She adds that, usually, the treatment lasts two or three years, with at least up to 40 hours a week of intervention, from therapists and parents.