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CHEN Xudong isin the thirdmonth of his cleaning job at aMcDonald's in northern Beijing.The 19-year-old busses tables,clearing leftovers into waste bins in thecorner,on the go all the time.His aptnessmakes it hard to imagine the difficultieshe had getting this far in life.
"Xudong was two before he couldwalk,sort of,and five or six before hecould say single words.It took until hewas 15 before he could communicate nor-mally," recalled the boy's mother WangQian."He was slower in learning almosteverything than other kids of his age."Tests confirmed that her son had intel-lectual impairment.
China's second national survey on dis-abilities,conducted in 2oo6,found thatthe total number of people with disabili-ties of one kind or another exceeded 83.1million.The number of families affectedwas 70.5 million,representing 17.8 per-cent of all Chinese households.
The Importance ofCommunicating Happiness
It is excruciating for any couple to ac-cept that their darling baby is different."On learning of the child's situation,theparents' first response is to feel like thesky has fallen in on them," said Liu Yan-hong,a special education professor withBeijing Normal University (BNU)."Aftercoming round from the emotional shock,the majority face up to the problem andseek medical help in the dim hope offinding a cure.When medicine cannotprovide the answer they accept reality."
Wang Qian went through this pro-cess herself."My husband and I wouldbe eaten up with anxiety whenever ourson reached a new development stage.For instance,I had to show him dozensof times how to tie his shoelaces beforehe could do it on his own,whereas otherkids would master it in a couple of goes."
The stress intensified as her son grew.In 2000 the couple eventually enrolledXudong,by then nine years old,into aregular primary school,three years laterthan the normal starting age."We hopedhe could grow up in an environment nodifferent from that of other children,where he could play and associate withthem," she explained.Not surprisinglythe boy's exam .scores were exception-ally low,pulling down the class averageand with negative consequences for histeachers' work evaluation and that of theschool as a whole.
Two years later,despite all Wang'sprotestations,the school insisted thatXudong had to go."I was devastated.Itwasn't the child's fault and he had a rightto education! But now,I understandthe school's position: it had to improveits competitiveness through the pupils'exam performance." Aware of the disputebetween his parents and the school,Xu-dong refused to go to classes any more."He felt totally inferior."
Eventually Xudong was enrolled intothe Peizhi School in Haidian District,BeiJing,a special school dedicated to thenurturing of children with learning dif-ficulties.For mother and son alike a newworld and a liberating atmosphere await- ed: pictures and handicrafts by studentsadorned the corridors and classrooms;tables,seats and cupboards were inrainbow colors.A teacher explained thatbright colors create a cheerful mood andhelp visual cognition in children with in-tellectual impairment.
"We have to communicate a senseof happiness and security through oursmiles and patience," commented theschool principal Yu Wen,a special-needseducator for 22 years.Most children withdisabilities,physical or intellectual,lacka sense of security,and look for reassur-ance from the people close to them,i.e.family,teachers and friends.
"Only if he gets a sense of happinessfrom me can my son feel genuine happi-ness himself.And only then can he feelOK about mixing with others," WangQian spoke from personal experience.She and her husband sometimes callXudong "dozy," but in an affectionatetone."It's a fact that our child is slowerthan the average kid.As parents wecan't avoid the fact,and hope he canface it too.But what we want him to un-derstand is this: we don't mind that heis slow,and that it's no big deal.We canstill live happily."
During the nine years at the PeizhiSchool Chen Xudong learnt reading,writing,some crafts,and how to be withfriends,even getting a teaching aide postto help kids in the lower grades.Moreimportantly,his confidence blossomed.
Respect for Life
In the words of Wang Naikun,chairof Special Olympics China,"Respectingevery life,the world will become a betterplace." Respect for life is the core qualityfor special-needs teachers."Special-edu-cation teachers should focus not on examscores but on the developmental effect -the difference our education makes.Nomatter how low the baseline,if there isdetectable progress,the teachers will bedelighted for them.This is the very es-sence of education," said Yu Wen.
