A Beijing mom’s search for therapy for her autistic son has highlighted the shortage of special needs services in China.

Nicole Simon’s son was diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder at the age of 2. “When he was diagnosed I was told he needed behavioral therapy called ABA (applied behavioral analysis),” she told beijingkids. “It is the only approved treatment for kids with autism and also other behavioral disorders. I was told that the earlier kids get this therapy, the better the chance of their progress and they can lead productive, independent lives. They work on skills that do not come to these kids naturally like eye contact, speech, interactions with other children and adults and how to play appropriately.”

In the US, Simon’s son was receiving 36 hours of therapy a week, in what she describes as “a school-like environment with other kids.” He was making good progress, so before coming to China Simon carried out research into whether the therapy would be available here.

“The issue with this therapy is that it is very expensive,” Simon told us, “and the kids need many hours (depending on their level of functioning). It is also one-on-one, so if one therapist has a child who needs 40 hours then that is the only case they can accept. There are also different levels, and the highest [qualified]sometimes need to supervise cases with the lower level, which decreases the amount of kids they can help. In the US the maximum allowance for insurances is 40 hours per week. In China I was told that the maximum is 15 hours per week, and that is for extremely difficult cases.”

Another problem is the availability of qualified, English-speaking therapists.

“I worked on looking for therapists several months before moving,” Simon said, “and was told the only two places in Beijing that had this therapy were Olivia’s Place and The Learning Frontier. I visited both places in May. The Learning Frontier only had one English-speaking woman therapist, and she has now gone on indefinite medical leave and this location provides no ABA services (at least not in English). Olivia’s Place has a high turnover of therapists. They do provide speech and occupational therapies, but the ABA is something I’m still trying to get my insurance and their billing to work out so that we can get evaluated. They only have one English-speaking therapist from Hong Kong currently and I do not know how many hours they would have available.”

Even when provision is offered, Simon said, staffing remains a problem.

“There is a new center opening early next year called Autism Partnership. They are staffing now and the Hong Kong location is responsible for this. They are having difficulties hiring staff, and especially English-speaking people. They train everyone themselves so I do not think experience in the field is the biggest issue. I have asked if I could assist in finding English-speaking therapists from abroad, and they said they are not open to that at this time because of the costs associated with visas and housing. I was hoping they would have space for my son in this center, but they said they cannot guarantee they will take any English-speaking cases.”

beijingkids contacted the Autism Partnership to find out what qualifications are required to begin the training. While bringing people from overseas is not currently viable, it may be that there are people already in China who are willing to train for what could be a rewarding career. However at the time of writing we have not received any response.

China has come a long way in a short time in terms of understanding of and support for children with learning difficulties. However Simon’s problem illustrates that there is still a severe shortage of appropriate resources, particularly for the international community. If anyone think they can help, or is interested in training as an ABA therapist, then contact us at beijingkids (WeChat ID: AndyKilleen), and we will try to connect you with the right people.

Photo: JoanDragonfly via Flickr

Meet three professionals in charge of helping people of all ages, across the complete spectrum of psychological difficulties. We asked them questions that we thought would demystify the process for those seeking psychiatric and psychological treatment, and show that help with mental health-related issues shouldn’t only be considered when things are at their worst.

Dr. Esperanza Salinas

Dr. Salinas is a psychiatrist with Beijing United Family Hospital’s Psychological Health Center, and has over 11 years of clinical experience. Her interest areas are mental illness in the young adult population, and in the impaired professional population. When she’s not guiding her patients through a range of psychological issues, she also enjoys writing children’s books which also touch on these topics of mental health. 

Making that step towards getting treatment for mental illness can be a difficult one. Do you have any advice for people that are trying to decide whether or not this is right for them?
Salinas: There is a whole industry out there of coaches and life coaches, and I always get the feeling that people don’t usually have an issue consulting with them. I see what I do the same way. How do we make your life better? How do we make your life the fullest that it can be? There will be bumps and dips in anybody’s road, but how do we make these more manageable for you? There is a stigma with mental health, but I think if we start looking at this more from the perspective of life coaching and a perspective of overall well-being, it’s important to this more holistic approach. No one ever says, don’t go see the doctor for your yearly exam, why can’t it be the same way with psychiatry? Why not have that same type of attitude towards it? Just, general checkups to make sure that everything is OK.

How do you think a yearly mental checkup could be implemented?
Salinas: What we rely on quite a bit is our peers and our colleagues in primary and specialty care. Good doctors will be able to pick up if this individual has an anxiety or depressive disorder, and then may suggest to them to go see us. I think the harder anxiety disorders are more chronic and people find ways to live with them, and there can be a lot of resistance on letting that stuff go. We do know though that life does get easier and better when the anxiety lifts, or when people start addressing that in a different way.

