Autism group calls on Hong Kong government to offer more support services, employment opportunities
Ahead of World Autism Awareness Day on Monday, Heep Hong Society says there should be more internship posts for jobseekers with special needs
About half of young adults with autism have never held a job for more than a year and more than 66 per cent of employees have little or no knowledge of the syndrome, a recent study by Hong Kong’s largest autism support group has found.
Heep Hong Society, a rehabilitative service group set up in 1963, called on the government to normalise employment support services for youngsters with autism and other special needs, ahead of World Autism Awareness Day on Monday.
Incentives for employers and more educationwere also needed to reduce discriminationagainst jobseekers with special needs, the society said.
“The government, as the largest employer in Hong Kong, should lead the way by providing more internship posts for young people with special needs,” said Godwin Cheung Chi-sing, regional manager of Heep Hong.
“There should also be more support for employers, such as more stable social service projects with normalised funding from the government,” he added.
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In her maiden policy addressin 2017, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced a 30-month pilot scheme set up in 2016 to support autism patients with an IQ score above 70. The government also promised to double its internship places from 50 to 100 for students with disabilities.