CHILDREN FROM THE STARS

Today is the 13th World Autism Awareness Day.  The UN General Assembly passed a resolution in December 2007 to make April 2 World Autism Awareness Day. Autism is a complex, lifelong developmental disability that is thought to begin before birth but is often not recognized until ages 2 or 3 when it’s noticed a child appears to have persistent difficulty communicating with others and interacting socially.  Individuals with this diagnosis are said to be on the autism spectrum because their perceptions, emotional control, language skills, behavior, sensitivity to the environment, and their ability to understand and interact with other people can vary greatly. They might be observed to have restricted and repetitive behavior patterns, activities and interests.  Some with mild cases are able to live successfully on their own as adults but many others will face great challenges with self-care, self-support, work, and interpersonal relationships the rest of their lives.  Currently, the cause of autism has not been found.  There is no known cure. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the prevalence of autism among children aged 3 to 17 in the United States is 1/45 (2.2%), while the prevalence of autism in China is about 1%.  However, the number in China might be underreported because of the stigma related to the disorder and limited therapeutic resources.  More than 10 million are on the spectrum. There are more than 2 million children with autism in the world; nearly 200,000 new diagnoses are added to the statistics each year. Many people describe children on autism spectrum as “children from the stars. ”  One of the reasons is that we are unable to comprehend their “world” from their perspectives. Such a beautiful metaphor reveals a deep sense of loneliness which we often don’t understand. Children with autism are innocent and cute just like other children. They are not deaf, but they may shut out voices, preferring to stay in their personal inner world. They may not speak because they’d rather not or not know how to express themselves. They often avoid eye contact because it makes them uncomfortable.  Since they can’t understand their relationship with others, it’s also difficult for them to comprehend the emotions and feelings of others. They are living in their own world.  Just like the stars in the sky, they are shining alone. Yet, their world is cold, and they often don’t feel the warmth from those around them. Thankfully, rehabilitative training has been clinically proven to be very helpful to people on the autism spectrum.  Early intervention is of course the most ideal. However, rehabilitative training for children at different times will also have different positive effects.  At present, the most effective treatments for autism are one-on-one intensive behavior training and sensory integrative training through occupational therapy, through which they can gradually acquire basic communication skills, slowly get out of their closed world, and learn to take care of themselves. The following is a very touching story shared by Jane, a parent at our autism center in CC. “I am the mother of a child on the autism spectrum.  My son was diagnosed with autism in 2012 when he just turned two. It caused me much pain and despair not knowing how to help him.  I decided we needed professional help, so I enrolled him in an established rehabilitation institution in the city.  The truth was, I didn’t know much about autism or how it affects children differently.  Day after day I took him to school thinking the teacher would rehabilitate my child.  He progressed in his ability to communicate; however, his behavior and emotions were still very unstable.  He would cry uncontrollably in public and frequently lost his temper, which made me very nervous.  He needed intervention, but I didn’t have the skills to help.  To make our situation worse, my husband suffers from a variety of diseases.  He often needs to stay in the hospital for treatment. We don’t have much support from our friends and relatives.  I felt lonely, desperate, and despair.  Eventually I fell sick and was diagnosed with anxiety disorder.  There were days I didn’t dare leave my home; I laid in bed without the motive or strength to get up.  I just peered out the window looking at nothing in particular.  As such, my son trapped at home and was unable to release his pent-up energy.  He cried often, especially in the middle of the night.  Many times, he would cry himself to sleep due to exhaustion.  This was what I have experienced for the first five years after I learned that my son was diagnosed with autism.  I dared not think about the future. What I could see was just despair and complete darkness. “At this time, friends from Angel House came to visit me. They taught me practical techniques to deal with the situation and even helped clean my house. The teachers of Rainbow Missions supported me with psychological counseling when they were in town. Slowly but surely, I started seeing a glimmer of hope again. “In 2017, my child began rehab training at Angel House.  The weekly parent class was very helpful.  I learned that autism impacts each child differently and they provided me techniques to help parent my son.  I felt Angel House gave me support like a large family.  I was no longer helpless, and my anxiety symptoms started to diminish. “The leaders of Angel House learned of our financial struggles; they worked with Rainbow Missions to help offset the cost of our son’s tuition.  We were so happy that he would be able to continue his training.  I am confident he is on the right path to recovery and I also need to practice the techniques so I can support him at home.  Our situation has been improving and I love my new wonderful life. I hope no one else will have to go through the pain and despair I experienced. In the future, I want to help other children and their families who are in need.  I am also incredibly grateful for the support provided to me through Angel House and Rainbow Missions.  My family now lives each day with gratitude.  We know we are not alone learning how to cope with a family member with autism.” Because of the coronavirus pandemic in China that began around the time of Chinese New Year’s celebrations, all cities were blocked, and everyone had to stay home. However, our field worker YY helped make a video chip to share with you showing all the improvement Haoran, Jane’s son, experienced in 2019. I believe you will enjoy watching it. Our prayer is that more people will be aware of the needs and extend their loving care for these children who are called “children from the stars.” God’s love works miracles. We believe they will have an equal opportunity to integrate into society one day and live a life with dignity and happiness. Thank you!