VNExpress-Jan 26
In Singapore, there is a nonprofit restaurant called Soul Food. What was most impressive was not a fancy menu but the people who run it. They are young workers on the autism spectrum, or ASD, and their philosophy is blunt and fair: “We want you to come for the good service, not out of pity.” This was not a charity project. It was a humane ecosystem that empowered vulnerable people to become useful members of society instead of pushing them to the margins. Vietnam faces a far larger challenge. The country is estimated to have more than one million children on the autism spectrum, and the number continues to rise. But despite this reality, public awareness remains limited. Many parents, and even some medical professionals, still view autism as a sickness that requires medication. Stigma pushes families to hide their children. As a result, tens of thousands lose the golden window for early intervention. A deeper gap separates Vietnam from many developed countries in terms of resources. Vietnam still does not have a unified guideline for designing and implementing individualized education plans for children with autism. In mainstream schools, a 2021 report from the Ministry of Education and Training showed, most teachers had no formal training in special education. This severe shortage cannot be solved through empty calls for action. The moment calls for a fair and practical partnership between the state and the private sector through public private partnerships. Read more at: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/perspectives/vietnam-lacks-system-to-nurture-its-1-million-autistic-children-5004703.html
