Reports of autism in China are rare indeed Publicized autism rates have recently ranged from 1 in 150 to 1 in 90 children. Where does China fall here, with its over 1 billion people population?

The rates of autism in China are less specifically measured than in many countries as official recognition of autism is relatively new, only becoming officially diagnosed in China in the 1980s. The World Health Organization estimates somewhere between 600,000 to close to 2 million children in China have autism. That number, however, could be significantly greater since the government is not actively seeking to “find” those with autism. Some other professionals estimate the number of autistic children is more like 2 to 7.8 million in number.

Unlike the US or UK, whose media broadly exposes autism and has created more significant social awareness, China has clearly not. And awareness of autism in China is absent.

For those families that have children with autism, the combined lack of community awareness and available services can be devastating. Schools will often refuse to accept those with more severe autism, and parents are left with the daunting prospects of how to care for their child and – more specifically – face the prospects of what might become of their child when grown to adulthood after they are gone. Some families go so far as to commit family suicide rather than to face that future burden.

While the number of trained professionals to service those with autism is still significantly limited –nationally there are only 20 professionals qualified to conduct official diagnosis – the landscape for autism treatment fortunately is growing, if only in small ways. Beijing Stars and Rain is China’s first non-governmental educational organization dedicated to serving children with autism. Founded in 1993 by Tian Huiping, a mother of an autistic boy, the school is a grassroots educational institute providing special education for families of autistic children. It currently services about 50 families a quarter for an intensive 12-week training and educational program The school has helped more than 6,000 autistic children and their families across the country and has won support from an army of volunteers from around the world. Stars and Rain has also recently opened a small group home for teens.

Despite their good efforts, the school has sometimes been the victim of lack of understanding. Tian noted that the school had moved four times because of some neighbors’ hostilities. Many local residents thought the children were “insane and dangerous”, says Tian, underscoring the gulf between those understanding autism and those still ignorant.

Clearly no autism therapy bears long-term success in a mere matter of weeks., Stars and Rain focuses on Applied Behavior Analysis therapy (ABA), and teaching the fundamentals of this therapy with the child’s parents who can then continue working with their child long after the initial program is complete.

Stars and Rain’s mission at times can seem overly daunting when the need is so significant, and so unanswered. Nonetheless, they continue their commitment helping and training each family as they can, providing hope where there previously was none.

You can make a donation directly to Stars and Rain a self-funding NGO. All donations will be administered by them.

For further information on donations please contact Mr. Sun Zhong Kai at Stars and Rain who will be happy to answer any of your questions in English or Chinese.

Tel . : 0086 10 853 732 36
Fax : 0086-10-853 734 86
E-mail: sunzk@autismchina.org

To view a short trailer based upon this program see below.

Brian Field is the National Autism Examiner