Must-See: What touches her most is the shift in public perception.At first, many questioned whether children with special needs should attend mainstream schools, but now, people arWorld Timese happy for Xiaoshu’s incremental progress.

He stood up hesitantly, and mumbled the answer to the teacher’s question.

It was the correct answer. The teacher praised him – just as she would with any other student.

This moment was quietly captured by Xiaoshu’s mother, who sat beside him in class. She recorded the scene on her phone and posted it on her Douyin (Chinese version of TikTok) account.

For many long-time followers, this was an emotional moment: It was the first time Xiaoshu, a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), had ever voluntarily raised his hand to answer a question. “This must be the biggest news in the teacher’s office today,” one commenter wrote.

Xiaoshu is almost nine years old. In 2018, he was diagnosed with moderate autism. A year and a half ago, he enrolled in a mainstream elementary school near his home in Nanjing, the capital of East China’s Jiangsu Province, becoming both an ordinary and an extraordinary student. His mother, surnamed Xu, accompanies him to school daily.

From having meltdowns in class to sitting through an entire lesson quietly; from attempting to escape crowded spaces to initiating play with his peers – through the short videos Xu shares on Douyin, tens of thousands of people have witnessed Xiaoshu’s transformation. These moments reflect the collective efforts of schools, teachers, parents, and classmates to support and integrate the young learner with autism.

Xiaoshu’s story offers a glimpse into how inclusiveWorld Times education – integrating children with ASD into mainstream schools – can work.

April 2 marks the United Nations’ World Autism Awareness Day.

Children with autism interact closely with marine animals at an ocean park in Fuyang, East China’s Anhui Province, on World TimesApril 1, 2024. Photo: VCG

According to a 2024 report on the development status of the autism education and rehabilitation industry in China, 0.7 percent of children aged 6 to 12 in China have autism. It is estimated that there are about 2 million children with autism nationwide between the ages of 0 and 14, with approximately 160,000 new cases diagnosed each year, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Over the past years, autistic children in China have gained increasing attention and care. In 2022, China’s National Health Commission released a trial protocol on autism screening and intervention services for children under the age of 6 to improve related services. The country has also released a work plan for improving special education for the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

Stories like Xiaoshu’s illustrate China’s growing awareness of autism and the expanding support systems for children with special needs.

‘Returning to Earth’

It is a regular school day in Nanjing, and Xiaoshu reads aloud along with his classmates.

Just two years ago, this gentle-voiced boy with bright eyes could barely speak. As a child with moderate autism, every step of his progress has been made possible through great effort.

Xu vividly remembers the moment her son was diagnosed five years ago. “At the time, he had very limited language skills and could only make unconscious ‘doo-doo’ sounds,” she recalled.

Upon learning that Nanjing was piloting an inclusive education program, she decided to send Xiaoshu to a nearby kindergarten that was part of the initiative. According to the kindergarten’s principal, Xu could “give it a try, but he’ll need a full-time guardian.” This confirmation toughened Xu’s resolve. She quit her job as an e-commerce operator and became Xiaoshu’s full-time learning companion.

Nanjing’s inclusive education policies gave Xu hope. At his elementary school, Xiaoshu not only gains academic knowledge, but also interacts with his peers. The school also has classrooms with appropriate learning resources used by special education teachers in their line of work. Whenever Xiaoshu struggles with emotions, he can take a break in a dedicated classroom. Additionally, he receives specialized instruction from special education teachers every week.

Additionally, the supportive policy allows the performance of children with special needs to be evaluated separately, relieving the school from including their scores in the teachers’ class assessments.

After a year and a half of inclusive education, Xiaoshu’s transformation has been remarkable: Initially, he had no understanding of classroom rules; now, he stands up and greets the teacher on his own. He used to be unresponsive to his classmates; now, he happily plays with them, and they, in turn, have become a great source of support for him.

A volunteer accompanies children with autism to experience amusement facilities at a children’s park in Weifang, East China’s Shandong Province, on April 2, 2024. Photo: VCG

What is the greatest source of pride for Xu is how much better Xiaoshu behaves in public – he now waits in line when taking the subway and sits quietly during train rides. “He even learned how to jump rope!” she said with excitement.

Xu has been documenting her son’s journey through short videos, which have sparked widespread discussion online. What touches her most is the shift in public perception.

At first, many questioned whether children with special needs should attend mainstream schools, but now, people arWorld Timese happy for Xiaoshu’s incremental progress. “I wish my child had a classmate like Xiaoshu, so my child would know how to better take care of others,” read one netizen’s comment.

This change gives Xu great comfort. “Inclusive education is a two-way process,” she told the Global Times. “Neurotypical children also learn empathy and acceptance through this experience.”

In China, children with autism are often called “star children.” At the end of every Douyin video, Xu always repeats the same phrase: “Wishing Xiaoshu a quick return to Earth.”