Would you say that part of the stigma of mental health is that many people don’t often view these illnesses with the same gravity as a physical illness?
Salinas: There are differences and there are similarities. I think we have historically and culturally looked at it as very different, but we are starting to learn more and more biological aspects of mental illness, and we have to view it more like diabetes or more like high blood pressure, where these are chronic illnesses that need chronic attention. We don’t necessarily see diabetes when a person walks into the room and we don’t normally see depression. We may see a broken arm, but biologically we are starting to understand depression and anxiety in a much more fundamental way to make it very similar to these other chronic illnesses. There still aren’t any blood tests or MRIs that can be used. What we rely on are our rating scales, inventories, clinical judgment, and clinical interviews to make diagnoses, and also to follow the illness through its progression or improvement.

Dr. Bojun Hu

Dr. Hu is a psychologist in Beijing United Family Hospital’s Psychological Health Department and has over 10 years of clinical experience practicing psychology. Before moving to China in 2016, she worked as a therapist in hospitals and outpatient mental health clinics in both the Boston and New York City areas. In her free time, she teaches yoga and collaborates with dancers and architects to create cross-disciplinary art installations. 

How do you work toward building trust with your patients?
Hu: Things that I do, and things that I think most therapists do, are basically, one, provide a time and space where people know that their concerns, no matter how insignificant they think they are, are significant here, because their feelings are probably related to all sorts of other things going on in their lives. I also do a lot of reflections, so you reflect back to people: “I think what I heard you say was this,” or “I imagine if you are experiencing this, you must be feeling this.” When you are able to be with people in their experience, it allows them to relax. It allows their bodies to relax, and they are more willing to open up and talk. 

Because we are human beings and we take comfort in predictability, is there a balance between talking about things that can be frightening for people and things that are more comfortable for them?
Hu: I think that’s a really important balance, particularly for people with trauma, because there is that feeling of insecurity or fear that can be pretty constant in their lives. A lot of what most therapists do is to establish this safety and comfort. That’s the priority. It is only within this safety and comfort, that someone is willing to look at things that scare them. Part of my professional experience is to read people, to notice when they’re feeling anxious, scared, or otherwise overwhelmed.  

What would you say the differences are between a wellness class and therapy with a psychologist?
Hu: There is a therapeutic frame and there are boundaries to this interaction that allows it to be safe, and we work within these boundaries of confidentiality, time limit, and therapist-client relationship. There are different boundaries in a wellness class. There are also things that are allowed in the therapy room that may be frowned upon in a class. So, you can yell in here if you want to, and as long as you feel safe we can talk through it and understand what that’s about. We can’t normally do that in a yoga class, as you are asked to contain outbursts.

Dr. Ru-Chi Yang and Dai Hu 

Dr. Yang is a licensed psychologist, a health service provider in psychology, and a registered play therapist-supervisor in the United States, and Hu is the General Manager of LIH Olivia’s Place and an occupational therapist. They explain to us the benefits of seeking help in an environment like Olivia’s Place that is specifically engineered with the needs of children in mind and ways that parents can take an active role during the treatment of their child. 

How do you begin to help kids take a more engaged role in their therapy?
Yang: This depends on age, but for younger children, it is still not easy for them to verbalize their feelings, so it is essential to use some playful intervention. You want to have a child build a feeling vocabulary. As they build a vocabulary for these feelings, they will later learn to verbalize these feelings. It is important to use interesting or fun ways to initiate this instead of just asking, “how do you feel?”

Hu: We are treating children with social or emotional problems. The older ones like to keep to themselves. So they don’t really talk to you that much in the very beginning. It is important to bring yourself down to their level and play by their side. You don’t just jump into the treatment. For some children, you will need to take about two or three sessions before you start with anything therapeutic. 

How are parents involved in this process of therapy?
Yang: A child’s stress becomes a parent’s stress. We encourage parents to provide positive attention to their child, such as scheduling a special playtime that is child focused. Parents are busy, and it’s very difficult to do it every day. It is also very important to give support emotionally. Listen to and ask your child about everything that has happened throughout the day. Listening will help the child to feel like the parents understand, and support them. Also, encourage the child to engage in social activities with their peers, this helps in dealing with difficult feelings too. 

Hu: Sometimes we feel, especially for psychological problems, that the child is a perfect reflection of the family. So you need to involve the family, otherwise, things won’t change that fast.

What makes Olivia’s Place unique among other child-focused therapy providers? 
Yang: In China, a lot of people need help but the number of professionals that can provide these services is low. We’ve been trained overseas and have a high standard, and not everyone has the same concept of legal ethical conduct or professional training to deal with some of the difficulties they say they can treat. 

