Hello, my name is Samantha Lee, and I am a Grade 10 (to-be) student from the ISF Academy in Hong Kong.  

In July 2022, I was able to have the opportunity to intern at a speech therapist's office in Hong Kong. There, I watched how kids of all ages (2-12 years old) with Autism behaved. Throughout my experience as an intern at a speech therapist's office, I understood that autistic children and adolescents have significant differences in social skills. Thus, it is vital to use different materials to help train those kids through their distinct autistic journey.

Despite having an enjoyable learning experience this summer, sometimes I would occasionally hear the interaction between the speech therapist and the parent(s), discussing what to do in the future as the said child grows up. One of the critical points that left a deep impression on me was when the speech therapist and parent(s) discussed how the child may be bullied in different environments, typically school. Yet, throughout the entire conversation, their tones were equally calm, demonstrating how bullying autistic people is inevitable and, sadly, a common thing to see daily.

This shouldn't be how we treat anyone in general; since when did Autistic children become an exception? This is why I have decided to start this campaign for Autistic people, to better help the public understand them more and raise funds for the Autism Partnership Foundation.

Let me start with a story that I have created:

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"What is wrong with this kid?"  

Please.   

"This kid is so loud…"   

Stop.    

"Must be crazy."   

Talking.    

Please…   

"Shh… It's ok. We're almost at the doctor's office, alright?" I gently grasped my child's hand.  

Sometimes, I wish I could shut out those external voices who know nothing about my child's life, more so mine. But every time I feel like that, I become very guilty because another sound would need to overpower the former for that to work, and sometimes,  

it's not always silence.  

Instead, blaring, ear-piercing noises overtake those voices, making you feel alienated from the rest of the universe, like you're floating in the middle of nothing, waiting for anything, anything, to swallow you whole.  

And my child experiences this every. single. day.  

"Let's go, or we'll be late for your appointment, sweetie," my child tried to shove my hands, which were holding onto theirs for dear life, away, but I didn't let that happen. Not today. I'm sorry.  

I'm so sorry you were born into an already judgmental world with a disability that makes others judge you even more. It's my fault.  

I'm sorry.

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Autism, a condition known as ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), is a complex neurobehavioral condition that causes disadvantages in communication, social and sensory processing skills. According to World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1 in 160 children have ASD globally. While on a more local scale, the Autism Children Foundation concluded there were around 25,000 registered children with Autism in Hong Kong. (Dr. Lam, "Autism (ASD) in Hong Kong: Signs, Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment")

ASD children typically begin to show symptoms of Autism within the first year they are born, while a small number of children start to show signs between 18-24 months old.

Below are a few things that children with Autism would do regularly (“Autism spectrum disorder”):  

• They resist physical touch and prefer to play alone
• They provide a limited amount of eye contact and facial expressions
• They don't speak, have delayed speech, or lose previous ability to say words
• They speak with an abnormal tone and rhythm and may use a singsong or robot-like voice
• They don't seem to physically understand simple directions and questions
• They don't express emotions and feelings and appear unaware of others' feelings
• They inappropriately approach a social interaction by being passive, aggressive, or disruptive

These situations provoke the public to view ASD children as "manner-less," but in reality, they just can't help how they act. Not only are children with ASD typically stigmatized and mistreated by the public, but the parents of these children are simultaneously being mistreated, causing a negative mentality to arise.

In Hong Kong, a survey was conducted from March to December 2015 by the Department of Psychological Studies (PS) and the Department of Early Childhood Education (ECE) at The Education University of Hong Kong (HKIEd). 424 parents of autistic children aged 2 to 18 were asked several questions to determine an overall correlation and pattern (“Survey: Most Parents of Children with Autism Report Discriminatory Experiences).

• The study's results showed that nearly 90% of the parents of autistic children who underwent the survey claimed to have experienced discrimination.
• In fact, 70% of the parents explained they were looked down upon by others and had difficulties forming an active social life because of having children with ASD.
• This resulted in more than 60% of parents showing depressive symptoms.
• Their parents may be blamed for lacking control over the ability to discipline their children due to the public's misconceptions about such behavior." 

It is no doubt that autism awareness in Hong Kong is low; autistic children and their parents are being blamed and discriminated against due to common misconceptions. In addition, many underprivileged families in Hong Kong cannot afford for their children to receive therapy, thus missing the critical period to learn vital social skills, making Autism more challenging to manage.  So, why not take one small step to make a big difference? Please donate to this fundraiser as all proceeds would go towards the Autism Partnership Foundation to help Autism families in Hong Kong. Together, step by step, we can create a better world for people with Autism.

To conclude, I would like to take your precious 1.5 minutes to watch the below video so you know what it's like to live in a world of a child with Autism.

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Resources:

“Autism spectrum disorder.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 6 January 2018, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/autism-spectrum-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20352928.

Dr. Lam, Fanny Wai Fan. “Autism (ASD) in Hong Kong: Signs, Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment.” Healthy Matters, 7 May 2022, www.healthymatters.com.hk/asd-in-hong-kong-signs-symptoms-causes-and-treatment/.

“Survey: Most Parents of Children with Autism Report Discriminatory Experiences.” The Education University of Hong Kong, 31 March 2016, www.eduhk.hk/fehd/en/highlights.php?id=1197.