Early intervention can't wait!
Enabling children with ASD in Đồng Nai
Nhat* is enjoying primary school!
On a bright morning in September 2023, Nhat reached a big milestone: he started primary school. It was an especially meaningful moment because, as an autistic child, he had once struggled to speak and preferred to play on his own. With his parents’ modest income, access to specialized support had been out of reach.
Then came a turning point. Through our partner’s early intervention class and weekly sessions, Nhat gradually found his voice—learning to communicate, read, write, and even enjoy simple math.
Today, he’s thriving in third grade alongside his peers—and most importantly, he loves going to school.
*Name has been changed to protect the child’s privacy.
Austistic children in rural areas deserve access to early intervention too!
In rural areas, children with ASD often go without the services they need. Assessment and therapy are limited, and for many families, unaffordable. Without early intervention before the age of five, children can miss the critical window to develop the communication, social, and learning skills that shape their future.
Since 2023, our partner has been bringing an Early Intervention project to Đồng Nai, a southern province in Vietnam, to help bridge this gap. To date, the project has trained over 400 teachers and parents on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and early intervention, screened 257 children for ASD symptoms, supported 48 children through assessment and diagnosis, and provided ongoing early intervention sessions twice a week for 15 local children.
"As parents living in rural areas, we rely on manual labour with very limited incomes, barely enough to meet daily needs. For us, accessing early intervention services at private centres is not only a major concern but also a significant financial challenge. The day our children received support, it felt as though we had found light and hope on an uncertain and difficult journey."
