Hong Kong special needs children turn to NGOs for job training in face of scarce government provision
With no clear educational guidelines for special-needs children in Hong Kong, LoveXpress and the Rock Foundation fill the gap by designing courses to put them on a suitable career path
Armed with syringes, several teenagers are injecting coconut milk into bowls of jelly, meticulously recreating flower petals – making 3D jelly art is much harder than it looks.
Hong Kong students with special needs not properly supported by government education system
For one thing, the syringe can clog if the job is done too slowly because the sweetened milk coagulates at room temperature. The art created by the workshop’s participants is jaw-dropping, though, with one jelly containing a whole bouquet of roses and chrysanthemums that look almost real.
Clearly, this is no ordinary workshop. All the participants, here with their parents, are teenagers with various symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. The activity is designed to channel their special abilities, such as a heightened sensitivity to colours and patterns, and a tendency to excel at repetitive tasks.
More importantly, it is a much needed opportunity for youngsters with special needs to receive training that may help them on their career path.
“Their uniqueness is something we don’t have. The key is to help them discover and develop their strengths,” says Noel Lam Yin-Ng, co-founder of LoveXpress, the NGO that organises the workshop.
Jellies made at the previous workshop were sold and, during a prize presentation break, Kitty Poon, another co-founder, hands each teenager a cheque. It’s a small amount, but the significance is huge.