Hu: Also, most parents don’t have the ability to differentiate. For example, when someone might have experienced a false version of play therapy, they might come here and say they’ve tried that even before experiencing Dr. Yang’s efforts. Dr. Yang is probably one of a few doctors in Beijing that are certified in play therapy. So we only use qualified and certified people. 

Mental Health Resources

Hospitals and Organizations

Raffles Medical’s Mental Health and Counseling Services
All ages. Staffed by experienced and internationally trained doctors and counselors, Raffles Medical is available to help you identify problems and provide individualized support. Daily 8am-8pm. Suite 205, Wing 1, Kunsha Bldg, 16 Xinyuanli, Chaoyang District. (6462 9112)

LIH Olivia’s Place
Kids. Olivia’s place has the expertise to conduct assessments related to learning problems, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, cognitive impairment, mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression, and challenging behavior. Mon–Fri, 9am-6pm. Sat, 9am-12pm. 13 Jiu Xian Qiao Road, Building 6-1, Second Floor, Chaoyang District. (6461 6283)

BJU’s Psychological Health Center
All ages. They provide consultation, assessment, and treatment for concerns ranging from mood disorders, relationship and parenting issues, loss and bereavement concerns, and educational and developmental needs. United Family New Hope Clinical Center, 9-11 West Jiangtai Road, Chaoyang District. (5927 7067)

The Learning Frontier
Kids. Located in Shuangjing, The Learning Frontier is dedicated to providing bilingual, personalized guidance, and support services for children and families residing in Beijing. Their team includes a variety of specialists focusing on mental health, education and learning, applied behavior analysis, and speech and language and occupational therapy to assist children. 4th Floor, No. 11 Dongbai Lu, Chaoyang District. (6775 3268)

Individual Therapists

Adel Andalibi, PhD
All ages. Andalibi uses mindfulness-based somatic psychotherapy, using the Hakomi method, somatic experiencing, movement therapy, metaphor, and narrative therapy. Group therapy is also available for parents and teens. The approach is respectful, playful, mindful, and gentle. (Phone/WeChat: 18321746409, adel@herespace.com)

Michelle Mope Andersson
Adults. Focusing on existential wellness, stress management, marriage, and family help, Michelle has been a pastoral counselor since 2005, and was a wellness and stress counselor for the UN in Pyongyang. (mopeandersson@yahoo.com)

Titi Hill
All ages. Hill specializes in a wide range of child and family issues including family breakdowns, family and peer relationship difficulties, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, diversity issues, abuse, addiction, stress, bullying, bereavement, and transitioning. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Integrative Counseling from the University of Surrey. RMB 950/50 min session. (186 1255 7824, info@beijingcounselling.com)

Leon Lee
Ages 13+. Lee became a certified counselor for positive and transcultural psychotherapy at the age of 25 and a certified psychotherapist at the age of 27. He has had his practice for 10 years and specializes in marital conflicts and psychosomatic symptoms. RMB 600/hr. (WeChat: leonptp)

David Blanco
Adults. Blanco is a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist specializing in individual and group therapy. Through personal development courses, Blanco helps families trying to overcome relationship difficulties or stress issues. His courses are primarily conducted in English and Chinese, but he also is a native Spanish speaker. (WeChat: baidaweiindonesia, davidblanco@qq.com)

Group Support

CandleX
Adults. CandleX offers mental health support, in English, to teenagers and adults living in Beijing. Both expats and Chinese nationals are eligible to receive this support. Their bimonthly support groups conducted in English help to create a community among people struggling with the effects of mental illness. (info@candlex.cn)

Beijing LGBT Center
The Beijing LGBT Center is a non-profit, community-based organization that empowers the Beijing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community by providing social services and organizing advocacy programs. Their work seeks to further the LGBT movement, eliminate discrimination and achieve equality. Rm. 2606, Bldg B, Xintiandi Plaza, 1 Xibahe Nanlu Jia, Chaoyang District. (5903 3730, bjlgbt@gmail.com)

Beijing Mindfulness Centre
The Beijing Mindfulness Centre is dedicated to providing a safe and inspiring environment for learning and growth. They offer various mindfulness-based programs in English, Spanish, and Chinese, and individual coaching to the community. 44 Qian Yongkang Hutong, Dongcheng District. (6403 4923, hello@beijingmindfulness.com)

Lifeline Shanghai
Lifeline Shanghai serves the English-speaking community with free, confidential, and anonymous emotional support via telephone from 10am to 10pm, 365 days of the year. Though they are located in Shanghai, the operators are available to talk to anyone in China. (021 6279 8990)

This post appeared in the beijingkids October 2018 Mental Health issue.
Photos: Min An via Pexels, senjinpojskic via Pixabay

According to the second national sample survey on disability carried out in 2006, there were approximately 85 million people with disabilities (PWDs) in China, most of whom were living in poverty. The numbers could be higher as China defines disabilities differently from other countries. There is also a cultural practice of families hiding their disabled relatives, whose imperfections are often seen as a “punishment” to parents for moral or spiritual misdeeds.

