Treating autistic children in China

Edited by Tony Lambert, OMF China Researcher

Chinese is a very expressive language. The Chinese word for “autism” is literally “the-closed-in-on-oneself disease” (zibizheng). An alternative term is guduzheng — “the lonely-disease.” Both terms sadly express exactly the nature of this illness which is striking increasing numbers of children in China as in many other countries.

Chinese Christians are taking action to help autistic children. A long article in the May edition of Tianfeng gave details, and we have translated major extracts as follows.

Chinese experts began research into autism in 1982, and according to conservative estimates at present China has around one million autism sufferers. But as autism shows some symptoms similar to mental illness, the two are sometimes confused in many countries. So in China a number of those regarded as mentally ill may in fact be suffering from autism.

Autism is an illness that seriously affects child development. It commonly starts in children under three years old and manifests itself by seriously affecting social interaction and language communication and by a narrowing of interest. Important characteristics are strange or wooden behavior. In 1943 Dr. Kanner in America first defined the classical clinical definition of autism. In recent years the medical world has discovered that the rate of incidence of autism is rapidly growing worldwide. It is a lifelong condition which brings unspeakable suffering not only to the patient but to their families and to the whole of society.

On April 14 Qingdao hosted the TSPM/Chinese Christian Council “Treatment for Children with Autism” conference with experts from both China and overseas. Church workers from Shanghai, Hangzhou, Qingdao and Dalian attended as well as representatives from Educational Services Exchange with China (ESEC) and the Christian Leadership Exchange (both Sino-American organizations), as well as scholars and professors from the Hong Kong-based China Graduate School of Theology etc.

On April 15 Ms. Fang Jing, the founder of the Yilin (Elim) Autism Training Department of the Qingdao Municipal Autism Research Institute, gave a report on their method of treatment. About 20 percent of the children at Yilin are able to return to a normal or near normal life after treatment. This made a deep impact on the conference. Traditional treatment for autistic children includes behavioral correction, speech therapy and music therapy as it is recognized that autistic children generally have higher innate musical skills than other children. Dr. Rimland from the American Autism Association has shown that musical activities can improve their sense of participation and breathe life into dull training.

Helping to treat autistic children is a new social service undertaken by the Chinese church and the church in Qingdao. The conference was shown that effective treatment must include not only scientific treatment and technical knowledge, but love for the children.

Rev. Deng Fucun, the head of the TSPM/CCC Social Service Department, pointed out that churches in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Dalian etc. would soon be developing this specialized social service. He hoped more church workers and autism specialists would take part.

Yilin plans to expand its program from three teachers to more than 60 teachers and staff.

The beauty of the Qingdao spring helped us to see how more “Elim People” from the entire Chinese church can draw autistic children out of their dark world with the cords of love.

It is most encouraging to see Chinese Christians taking this initiative. Overseas Christian organizations and individuals with the necessary skills may also be able to help. If you feel called of God to help autistic children in China, please contact your local OMF representative for short-term and long-term opportunities.

CHRISTIANITY IS CHINA’S NEW SOCIAL REVOLUTION
A long article in Britain’s Daily Telegraph recently highlighted the amazing growth of Christianity in modern China. Here are some significant extracts:

The beauty salon near Beijing Zoo gives its customers not just facials and manicures but the Word of the Lord. Its owner sees beauty salons as a good place to transform souls as well as bodies. “I introduced 40 people to the church last year,” he said.

In a social revolution that has prompted a heavy-handed response from the Politburo, Christianity is spreading through town and countryside and Chinese communities abroad. The state-sanctioned churches [Catholic and Protestant] claim up to 35 million followers. More significant are the underground or house churches which are said to have 80 or even 100 million members.

Visits to villages in backward rural provinces or to urban churches in Beijing confirm the ease with which conversions are won. “City people have real problems,” said the beauty salon owner. “So it’s easy for us to convert them to Christianity. In the countryside, people are richer than before but they still have problems with their health and family relationships. We have very few people who believe in communism as a faith, so there’s an emptiness in their hearts.” His mother is a Christian and his father, a retired county-level Communist Party secretary, is sympathetic.

One woman told a gathering of hundreds at Kuanjie official Protestant church in Beijing: “My brother’s daughter had a virus which doctors had never seen before. She was on a ventilator and everyone had lost hope. But I prayed for her and she recovered. Now her family follow Christ too.” Aged 33, she came from Anhui, a poor province in central China. In her village the house church had grown from 5 or 6 people to 100 in five years. The association of Christianity with healing powers may be embarrassing in the West, but in China it is a driving force of conversion, particularly in rural areas which lack health services.

China’s rulers are said to be ambiguous about Christianity’s growth. Some see its emphasis on personal morality as a force for stability. House churches which go along with the authority and theology of the official organizations are often left alone. But many reject the Party’s control over Christian practice and doctrine and these are seen as a threat. After all, 80 million members would mean there are now more Christians than Communists in China. If these figures are even roughly accurate then we are looking at a very remarkable development in the history not only of Asia but of all mankind.

Few believe that many of the Party’s 70 million members keep the “faith” burning any more. This year the Politburo made it easier for churches to register but at the same time launched a wave of persecution of those who refused.

Zhang Rongliang, the head of the China for Christ Church, said to be the biggest with 10 million members, was arrested last December and remains in prison. Scores of pastors and followers have been held, along with Roman Catholics, including underground bishops. Overseas groups say Christians are regularly beaten and one was killed in police custody.

Lawyers say the authorities try not to charge Christians with religious offenses, for fear of criticism from abroad.

The beauty salon owner has never been in trouble. But a week after he fired an anti-Christian employee there was a police raid. It turned out the salon’s acupuncture service lacked a proper license. He received a heavy fine which he could not pay and was forced to hand over the running of the business to others. He wonders whether it was acupuncture that upset the authorities, or the gospel.

The growth of the Christian churches in China is a story of great courage and belief in the special status of man as a moral creature, for whom good and evil are eternal truths that cannot be redefined by politicians. (Daily Telegraph, 30 July 2005)

HELPING MENTALLY INFIRM CHILDREN
In one of China’s largest cities, house-church Christians have enthusiastically heeded God’s call to care for severely mentally challenged children. Some years ago a young Christian couple active in evangelism all over their province saw that there was very little if any provision for these children.

Today they run a bright, clean facility which cares for some 30 children. In the early days local officials visited them and were offended by the colorful gospel posters pasted on the walls. “Take those down, or you won’t receive a cent of government funding!” they fumed. But the Christians explained that their entire vision stemmed from the love of Christ for little children, and politely refused. The officials left angrily, but, significantly, the center was not closed down. Today it has much modern equipment due to funding from overseas. Local Christians are given training so that they can care one-on-one for autistic children and for those with hydrocephalus and other severe mental and physical handicaps.

For house-church Christians to get involved in this way requires faith and courage. Used to meeting in unregistered meetings clandestinely, they now have to deal openly with local officials and get the necessary permits.

Some younger house-church leaders in Beijing are wrestling with the complex issue of whether to register their churches under the new regulations recently issued this March. One of their aims in this is so they can openly develop Christian social welfare work. Older leaders with personal experience of persecution are more cautious. Both younger and older leaders do not wish to be controlled by the “Three Self,” but it remains to be seen whether after registration, house churches can still maintain their independence. We overseas should pray for the house churches at this difficult time of continuing pressures and persecution but also increasing opportunities for Christian witness in the community.

Copyright by OMF International 2005