In Đức Linh, the early intervention and education center for children with special needs has three classrooms, three specialized teachers, and a playroom. Every month, a new program is prepared with clear goals, tailored activities, games, and even exercises for parents to do at home. Each child has a personal notebook that tracks their progress and development.
Before joining the center, every child must first visit an official clinic in Ho Chi Minh City to receive a diagnosis. Around 30% of the children here are autistic. Families contribute financially based on their means.
I spent the morning observing a few classes. The first child I met is a 3 year old boy who has been coming for six months. He doesn’t speak yet and has difficulty staying focused, but the teachers are patient and use games to help him improve. The next little boy, aged 5, has also been diagnosed with autism. When he first came two years ago, he couldn’t sit still or say a word. Now, he can sometimes answer with one word, stay seated, and maintain a bit of eye contact.
Later, I joined another class with a girl who has been attending for a year and a half. She also has autism and struggles with concentration and social interactions. She speaks but mostly repeats what others say (a condition called echolalia). Over time, she has learned to play with others and share toys,something she couldn’t do before.
In the afternoon, we went to visit families in the area.
The first family we met includes a couple and their four children (grades 7, 4, 1, and a baby). They have been with Thiện Chí since 2017. The mother, who has heart disease, manages the home and takes care of cows, pigs, and chickens. The father had a motorcycle accident four years ago and now works as a day laborer in farming and construction. They have two cows, one from the government and one bought through a loan. Three years ago, they joined the Pig Bank program and still raise pigs from that first support. Today, one of the children received a monthly scholarship of 300,000 VND. The family’s situation remains difficult, they don’t have much food.
The second family we visited has five members: a couple, two daughters studying in Ho Chi Minh City, and a son in grade 2. They used to borrow loans from Thiện Chí for pig farming and vegetables, but now they focus mainly on collecting recyclable waste and raising pigs. The mother also works occasionally planting trees or flowers, while the father guards a duck farm at night. The daughters both receive education loans of 15 million VND per year, which they will repay after finding stable jobs. Despite their modest means, the parents are determined to give their children the best education possible so they can be independent in the future.
Leticia