Despite that notion, there’s progress on the issue of disabilities in Chinese society. Nowadays, PWDs in China are often referred to as 残障人士 (cánzhàng rénshì, literally “incomplete and hindered person”), or 残疾人 (cánjí rén, “person with incomplete illness”), as opposed to the historical term 残废 (cánfèi, “incomplete and useless”). Also last year, the State Council of China passed an ordinance on disability rehabilitation, expanding government measures to provide assistance and services to PWDs. This includes establishing a system of rehabilitation for disabled children, but specific measures are yet to be formulated by the government and the China Disabled Persons’ Federation (CDPF), a national agency for the disabled individuals in the country.

The ordinance effectively strengthens the country’s Law on the Protection of People with Disabilities, which guarantees the civil rights of PWDs, including their job security, rehabilitation, and education. However, in the area of education alone, many local schools are simply not equipped with facilities and learning support systems especially for children with disabilities. The CDPF said that there were as many as 90,000 disabled youngsters that had no access to education at the end of 2012. Another report from the foundation suggested that inadequate services for specific disabilities, and even the cultural life in the community of these children, were some of the main reasons for dropouts.

Until government actions are instituted from a national scale down to the grassroots level, PWDs will need to break the stigma with the help of their own families. Occupational therapist Nazneen Adam says that acceptance is the first step, explaining that not only parents but everyone should be able to understand the situation of people and children with disabilities. Speech pathologist Maureen Tanoy adds that parents should address their expectations, especially for school-aged kids. They both work at The Learning Frontier, a learning support institution which provides specialist services for children with learning needs, from a variety of different nationalities.

We recently interviewed the two specialists about the issue of addressing the learning and developmental needs of children with disabilities: how 21st-century education strategies are integrated into therapy, early intervention and playtime, and more.

Occupational therapist Nazneen Adam (left) and speech pathologist Maureen Tanoy (right)

What’s the difference between ‘diagnosed’ and ‘undiagnosed’ children?
Adam: We get kids that have diagnoses and that can be anything from cerebral palsy, autism, ADHD, or others. In general, they need different therapies to support their development. But we also get kids who don’t have a diagnosis; it’s not that they’ve missed it, but that they have some mild difficulties, which could be a slight developmental delay. That’s not specifically a difficulty related to a diagnosis but maybe just a mild delay, or a skill that hasn’t been developed appropriately.

Tanoy: On the terms of ‘diagnosed’ and ‘undiagnosed’ kids, a medical diagnosis would be very apparent in the beginning, especially if you go to the doctor regularly for a checkup.

Adam: But learning difficulties are not something that is visible, that when you go to visit a doctor you would know. No, it needs more information from parents and teachers. You need to observe factors in different areas and take that information in.

Tanoy: Or sometimes, learning difficulties just don’t really show until kids go to school. That’s the undiagnosed way – kids will go to school and teachers will find out, only then they inform the parent that, ‘These are the concerns and problems and we’ve tried our way but the problems keep on persisting.’

How can parents identify or observe such cases?
Tanoy: It’s hard to say and I think it’s always better to rely on a professional. Although for kids, a reliable source is someone whom they always interact with the most time of their day. Parents would obviously know if there’s something their kids need help with, especially if they have had a child before. They will know what child development will look like. Also, what’s really common in China is kids are mostly in school so it’s usually their teachers who would notice difficulties. We (specialists) rely a lot on teachers because they spend a lot of time with kids and they know what to look for.

What are the signs in learning difficulties in kids that parents and teachers need to look out for?
Tanoy: Spotting learning difficulties isn’t the focus of teachers, but they do know, especially if they’re very experienced. If a teacher has been working with the same level of kids for their entire career, they will know when one of the kids doesn’t perform the same as others.

Adam: If teachers find that children aren’t meeting specific goals of the curriculum, they can do their own interventions. But if they find the difficulties to be persisting and their interventions are not helping, it’s a good idea to seek professional help.

