A national-level therapy center for children with autistic disorders is planned to open in May in Haikou.
The (south) child autism therapy center will offer accommodation and treatment for children with autism, its operators said Friday.
The facility, run by the China Foundation for Disabled Persons and the Disabled Persons’ Federation of Hainan, can accommodate 30 families at present and will be expanded to host up to 200 children in the future.
Zhang Yanhua, secretary-general of the foundation, said the facility was China’s first national-level therapy center for children with autism. It will mainly admit children from Hainan and those in the country’s poor western regions.
Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by troubles with social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. Parents usually notice signs in the first two or three years of their child’s life. These signs often develop gradually, though some children with autism reach their developmental milestones at a normal pace and then worsen.
Early speech or behavioral interventions can help children with autism gain self-care, social and communication skills. Although there is no known cure, there have been cases of children who have recovered from the condition. Not many children with autism live independently after reaching adulthood, though some are successful. An autistic culture has developed, with some individuals seeking a cure and others believing autism should be accepted as a difference and not treated as a disorder.
China has about 2 million children with autism, according to research institute estimates.
Source: http://www.xinhuanet.com
