Five-year-old A Feng (not her real name), can often be seen walking aimlessly around the Guangdong Yang'ai Special Children's Club in Guangzhou in the capital of South China's Guangdong Province.

 

Her actions are typical of a child suffering, as she does, from infantile autism, a severe disorder characterized by language impairment, withdrawal and abnormal behavior, such as an excessive attachment to objects.

 

She is receiving medical and psychological treatment at the center, but cannot attend school as there are currently no special schools in the city for these children.

 

"We don't know where to send her for schooling. As far as I know, children suffering from autism, like A Feng, are even denied access to schools for normal children," A Feng's mother, surnamed Kang, was quoted as saying in the Guangzhou Daily.

 

Kang's complaint has not fallen on deaf ears. Guangzhou plans to establish a special school for these children.

 

Sources with the Guangzhou Children Autism Rehabilitation Centre (GCARC), which is affiliated to the Guangzhou Disabled Persons' Federation, said it plans to establish a primary school for children suffering from infantile autism.

 

The school, which will be located in the Baiyun District, is expected to open in September and will accept about 200 children under the age of 14, said GCARC director, Fan Yuebo.

 

"The school, which will be funded by the government, will be the first of its kind in the nation offering education for autistic children," Fan told China Daily yesterday.

 

Sources with the Mental Disease Research Center at the Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital said Guangzhou has about 6,000-8,000 children suffering from autism.

 

"Most of them are denied access to schools as normal children are," Fan said.

 

Guangdong currently has more than 50 non-governmental rehabilitation institutions that offer psychological and medical treatment for autistic children. But only 600 children have so far received treatment.

 

Fan's center currently offers medical and psychological services for 70 children, aged between two and seven.

 

Source with the China Disabled Persons' Federation also indicated that the nation will set up more rehabilitation centers and schools for children with special needs in 31 cities in the next five years.

 

"As far as I know, there is no effective medical treatment for infantile autism.

 

"We can only help parents deal with the problem and provide the right educational services for the children," Fan said.

 

(China Daily May 10, 2007)