How should non-specialists like teachers and parents react to their observations of children?
Adam: Sometimes, people are not sure when to refer or say, ‘Maybe I should wait a little bit longer. It will be better.’ We find teachers are very aware and when we speak to them, they say, ‘We see this, but we don’t know what we should do or where to refer.’ Experience and education are not just about understanding child development in those areas. There are ways to refer, and they should know there are resources in Beijing.

Tanoy: If you’re a parent and if your child is in school, it’s very important that you constantly communicate with the homeroom teacher just so that both of you are on the same page and see where the child is heading in the course of a year. Oftentimes, it’s a question of when, not what the problem is. The question is always, ‘When do we need professional help?’ ‘When is the right time to find a specialist?’ It’s very important to know if the problem is being addressed or what things the teachers are doing. If these are not working, then we can figure out why so.

Adam: Early intervention is the best. It’s easier to improve skills earlier rather than later. It becomes a little bit difficult and takes longer once kids are older.

Just how early can early intervention start?
Adam: It’s very dependent on the learning difficulty. Parents know the steps for development for younger children, so when they are not reaching the normal masteries of skills, and if they continue not to, it’s a good idea to refer them to a specialist.

Tanoy: For parents, it doesn’t matter how big or small your concern is. If you feel that something is amiss, you always have your pediatrician for younger kids as they need a regular checkup. Once kids reach 3 or 4, then the checkup with the pediatrician is not as often but at that age, kids will be already at school so teachers should be the resource for parents.

What can you say about the learning support systems in local public schools in Beijing? Do you think that local teachers are equipped or have enough education to observe learning difficulties in children?
Adam: From what we understand, many local schools do not have learning support systems.

Tanoy: But they do have mental health counselors. But anything outside that is offered privately.

Adam: I’m sure that teachers know what learning difficulties are but they might just not have enough experience. Also, there were a lot of mentions about and creating resources for special needs after the latest government conference.

Tanoy: We assume that these teachers are equipped. But it’s just always a question of, ‘Ok, I found something. Now, what do I do?’ If you are a local teacher, ‘Where will I refer these kids? We don’t have that resource, anyway.’ It’s always about what solutions you can give the parents, because if there aren’t any then it would be a difficult situation.

How do you integrate 21st-century educational teaching into your specializations?
Adam: It’s a hot topic at the moment. For example, people say, ‘Why is handwriting still important? We don’t write anymore, we have computers.’ In my specialization, occupational therapy, handwriting is still important because the skills that you use to develop it are the same skills that you use later on to certain visual-perceptual abilities such as reading or drawing, as well as develop other motor skills and muscles.

Tanoy: It’s the same with speech therapy, it’s a hot topic right now, especially when kids use the iPad or TVs. It’s not bad if these devices are used in moderation or in a way mom and dad are included. Kids shouldn’t be left alone with gadgets, but instead, we should use these devices to make it an interactive play with other people. By cutting off that playtime, we’re not developing the social communication skills that we need. An iPad that will talk to you will not require you to talk back because it’s very visual and feeding you what you need. It’s a very one-way stimulus.

For kids with special needs, will playtime be more effective to develop their learning skills?
Tanoy: We make teachers understand why certain activities and playtime are connected to each other. The main thing that kids do is play, eat, and sleep. Somewhere along the process, teachers and specialists have to find a way to integrate themselves in a manner that kids will find you interesting, such as being fun or playing with them. Otherwise, they will not talk to you at all or even acknowledge that you’re there.

Adam: But then we still want children to develop imagination and creativity so you will want them also to be able to play with simple toys, and that’s important for their problem-solving skills. It doesn’t have to be high-tech. Free play is very important for children and they need to learn how to play by themselves and not to be occupied by something all the time.

What do you think about apps and tools that people can use for rehabilitation?
Adam: Definitely there are a lot of apps that we can use but every child is different. You can’t say that one app can specifically help one issue. You can understand the extent of the child’s learning difficulty and what they need for that. So, we sometimes do recommend apps but it’s not to say that for this issue we’re going to always recommend something. It’s always dependent and specific on where the child is in the process of therapy.

Tanoy: I’ve encountered a lot of parents who are very proactive in terms of finding resources. But I suggest that if they find an app or a resource, it’s always good to ask a specialist. It’s up to them to make their own informed choices.

Have you ever asked parents what do they hope for their kids?
Adam: When we set our goals, we consult the parents and want to know what they’d like their children to achieve. It’s more related to what’s specific at that time and not in the future, but I think parents just want peace of mind that when they’re gone, their children will be okay and be looked after. And that they will be able to feed themselves.

Tanoy: I always tell the parents to be realistic with what they want for their child. You don’t want frustration from your end and from your child’s end as well because they’re trying to beat your expectations. You don’t want that to be an issue. At the same time, I always tell parents to find joy in little things and successes of your child. Even the little things matter for these children.