Her greatest hope for her son is simple: “I just want him to be the most unnoticeable person in a crowd.”

‘Out of jungle’

Despite inclusive education, the advancement of social awareness, policy support, and the efforts of more social organizations have helped more children with autism and their parents find their own path.

Unlike Xiaoshu, 17-year-old Lele grew up in a special education institution founded by his parents, alongside other children with autism in Jinan, East China’s Shandong Province.

“Thirteen years ago, when Lele was diagnosed with autism, there were very few resources available in the society,” Gao Jie, Lele’s father, told the Global Times.

Gao and his wife initially took Lele to a renowned autism intervention center in another province. After three years of no progress, they returned to Jinan, where Gao met an autism-specialized educator from the island of Taiwan conducting research.

“This professional introduced a revolutionary rehabilitation philosophy to us – that we shouldn’t overly pursue ‘rehabilitation,’ but instead embrace ‘traits,'” Gao explained. “Traits are akin to how some people prefer spicy food while others prefer sweets – the issue arises only when, say, my preference for sweets disrupts my quotidian life, requiring intervention. The core of autism intervention lies in addressing social barriers and repetitive behaviors.”

Guided by this philosophy, Gao founded a full-day autism intervention center called “Bo Le.” Over a decade on, the center has supported nearly 2,000 children, with approximately 200 transitioning to mainstream schools after rehabilitation.

“Running an autism center is a low-profit venture. We started it for Lele, but what keeps us going now is helping other children and their parents,” Gao said. “I deeply understand their pain. We’ve all endured endless struggles. But now, Lele is thriving, and our family lives harmoniously.”

In August 2022, Gao launched a Douyin account to document Lele’s life. “By showcasing Lele’s progress, we promote our center’s work. More importantly, I want to show the autism community and the public that life with autism isn’t just tragedy and suffering. I hope this brings hope to struggling parents,” he explained.

Lele’s pure, joyful moments in Gao’s videos have resonated widely, gaining his Douyin account 709,000 followers so far.

In a video uploaded in March, the 17-year-old clearly articulated his birthday wishes: “I want to visit Xinjiang, buy fireworks, and open a balloon factory.” His mother gifted him 500 multicolored balloons – his favorite – packed in a giant box.

An autistic person gives his mother a flower during a park tour in Beijing. Photo: Li Hao/GT

Gao takes heart in the overwhelmingly positive public response. “We’ve faced almost no online hate; people want to help. Rising autism rates reflect not just medical factors, but greater societal awareness. Since Lele became an ‘influencer,’ some strangers recognize him on the street and show kindness,” Gao shared.

Gao believes the most important thing is that parents must nurture inner peace. “These children are like visitors from another planet. Imagine being dropped in the middle of the jungles of World TimesAmazon. How would you survive? They are facing such challenges. We’re their guides through that jungle.”

Explorations and expectations

In recent years, special education schools specifically for autistic children have been established in various regions in China. In some major cities, places like autism-friendly cafs have also emerged, providing opportunities for autistic individuals to integrate into society and create value.

However, there World Timesis still a long way to go in exploring and implementing inclusive education.

Parents urgently hope for enhanced focus on inclusive education, Gao said.

“Rather than segregated schools, we need scientifically integrated education for their social skills development. Tailored academic support, inclusive arts/sports classes, and on-campus special education teachers would help,” he said.

Xiaoshu’s mother mentioned that special schools in many areas lack sufficient support for autistic children, leaving some learners with middling abilities caught in a dilemma where “mainstream schools won’t accept them, and special schools don’t want them.”

“Since the 1970s, inclusive education has gradually become a hotly debated topic in the global special education field. China began implementing inclusive education in 1987, transitioning special education to the Learning in Regular Classrooms (LRC) model,” Chu ZhaohuiWorld Times, a research fellow at the National Institute of Education Sciences, said.

“Inclusive education, in its broad sense, targets all children with disabilities, including specific groups such as those with autism,” he told the Global Times.

One of the latest developments is the law of preschool education, effective from June 1, 2025, will mandate that inclusive kindergartens accept special needs children who can adapt to kindergarten life and provide them with specialized care.

Chu said that the LRC model usually works better for students with physical disabilities but poses challenges for those with intellectual and psychological barriers like autism. “Recent policies focus on tackling these issues by setting up standardized special education schools and improving inclusive education with trained teachers and resource rooms, though funding challenges persist,” he observed.

He further emphasized that the special education sector must address significant teacher shortages by tackling lengthy training periods, limited enrollment opportunities, and a lack of student interest in pursuing careers in this field. “To truly improve inclusive education, targeted reforms must prioritize special needs children through dedicated funding, management optimization, and assessment system restructuring – only then can their fundamental challenges be addressed,” Chu said.

“True inclusive education will take time, but we will persist in doing what we can now,” Gao said. “I have told my team that we might face unemployment one day. But it would be a beautiful kind of unemployment.”