According to Prof.Liu Yanhong,treat-ment and training can significantly in-crease the chance for children with learn-ing difficulties to live a near-normal life."For most,the impairment is incurablebut it is treatable," she asserted."Inter-vention training in a child's early yearscan definitely improve its life skills." Shecited the example of a child with an in-born brain defect who got interventiontraining at age one and is now study-ing at university.Parents who scour thecountry looking for folk cures miss thebest time for intervention training.
Special education is critical to thedevelopment of children with learningdisabilities,as it calls for expert under-standing of their special needs,whichvary according to the type of disorder,and which require different responsesand measures.Nobody is more aware ofthis than Yu Wen.Children with learn-ing difficulties may periodically act outviolently,screaming,crying or smash-ing whatever is at hand.The teachersmust detect the cause and take prompt'action to prevent injury and damage. For instance,autistic children are highlysensitive to any slight change in theirsurroundings,possibly aggravating theirinsecurity and triggering an emotionaloutburst.Once normality is restoredthe child will calm down.For those withlearning difficulties,the key is patienceand repetition as they learn to do things.
Yu Wen said that she and her col-leagues are always in a position to studytheir pupils."The inner world of suchchildren is closed off to us and their re-actions are complex and unpredictable.Nobody knows what will happen in aclass,so every session has to be taken asresearch." Aware of the importance oftheir work to disabled children and theirfamilies,special education teachers findgreat career satisfaction.Ms.Yu's schooltakes on seven or eight staff every year,but in more than 20 years of operationonly 10 teachers have left.
Working One's WayInto the World
"Working a job is a way for the dis-abled to blend into society," commentedProf.Liu."It not only brings them anincome,but also helps them realize theirsocial value by serving society."
The 2006 survey found that of allthe people with disabilities living intowns and cities only 2.97 million wereemployed,representing 3.7 percent ofthe all-China total.But actually manypeople with mental or physical disad-vantages are quite capable of work in-volving simple tasks,provided they getproper training.
In recent years China has ramped upefforts to increase employment for peo-ple with disabilities,creating communityjobs,ordaining a job quota share andoffering preferential policies on tax,loanand registration for those starting theirown businesses.
When Chen Xudong graduated fromthe Peizhi School,his mother frettedabout his chances of landing a job andhis transition from school to society.Much to her relief the boy was hired byMcDonald's."I worried about his fu-ture," she said."What would he do whenmy husband and I can no longer care forhim?" To prepare the boy for those days,she drums into him the value of work,independence and help for others,build-ing his confidence in his own ability tosupport himself like a man.
Chen Xudong can make up to RMB2,000 in a good month.He learnt enoughmath at school to calculate his workinghours and earnings,and manages hisown finances with assurance.He is con-fident in his ability to fend for himself.Wang is under no illusions about howlucky and exceptional her son has beento land a job.
Last July Xudong treated his parentsto the movie Ocean Heaven,about anautistic boy and his father."We were sopleased," Wang Qian recalled."He reallyhas great emotional sensitivity."
Chinese laws stipulate that employersmust put in reserve a proportion of theirjobs for people with disabilities; failureto do so makes them liable to a fine.Evenso,some choose to pay the fine ratherthan accept disabled workers.Some ob- serve the letter rather than the spirit ofthe law by having disabled people on thepayroll,but actually keeping them onindefinite furlough.Prof.Liu attributessuch behavior to employers' doubtsabout their working ability,perplexityover what work to assign or nervousnessabout what additional responsibilities oreven risks may be involved in the hiring.She also reminds us that some workerswith disabilities quit of their own accordwhen they think the employer is givingthem unsuitable work.
Prof.Liu and other scholars workingfor disabled people's interests are work-ing on a scientific system of evaluation,which aims to identify suitable work fora particular individual as a form of voca-tional guidance.
Continuing Shortfall of SpecialEducation Teachers
A 2009 study by BNU shows thatChina had 1,670-plus special schoolscatering to children with sight,hearing,and intellectual impairment.In additionthere were 2,000 special-needs classesset up in regular-intake schools.Thetwo categories had a total enrollment of540,000.
But the 2006 national sample surveyrevealed that children with disabilitiesbelow the age of 14 numbered 3.87 mil-lion,and that 2.46 million of these werein the six to 14 age range,way more thanChina's special education facilities couldaccommodate."Special education inChina has been growing rapidly in thepast 20 years,but there's still a desperateshortage of trained teachers," Prof.Liuconcludes.