Learning Resources for PWDs in Beijing

Long-press this QR code to access an updated list of schools and institutions providing special education needs (SEN) in Beijing.

Sources and further reading

– Hou Jingjing 侯晶晶. 《我国残疾儿童失学的现状与影响因素研究》cssn.cn
– Farrar, Lara. In Chinese Schools, Disabled Get Shortchanged. The Chronicle of Higher Education via The New York Times
– Palmer, James. Crippling injustice: Disabled people in modern China are still stigmatised, marginalised and abused. What hope is there for reform? Aeon.com.
– The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. Country presentation Goal 3 China, Expert Group Meeting on Effective Data Generation for the Incheon Strategy Indicators Bangkok, 6-7 November 2013.
– The People’s Republic of China. Law on the Protection of Persons with Disabilities. Accessed from the China Disabled Persons’ Federation
– The State Council of the People’s Republic of China. 《残疾预防和残疾人康复条例》中华人民共和国国务院令第675号.
– Y-Wang. A Glance at People with Disabilities in China. China Source.

Photos: Anthony Chong via Pixabay; Uni You
This article appeared on p32-34 of beijingkids March 2018 issue.

As I mentioned in my recent magazine feature, there’s progress on the issue of disabilities in Chinese society and more people now realize the value of providing support to people with disabilities (PWDs). Children with disabilities or learning difficulties that make learning harder for them can be described as having special education needs (SEN). For families, it’s comforting to know that kids could get help especially when the hurdles of growing up come around.

In the international education field in Beijing, there’s an active community of SEN educators and teachers, as well as WeChat groups for parents with kids with special needs. If you like to be added to the groups, leave us a message in the comments section below.

Here we update the list of educational institutions, NGOs and agencies, and international schools that offer additional learning support services. Some of the listing details here are adapted from the Beijing section of the US State Overseas Schools office-provided guide on Beijing schools.

Agencies, Educational Institutions, and Groups

China Disabled Persons’ Federation (CDPF) is a national umbrella organization for persons with diverse disabilities. The CDPF is established in March 1988 and its mission is to promote the full participation of persons with disabilities in society equally with others, ensure that persons with disabilities share in the material and cultural achievements of society, and foster humanitarianism across society as a whole. The CDPF is assisting related departments to formulate and implement education and job training plans for disabled people, including research and promotion of the Braille alphabet and sign language. No. 186 Xizhimen South St., Xicheng District. (6658 0228)

Beijing Stars and Rain Education Institute for Autism aims to help organizations face the challenges of economic pressure (conflicts between charging standards and costing) and technical pressure (how to provide quality services based on professional technology; how to train teachers; how to gain parental trust), and promote the development of the autism services industry. For more information, visit their website (in Chinese) Beijing Xingxingyu Education Research Institute. 4172 Shuangqiao Donglu, Chaoyang District. 北京市朝阳区双桥东路18号院4172号 (8537 3485, xxy@autismchina.org)

China Little Flower works to build a culture of life by reaching out to those who are rejected, abandoned, deemed as useless, and who have no voice. Whether by direct care, support, or education, China Little Flower seeks to show the value of each human life and build a culture that respects, protects, loves, and serves life. Their projects include hospice care for orphans; group educational foster care; special care for infants; long-term care for severely disabled children; and special causes. (info@chinalittleflower.org)

The Learning Frontier provides support to enhance children’s development in the areas of speech, language and communication, motor, learning, behaviors, and mental health. Their multidisciplinary team of internationally trained specialists is dedicated to ensuring your child’s success in school and community. 4th Floor, No.11 Dongbai Street, Chaoyang District. 北京市朝阳区东柏街11号四层 (6775 3268, 6775 3273, info@learningfrontier.cn)

LIH Olivia’s Place provides world-class, multidisciplinary pediatric therapy services to children of all abilities and all ages. Their services include pediatric therapy consulting services: occupational, physical, and speech therapies, psychology services, ABA, and learning support with multinational staff that provides consulting services in English and Chinese, as well as several other languages. 13 Jiu Xian Qiao Road, Building 6-1, Second Floor, Chaoyang District. 北京市朝阳区酒仙桥路13号6-1楼2层 (6461 6283, contact@oliviasplace.org)

International Schools

Click/tap the school name to see their profile.

3e International School
Children with special needs are considered on a case-by-case basis to ensure that all their needs can be met if admitted.

Beijing City International School (BCIS)
BCIS offers whole-school, comprehensive Student Support services. A secondary school counselor, a middle school counselor, and an elementary school counselor complement and support the work of one Early Childhood Center learning support (LS) teacher, two elementary school LS teachers, one middle school LS teacher, and one secondary school LS teacher.

