world. It is the role of our whole society to give every child the opportunity to excel.”

The Children’s Institute of Hong Kong Limited (TCI) in collaboration with The Harbour School (THS) Daren, now eight, attends TCI in Kennedy Town (www. tcihk.org). The school for special education needs provides one-on-one applied behavioural analysis (ABA) programming for children with all levels of autism and integrates all of its students into THS’s (www. theharbourschool.edu.hk) mainstream classrooms. According to Dr Jeremy H Greenberg, director of TCI, students have their own personalised schedules of activities, some of which may occur in the TCI classroom, while others may occur in THS’s mainstream classrooms. An ABA teacher accompanies and supports the student – one-to-one – wherever they go. Initially, it may be appropriate for TCI students to partake only in non-academic subjects; however, over time, they may be able to access all of the subjects in THS’s curriculum. Dr Greenberg says, “When this occurs, the TCI teacher systematically fades out of the picture, all the while making careful observations of the student in the THS class to ensure continued success.”

When Daren started partial mainstream integration into THS, he was still socially awkward, mum Margaret recalls. TCI created a tailored programme to support Daren’s social development, integration and classroom compliance. Within two months, Daren was following more social norms. “Daren is thriving in school. He is currently

on par academically with his peers, and considered a profcient reader in his class,” Margaret says, attributing his signifcant progress to TCI’s commitment, communication with parents and overview of every child’s development.

One size does not ft all

There is signifcant research to demonstrate the benefts of inclusion for typically developing children and children with autism when they receive their education together in an appropriate setting.

However, dif ferent children with autism can have very dif ferent symptoms, hence the name autism spectrum disorder. Some children may not beneft from mainstream education, and for these students, the Autism Partnership School (www.apschool.edu.hk) was established in 2007. Lisa, mother of nine-year-old Tim, explains that her son has developed social, behavioural, self-help and relationship skills at the school, which caters to students with all levels of autism from the ages of fve to 18. Children are taught individualised curricula in class sizes of four to eight, with a one-to-two or one-to-one teacher to student ratio. The academic curriculum follows the local mainstream national curriculum.

Choosing the right school for a child with autism is a major concern for parents; however, as all four of these mothers attest, it is entirely possible to source excellent educational opportunities in Hong Kong that are professionally supported and that maximise each child’s individual potential.