In 1980 BNU founded China's firstspecial education research institute,headed by Piao Yongxin,who,now inhis 8os,studied special education inthe Soviet Union.In 1986 the universityopened undergraduate courses in specialeducation,a postgraduate program in1993 and a doctoral program in 2005.But special education in China has rid-den a bumpy road since its inception: forthree years BNU suspended the programfor lack of applicants and other providerswere forced to do the same.
So far BNU has produced only 350postgraduates in special education.Ofthese,one-third are still at the lecturepodium,one-third are in administrationor research,and the rest have gone intoother fields.Only about 110 work at thespecial-education coalfaee.Profi Piao at-tributes the high drop-out rate to the ex-treme patience demanded and the yawn-ing gap between the huge efforts investedand the meager economic paybaek.
But public attitudes are now changing,and China has steadily increased invest-ment into special education.Back in the198os,when Yu Wen and her studentswalked outside the school they were of-ten greeted with finger pointing,expres-sions of pity or insults.These days theycan expect a much warmer reception ofcare,understanding and admiration.
The change on campus is also evident.Since 2002 BNU has seen a rise in appli-cations for the special education depart-ment.In 2007 it launched an incentiveof tuition and fee exemptions,free board and a subsistence allowance to studentsof special education.There were stringsattached,though: on graduating they hadto take on teaching jobs in their home-towns.Now the 2007 intake are at internstage,and feedback from employers hasbeen very positive.
At the Beijing Paralympics in 2008Prof.Liu helped train young volunteers,mostly of the much-maligned 8os and9os generations,Their performancegave her hope for the future of specialeducation.
Several of Liu's former students atBNU are running private schools forchildren with disabilities,some of themproducing winners of national awards.In 2oo3 Zhao Xiumei,of Nanning inGuangxi,was that city's highest scoringcandidate in the college entrance examfor students of liberal arts.To the sur-prise of many,she opted for the specialeducation department of Beijing NormalUniversity.She later told her mentorProf.Liu: "I dithered over my choice.But when I see parents of disabled chil-dren crying in desperation,I realize howmuch I count for.Because I am needed,because I want to impart love to others,I can have a meaningful and significantlife."
"Xudong was two before he couldwalk,sort of,and five or six before hecould say single words.It took until hewas 15 before he could communicate nor-mally," recalled the boy's mother WangQian."He was slower in learning almosteverything than other kids of his age."Tests confirmed that her son had intel-lectual impairment.
China's second national survey on dis-abilities,conducted in 2oo6,found thatthe total number of people with disabili-ties of one kind or another exceeded 83.1million.The number of families affectedwas 70.5 million,representing 17.8 per-cent of all Chinese households.
The Importance ofCommunicating Happiness
It is excruciating for any couple to ac-cept that their darling baby is different."On learning of the child's situation,theparents' first response is to feel like thesky has fallen in on them," said Liu Yan-hong,a special education professor withBeijing Normal University (BNU)."Aftercoming round from the emotional shock,the majority face up to the problem andseek medical help in the dim hope offinding a cure.When medicine cannotprovide the answer they accept reality."
Wang Qian went through this pro-cess herself."My husband and I wouldbe eaten up with anxiety whenever ourson reached a new development stage.For instance,I had to show him dozensof times how to tie his shoelaces beforehe could do it on his own,whereas otherkids would master it in a couple of goes."
The stress intensified as her son grew.In 2000 the couple eventually enrolledXudong,by then nine years old,into aregular primary school,three years laterthan the normal starting age."We hopedhe could grow up in an environment nodifferent from that of other children,where he could play and associate withthem," she explained.Not surprisinglythe boy's exam .scores were exception-ally low,pulling down the class averageand with negative consequences for histeachers' work evaluation and that of theschool as a whole.
Two years later,despite all Wang'sprotestations,the school insisted thatXudong had to go."I was devastated.Itwasn't the child's fault and he had a rightto education! But now,I understandthe school's position: it had to improveits competitiveness through the pupils'exam performance." Aware of the disputebetween his parents and the school,Xu-dong refused to go to classes any more."He felt totally inferior."
