Like most children with autism, T. preferred to live in his own space rather than interact with others. While having fun with toys, especially toy cars, he often shouted a few single words to express his excitement. When joining saigonchildren’s free early intervention class at the age of 5, T. experienced difficulties in controlling his emotion and speaking for himself due to a lack of vocabulary range. If things didn’t go as he wanted, he would get frustrated easily and start to scream or take self-injurious behaviours such as head banging.
Throughout the three years of intervention, T.’s consistent improvement journey was not only the result of saigonchildren’s therapists’ dedication but also a reflection of his parents’ commitment. After work every day, T.’s family set aside a specific time to practise intervention lessons with T. at home. They also took careful notes of advice from teachers and proactively acquired more knowledge and skills to help their son improve day by day.
This school year, T. has been enrolled in a public special primary school. Now he can greet and communicate with others, recognise others’ emotions, and manage his behaviours. T can remember all of his classmates’ names, write all the letters and numbers by himself, and follow the school’s routine without any problems.
T. also showcases his artistic talent through his ability to remember song lyrics and draw. The card collection in saigonchildren’s 2023 Season Holiday also features three pictures by T., depicting familiar themes related to Lunar New Year. The illustrated version includes a blossoming branch with blue and pink flowers, a sparkling aerial firework against the pink sky. In T.’s eyes, Tết also highlights the presence of “chưng” cakes, “tét” cakes, a piece of watermelon as “I love watermelon, but I don’t prefer to draw the whole fruit as my friends do”, and colourful lanterns. Whenever Tết approaches, T. eagerly puts on a new shirt, sends heartfelt wishes to grandparents, receives lucky money, and visits exciting destinations.
The saigonchildren’s 2023 Season Holiday collection and many other great gifts are now available at our Gift Giving Gallery.
If you’re interested in giving creative young minds like T a chance at a better life please consider donating.