The Student Support program exists to ensure that the individual needs of all students are met. The program merges the expertise of guidance counselors and LS teachers to create a more inclusive service that is better able to support a wider range of student needs. The counselors support students with social, emotional, or behavioral needs, as well as facilitating entrance to tertiary education. The LS teachers, in collaboration with classroom teachers, support students at both ends of the learning continuum, including students with learning needs and students who are highly capable.

Acceptance into the school for children with mild to moderate special educational needs is made on a case-by-case basis.

Beijing International Bilingual Academy (BIBA)
BIBA is a flexible inclusive school, which means they only accept the students they can support. Currently, they have a school-wide student support team, including two special education teachers in the elementary school who provide behavioral and academic support to students who have mild needs. BIBA also has two sensory rooms built in the elementary school designed to meet student’s individual needs. In kindergarten to Grade 5, one period a week is reserved for a social-emotional lesson, created by the school counselors. The ECC and MSHS will be adding student support staff in the coming school year. BIBA is committed to meeting the needs of all of their students, including those who are differently-abled; therefore, their support team is growing every year.

The British School of Beijing, Sanlitun
The school does not offer a comprehensive SEN program. They do have trained SEN specialists within their network of schools and work with professionals and organizations locally. The school endeavors to work with families to ensure that they have provisions in place to cater to the specific needs of their child. The school offers the support of a one-to-one teaching assistant for any student that may need the additional support during their lessons.

The British School of Beijing, Shunyi
In BSB Shunyi, the Inclusion Department consists of a Leader of Inclusion, Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), Special Educational Needs (SEN) Teacher and Counselor. The SENCO in collaboration with the Leader of Inclusion plays a key role in determining the strategic development of the Special Educational Needs policy, support, and provision in the school to raise the achievement of children with special educational needs.

The SENCO will coordinate additional support, Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and Action Plans for pupils with special educational needs and liaise with their teachers and other professionals who are involved with their education. The counselor supports children’s needs when they are going through a difficult time; this can be emotional, social, or behavioral. For children, it can be difficult to talk about their problems with their family, teachers, or friends and they might prefer to talk to someone that isn’t a part of their life. The counselor gives them the chance to share their feelings in a safe and non-judgmental environment. By using different therapy, such as play and art therapy, the feelings of the child will be explored.

The School has a few SEN certified teachers that work with a small portion of students as part of the mainstream program.

Canadian International School of Beijing (CISB)
The Canadian International School of Beijing (CISB) Special Educational Needs (SEN) philosophy supports the school’s core beliefs of ‘Respect and dignity for all people’ and ‘The power of teamwork and cooperative learning’. The purpose of CISB SEN Policy is to increase the likelihood that children with Special Educational Needs in the school will make progress and grow in confidence in their own abilities and to help the students become independent, motivated and life-long learners.

For more information about CISB’s SEN philosophy, visit this page.

Dulwich College Beijing (DCB)
Dulwich College Beijing’s Learning Support Department consists of a team of specialist teachers, assistant teachers, and counselors who work with students, teachers, and parents to ensure that individuals are progressing and successfully meeting their learning goals.

Students with learning disabilities will be admitted to Dulwich College Beijing in accordance with the school’s admission policy. In addition to this, their Learning Support Department will meet with students who have additional educational needs to ensure that they are able to provide the necessary resources and support for students’ needs. The placement of students with communication and interaction difficulties, cognition and learning difficulties, or sensory and physical needs will be determined by the level of support that is required on a case-by-case basis.

Description of current interventions: The Learning Support Department delivers a range of in-class and pull-out support. The department currently offers interventions for mathematics, spelling, reading, executive functioning skills, self-esteem, social use of language and handwriting. In addition to this, the school counselor is available to support students with social, emotional or mental health issues. The department works closely with the student, parents, and class teachers to ensure that the school creates a successful and supportive team around the child.

Ganeinu International School
Ganeinu International School accepts a wide range of special needs students. We create Individual Education Plans for all students in order to identify a student’s gifts and challenges. We have very small class sizes and a high teacher-to-student ratio, ensuring the least restrictive learning environment. We consult with outside specialists as necessary in order to provide individualized support for each child.

The International Montessori School of Beijing (MSB)
MSB offers students with exceptionalities equal learning opportunities with peers in the mainstream classroom. The school’s team of Learning Support specialists work collaboratively with classroom teachers in ensuring a meaningful and positive learning experience for students with additional educational needs. They are working with students requiring mild to intensive support and delivers “push in” and “pull out” strategies for children with exceptionalities depending on each students’ needs to maximize their learning potentials and keep with classroom dynamics. In-school occupational and speech therapy facilities and services are also available. MSB’s Learning Support staff serves children who are diagnosed with global developmental delays, speech and language disorders, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADHD, ASD, OCD, Tic disorders, and anxiety disorders. All school placement applications are evaluated through interview and testing.