Eventually Xudong was enrolled intothe Peizhi School in Haidian District,BeiJing,a special school dedicated to thenurturing of children with learning dif-ficulties.For mother and son alike a newworld and a liberating atmosphere await- ed: pictures and handicrafts by studentsadorned the corridors and classrooms;tables,seats and cupboards were inrainbow colors.A teacher explained thatbright colors create a cheerful mood andhelp visual cognition in children with in-tellectual impairment.
"We have to communicate a senseof happiness and security through oursmiles and patience," commented theschool principal Yu Wen,a special-needseducator for 22 years.Most children withdisabilities,physical or intellectual,lacka sense of security,and look for reassur-ance from the people close to them,i.e.family,teachers and friends.
"Only if he gets a sense of happinessfrom me can my son feel genuine happi-ness himself.And only then can he feelOK about mixing with others," WangQian spoke from personal experience.She and her husband sometimes callXudong "dozy," but in an affectionatetone."It's a fact that our child is slowerthan the average kid.As parents wecan't avoid the fact,and hope he canface it too.But what we want him to un-derstand is this: we don't mind that heis slow,and that it's no big deal.We canstill live happily."
During the nine years at the PeizhiSchool Chen Xudong learnt reading,writing,some crafts,and how to be withfriends,even getting a teaching aide postto help kids in the lower grades.Moreimportantly,his confidence blossomed.
Respect for Life
In the words of Wang Naikun,chairof Special Olympics China,"Respectingevery life,the world will become a betterplace." Respect for life is the core qualityfor special-needs teachers."Special-edu-cation teachers should focus not on examscores but on the developmental effect -the difference our education makes.Nomatter how low the baseline,if there isdetectable progress,the teachers will bedelighted for them.This is the very es-sence of education," said Yu Wen.
According to Prof.Liu Yanhong,treat-ment and training can significantly in-crease the chance for children with learn-ing difficulties to live a near-normal life."For most,the impairment is incurablebut it is treatable," she asserted."Inter-vention training in a child's early yearscan definitely improve its life skills." Shecited the example of a child with an in-born brain defect who got interventiontraining at age one and is now study-ing at university.Parents who scour thecountry looking for folk cures miss thebest time for intervention training.
Special education is critical to thedevelopment of children with learningdisabilities,as it calls for expert under-standing of their special needs,whichvary according to the type of disorder,and which require different responsesand measures.Nobody is more aware ofthis than Yu Wen.Children with learn-ing difficulties may periodically act outviolently,screaming,crying or smash-ing whatever is at hand.The teachersmust detect the cause and take prompt'action to prevent injury and damage. For instance,autistic children are highlysensitive to any slight change in theirsurroundings,possibly aggravating theirinsecurity and triggering an emotionaloutburst.Once normality is restoredthe child will calm down.For those withlearning difficulties,the key is patienceand repetition as they learn to do things.
Yu Wen said that she and her col-leagues are always in a position to studytheir pupils."The inner world of suchchildren is closed off to us and their re-actions are complex and unpredictable.Nobody knows what will happen in aclass,so every session has to be taken asresearch." Aware of the importance oftheir work to disabled children and theirfamilies,special education teachers findgreat career satisfaction.Ms.Yu's schooltakes on seven or eight staff every year,but in more than 20 years of operationonly 10 teachers have left.
Working One's WayInto the World
"Working a job is a way for the dis-abled to blend into society," commentedProf.Liu."It not only brings them anincome,but also helps them realize theirsocial value by serving society."
The 2006 survey found that of allthe people with disabilities living intowns and cities only 2.97 million wereemployed,representing 3.7 percent ofthe all-China total.But actually manypeople with mental or physical disad-vantages are quite capable of work in-volving simple tasks,provided they getproper training.
In recent years China has ramped upefforts to increase employment for peo-ple with disabilities,creating communityjobs,ordaining a job quota share andoffering preferential policies on tax,loanand registration for those starting theirown businesses.
When Chen Xudong graduated fromthe Peizhi School,his mother frettedabout his chances of landing a job andhis transition from school to society.Much to her relief the boy was hired byMcDonald's."I worried about his fu-ture," she said."What would he do whenmy husband and I can no longer care forhim?" To prepare the boy for those days,she drums into him the value of work,independence and help for others,build-ing his confidence in his own ability tosupport himself like a man.
