Percolating opportunity

At first glance, the Starry Sky Cafe in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, resembles any typical streetside coffee shop — neat and tidy, with a cozy and soothing ambience, where baristas make coffees of the customers' choosing.

But unlike other cafes, this one serves a unique purpose: It is the site of a pilot program offering employment to young adults with autism. The first of its kind in Xiamen, the Starry Sky Cafe opened to the public on March 27, and currently employs five individuals on the spectrum.

Among them is a recent 23-year-old graduate of the Xiamen Special Education School. Last summer, he received specialized training in coffee, beverage and pastry making, organized by the Xiamen Disabled Persons' Federation, and earlier this year, he underwent additional training focused on coffee making to prepare him to be a barista.

His mother says that although her son lives far from the cafe, he enjoys taking the bus and insists on doing the commute himself, turning down her offer to drive him. She occasionally helps at the cafe, especially during busy periods, but is primarily focused on her own full-time job, and trusts her son to go to work independently.

"Based on my observations and conversations with him, I think he is doing well at the cafe. The interpersonal relationships are simple, the workload is manageable, and the manager knows how to help him," she says.