International School of Beijing (ISB)
Learning Support Policy: In support of the mission, purpose, and philosophy of the school, as existing space and resources allow, students with mild to moderate learning differences will be admitted in accordance with the school’s admissions policy. This might include students with learning disabilities, ADHD and some high-functioning students on the autistic spectrum. However, placement in the learning support program is not based on diagnoses. Placement is determined by the level of support needed to be successful.

Description of Services: At this point, the school does not have self-contained classes for students who require a separate curriculum. Most services are provided through a push-in, inclusion model, with the exception of first and second grades in which a pull out model is utilized more frequently. Presently, they have ten learning support teachers, one speech and language pathologist and a director of student support services who also covers the school psychologist position. The school tends to use a modified response to intervention model (RtI) as the referral identification process. The modification is that they use standardized assessments as well as curriculum-based to inform intervention.

Decisions regarding admission and services for a student will be made on a case-by-case basis within the
policy parameters. The school does not have an educational program for:

• A student with intensive learning needs.
• A student who requires a self-contained learning environment with separate curriculum.
• A student with significant cognitive, developmental, physical and/or emotional needs/disabilities.
• A student who exhibits a continual pattern of behavior in the classroom that is disruptive to the learning
  process.
• The Student Support Team generally consists of an Administrator or designee.

Western Academy of Beijing (WAB)
Enrichment Support Program: WAB believes that while all their students have strengths that must be valued and promoted, there are students whose educational needs are different from their age peers due to the nature of their gifts. To ensure that the needs of students identified as gifted are appreciated and supported, the WAB curriculum provides a flexible range of options to assist gifted students to maximize their potential. Learning experiences within the classroom are regularly differentiated, and in collaboration with WAB’s gifted support services, strategies such as flexible grouping, curriculum compacting and extension, and enrichment of the core curriculum are offered, as appropriate. In order to facilitate appropriate provision for gifted students, WAB will assess the students’ levels of ability and achievement. Multiple criteria are used whenever possible.

Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS Beijing)
The Student Support Services Team offers a comprehensive network of resources to support and care for Yew Chung International School of Beijing students, parents, and staff. Comprised of Learning Support Services, Student Counselling, and University Guidance Counselling, Student Support Services features a full team of specialized staff members that is committed to creating a safe and familial learning environment and empowering students to be successful at YCIS Beijing.

Students who need learning support are admitted upon the same requirements as other students. They must be able to be successful in the mainstream classroom with minimal outside support services. At YCIS Beijing, diversity is important, and parents who think their child might require the services of Student Support can contact School Admissions as early as possible. Additionally, parents are encouraged to engage in dialogue with school staff during the application process in order to ensure a match between the student’s learning needs and the levels of support available at YCIS Beijing.

(Editor’s note: Several school listings here are extracted from the US Department of State “Overseas Schools Offering Support to Children with Special Needs 2016-2017“)

With contributions from Nina Krafft, social media coordinator of Special Education Network of Beijing.
Photos: Flickr (US Army); courtesy of featured organizations

According to this China Daily info-graphic made for Disability Prevention Davy, over 85 million Chinese are currently living with a disability. And what most of us, across cultures, consider to be life milestones (education, friendships, a love life, and a career, for example) can be demonstratively more challenging to achieve for these facing these challenges. There is still often a stigma in China and beyond in terms of addressing these issues for both young and old. While resources for addressing these development issues are still limited, there seems to be a growing number of platforms out there to help young people.

This is one of the reasons why we were so elated to check out the range of services being offered at The Learning Frontier. The fairly new educational company based out of BCIS in Shuangjiing is dedicated to providing bilingual, personalized guidance, and support services for children and families residing in Beijing.

They have on their team a variety of specialists focusing on mental health, education and learning, applied behavior analysis, and speech and language and occupational therapy to assist children and families to better understand their development and to help each child live up to their full potential in school and life.

With extensive facilities designed with both learning and play in mind, they have created a very conducive environment to help children and families work on improving critical thinking, improving motor skills, developing literacy, and more.

Check out this cute animation that they recently made explaining some of the services they offer to develop social skills. If you want to learn more or have a consultation about some more of the specific programs they have, email The Learning Frontier or give them a call to arrange a consultation.

The Learning Frontier
4th Floor, No. 11 Dongbai Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区东柏街11号四层
(6775 3268)

Photos: Kipp Whittaker