Chen Xudong can make up to RMB2,000 in a good month.He learnt enoughmath at school to calculate his workinghours and earnings,and manages hisown finances with assurance.He is con-fident in his ability to fend for himself.Wang is under no illusions about howlucky and exceptional her son has beento land a job.
Last July Xudong treated his parentsto the movie Ocean Heaven,about anautistic boy and his father."We were sopleased," Wang Qian recalled."He reallyhas great emotional sensitivity."
Chinese laws stipulate that employersmust put in reserve a proportion of theirjobs for people with disabilities; failureto do so makes them liable to a fine.Evenso,some choose to pay the fine ratherthan accept disabled workers.Some ob- serve the letter rather than the spirit ofthe law by having disabled people on thepayroll,but actually keeping them onindefinite furlough.Prof.Liu attributessuch behavior to employers' doubtsabout their working ability,perplexityover what work to assign or nervousnessabout what additional responsibilities oreven risks may be involved in the hiring.She also reminds us that some workerswith disabilities quit of their own accordwhen they think the employer is givingthem unsuitable work.
Prof.Liu and other scholars workingfor disabled people's interests are work-ing on a scientific system of evaluation,which aims to identify suitable work fora particular individual as a form of voca-tional guidance.
Continuing Shortfall of SpecialEducation Teachers
A 2009 study by BNU shows thatChina had 1,670-plus special schoolscatering to children with sight,hearing,and intellectual impairment.In additionthere were 2,000 special-needs classesset up in regular-intake schools.Thetwo categories had a total enrollment of540,000.
But the 2006 national sample surveyrevealed that children with disabilitiesbelow the age of 14 numbered 3.87 mil-lion,and that 2.46 million of these werein the six to 14 age range,way more thanChina's special education facilities couldaccommodate."Special education inChina has been growing rapidly in thepast 20 years,but there's still a desperateshortage of trained teachers," Prof.Liuconcludes.
In 1980 BNU founded China's firstspecial education research institute,headed by Piao Yongxin,who,now inhis 8os,studied special education inthe Soviet Union.In 1986 the universityopened undergraduate courses in specialeducation,a postgraduate program in1993 and a doctoral program in 2005.But special education in China has rid-den a bumpy road since its inception: forthree years BNU suspended the programfor lack of applicants and other providerswere forced to do the same.
So far BNU has produced only 350postgraduates in special education.Ofthese,one-third are still at the lecturepodium,one-third are in administrationor research,and the rest have gone intoother fields.Only about 110 work at thespecial-education coalfaee.Profi Piao at-tributes the high drop-out rate to the ex-treme patience demanded and the yawn-ing gap between the huge efforts investedand the meager economic paybaek.
But public attitudes are now changing,and China has steadily increased invest-ment into special education.Back in the198os,when Yu Wen and her studentswalked outside the school they were of-ten greeted with finger pointing,expres-sions of pity or insults.These days theycan expect a much warmer reception ofcare,understanding and admiration.
The change on campus is also evident.Since 2002 BNU has seen a rise in appli-cations for the special education depart-ment.In 2007 it launched an incentiveof tuition and fee exemptions,free board and a subsistence allowance to studentsof special education.There were stringsattached,though: on graduating they hadto take on teaching jobs in their home-towns.Now the 2007 intake are at internstage,and feedback from employers hasbeen very positive.
At the Beijing Paralympics in 2008Prof.Liu helped train young volunteers,mostly of the much-maligned 8os and9os generations,Their performancegave her hope for the future of specialeducation.
Several of Liu's former students atBNU are running private schools forchildren with disabilities,some of themproducing winners of national awards.In 2oo3 Zhao Xiumei,of Nanning inGuangxi,was that city's highest scoringcandidate in the college entrance examfor students of liberal arts.To the sur-prise of many,she opted for the specialeducation department of Beijing NormalUniversity.She later told her mentorProf.Liu: "I dithered over my choice.But when I see parents of disabled chil-dren crying in desperation,I realize howmuch I count for.Because I am needed,because I want to impart love to others,I can have a meaningful and significantlife."