Imagine yourself being locked in a glass room. Outside are strangers whisper and interact with each other in secret words and gestures. You smile at them, wave at them, even scream at them; However hard you try, you seem to be invisible. When you are finally seen, you are stared at, as if you are an animal in zoo.
This might just be a tip of the iceberg of the everyday life that an autistic child is going through. I never had a chance to be genuine empathetic to them until I interned at Qingcongquan, one of China’s leading institute for autistic children.
My first days at the institute were challenging, puzzling, and all-encompassing. These children require special guidance with social interactions in forming relationships. They showed very different behaviors in how they tried to make sense of an overwhelming world. And I could grasp none of them. I stared at them as if they were children from the stars - just like what the public called them. However, beneath these strange behaviors, I noted a strong desire of them to be understood. They were locked, in an invisible glass room and desperately wanted to break through. I remember the feeling when my psychologist Dr. Paul Wang, helped me battle my emotional tension before tests. He taught me to listen and observe my own behaviors and to be aware of my own …show more content…
Today, awareness of mental health as a public health issue is still nascent in China. Great stigmas attach to acknowledging that oneself, or a close one can suffer of mental disorders. “When God closes a door, he opens a window.” (Malachi 3:10) Wei was lucky to have found his window, the drawing talent early. The windows of the rest children, however, remain to be discovered through our patience, knowledge and unconditional love. I strive to equip myself with the knowledge and the experience from oversea studies, to study the most advanced psychological approaches and apply back to these real world
This might just be a tip of the iceberg of the everyday life that an autistic child is going through. I never had a chance to be genuine empathetic to them until I interned at Qingcongquan, one of China’s leading institute for autistic children.
My first days at the institute were challenging, puzzling, and all-encompassing. These children require special guidance with social interactions in forming relationships. They showed very different behaviors in how they tried to make sense of an overwhelming world. And I could grasp none of them. I stared at them as if they were children from the stars - just like what the public called them. However, beneath these strange behaviors, I noted a strong desire of them to be understood. They were locked, in an invisible glass room and desperately wanted to break through. I remember the feeling when my psychologist Dr. Paul Wang, helped me battle my emotional tension before tests. He taught me to listen and observe my own behaviors and to be aware of my own …show more content…
Today, awareness of mental health as a public health issue is still nascent in China. Great stigmas attach to acknowledging that oneself, or a close one can suffer of mental disorders. “When God closes a door, he opens a window.” (Malachi 3:10) Wei was lucky to have found his window, the drawing talent early. The windows of the rest children, however, remain to be discovered through our patience, knowledge and unconditional love. I strive to equip myself with the knowledge and the experience from oversea studies, to study the most advanced psychological approaches and apply back to these real world