On April 1, on the occasion of the 17th "World Autism Day", Tencent Charity and One Foundation launched the Little Red Flower Day event and held an offline viewing of the first autism-themed documentary film "Special You" in Beijing. Filming activities. At the same time, the event also invited caring people from all walks of life such as public welfare organizations and professional service organizations to conduct in-depth discussions around the film and how the elderly autistic group can live a better life.
The movie viewing party was held at the China Film International Party History Museum Cinema in Beijing. Picture provided by the interviewee
Let more people understand autism
"I hope that through this movie, more people can understand that behind the three words 'autism' there are tens of millions of families who are suffering. , there are countless parents who have lost their lives as a result, and there are many misunderstandings and prejudices that have existed for a long time due to lack of understanding." Director Weng Yu said during the interactive session after watching the movie.
It is understood that the film took two years to shoot and went deep into the daily lives of three autistic families. It showed the helplessness of the relevant groups and their parents when they were diagnosed, the twists and turns in the process of integrating into society, and the difficulties their families faced. of optimism, resilience and love.
Weng Yu also had certain misunderstandings about autism, believing that it was a disease caused by acquired experiences, emotions, and psychology. It was not until this shooting that he truly understood the living conditions of this group. "Although the autism group There may be certain difficulties in daily life, but they retain the most precious things in human nature - innocence and kindness."
The audience laughed and cried along with the protagonist of the film. Picture provided by interviewee
Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder that occurs in early childhood. The obstacles caused are mainly manifested in social communication difficulties and repetitive and stereotyped behaviors and ways of thinking. The "China Autism Education and Rehabilitation Development Status Report IV" released in 2022 shows that based on a conservative estimate of 1% incidence rate, there are approximately more than 10 million autistic people in China's 1.4 billion population.
As an Internet charity platform, Tencent Charity has continued to pay attention to the social integration issue of the autistic group "from small homes to everyone", and has launched the "Autism Little Red Flower Day" event with the One Foundation for three consecutive years to connect the loving forces of many parties and jointly help Autistic families explore ways to integrate into society.
Shi Chuannan, editor-in-chief of Tencentâs Charity Content Ecology Center, said that the Little Red Flower Day meeting will further focus on the living conditions and service needs of older autistic groups, continue to leverage the connection advantages of Tencentâs charity platform, and bring together more caring netizensâ Xiaoai Chengdaai helps autistic people and their families move from home to everyone.
Zhao Jie, director of the Strategic Research Institute of the Radio, Film and Television Development Research Center of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and chairman of the Documentary Committee of the China Federation of Radio and Television Social Organizations, spoke highly of "Special You" from the perspective of film and television art. He believes that the movie vividly displays the changes of the times, the real life of the autistic group and the strength and perseverance of mothers. âIt is like a beam of light. We donât know how far it can shine in the end, but it will definitely allow more people to have their dreams.â Opportunities to understand, recognize, empathize, and resonate, and finally reach a consensus.â
Listen to the voices of the autistic community
At the viewing site, the two mothers of autistic children in the documentary also shared their journey along the way. course.
âMy family has been unable to make long-term plans and goals for a long time. However, through long-term intervention and the care of the whole family, Keke has gradually gotten rid of some stereotyped behaviors and is now able to take public transportation and help carry luggage for the family. Not only is he a good member of the family, he has also become my good assistant and good partner," said Ye Huiying, the mother of Coco, a child with severe autism.
After watching the movie, the creative team interacted with the audience. Photo provided by interviewee
Pan Shuang, who has been married three times, has never given up accompanying his son Ruirui in his turbulent life. In her view, parentsâ companionship is crucial for the development of autistic children. âParents must bravely face everything about their children, accept them, and love them unconditionally. They must be taught how to teach, study, labor, Combined with sports. Parents must step forward so that children can have a future."
Pan Shuang, one of the protagonists of the film, shared. Picture provided by the interviewee
As the founder of Beijing Conner Island, Wen Hong has been engaged in volunteer service for mentally disabled and autistic groups for more than 30 years. Even with rich experience, for a 36-year-old She still feels confused about the future of her autistic daughter, "I am 73 years old this year, and my child is still in an unarranged state. Social services and social security for autism still have a long way to go. "
Caring people from all walks of life discuss the direction of breakthroughs in the plight of older autistic people. Picture provided by the interviewee
At present, the age of 14 (the end of compulsory education) is generally used as the cutoff. After autistic children graduate from school (including primary school, special school, etc.) They have nowhere to go and are faced with the dilemma of not being able to leave home, not being able to integrate into the community, and not being able to get effective support. Some families have even entered the stage of two-elderly families, which is a huge challenge.
Many autistic people participated in the movie. Activity. Photo courtesy of interviewee
In this regard, Ren Shaopeng, director of the Special Needs Group Development Department of One Foundation, said that there is an urgent need to catalyze and promote more small-scale and community-based services such as home visits, day care, and community integration to help the elderly. Autism groups receive personalized support. Since many older autistic people still live with their parents, it is recommended to continue to provide more resource investment and support for families from the policy level.
At the same time, in many years of practice, Beijing Feng Lu, director of the Lizhi Rehabilitation Center in Fengtai District, found that service costs for older people with autism are generally higher. âThis requires practitioners to change their thinking and not just focus on service organizations, but to find ways to introduce third-party resources to provide more services. Many social forces joined in. "She said.
"The autism community is like a spectrum. Everyone is different. When integrating into society, one person needs one case. "Feng Xin, the secretariat of the China Association of Mentally Disabled People and Their Relatives and Friends, suggested that the public should learn to accept the diversity of the autistic community. "Some people may receive higher education and work in high-tech fields, while others may try their hand at librarianship or supermarket tallying. Parents should also break through traditional concepts and respect the diversity of lifestyles. We must strive for them according to their own needs. â
Beijing News reporter Qin Bing editor Liu Qian proofread Liu Yue
