What happens to autistic children when their parents are no longer in this world?

This is also the issue raised at the discussion "What future for autistic children?" organized by the Special Topics Department of Nhan Dan Newspaper.

According to data released by the General Statistics Office in early 2019, Vietnam currently has about 6.2 million people with disabilities aged 2 and over, of which about 1 million are autistic. It is estimated that for every 100 children born, one has autism spectrum disorder. Over the past 15 years, the number of autistic children in Vietnam has increased significantly and has become a very noteworthy social issue.

Experts estimate that more than 1 million autistic children will directly affect 8 million people. Not only that, each year a large number of autistic children will enter adulthood.

Especially when children reach puberty, parents have to face many difficult problems. When parents are old and weak, when parents are no longer around, what will the future be like for autistic children when they are less able to work to support themselves?

The seminar was attended by Mr. Dang Hoa Nam (former Director of the Department of Children, Ministry of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs); Dr. Ta Ngoc Tri (Deputy Head of the Standing Committee of the Steering Committee for Education of Children with Disabilities and Children in Difficult Circumstances, Deputy Director of the Department of General Education, Ministry of Education and Training); along with leading experts in the fields of special education, medicine and psychology at the Ministry of Health, the National Children's Hospital, Hanoi National University of Education and career guidance centers.

The seminar "What is the future for autistic children?" has two main contents: Discussion to share the current situation - challenges and provide solutions and recommendations with the desire to brighten the future for autistic children.

At the seminar, experts also emphasized that career guidance and employment are important keys to opening a sustainable future for autistic children. Master Phan Thi Lan Huong - Director of the Center for Research on Children's Rights, Director of the career guidance project for autistic children, said that career guidance for autistic children is one of the difficult problems today. For public educational institutions, current programs related to career guidance education cannot keep up with the needs of children. Children have to study at private career guidance centers.

Private vocational training centers are also struggling to know what profession to teach their children and what their future will be after they finish their training. In addition, the issue of livelihood for autistic children is very difficult because the handicrafts made by autistic children have to compete fiercely with other products on the market.

However, according to Master Phan Thi Lan Huong, vocational training for autistic children is very important. This group is suitable for manual work and children need to be taught how to complete a product instead of just teaching them one step. In particular, in addition to vocational training for autistic children, autistic children also need to learn life skills, self-service skills... That way, children can support themselves and take care of themselves without becoming a burden to their families.

Parents with autistic children present at the discussion also affirmed: Autism is not a barrier, but a journey that requires understanding, companionship and support from family, school and the whole society. Each autistic child has their own potential and our mission is to open the door of opportunity for them to develop in their own way.

Female PhD applies technology to support autistic children

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/tre-tu-ky-se-ra-sao-khi-cha-me-khong-con-tren-doi-20250328204106911.htm