32-year-old Nguyen Viet Tuan in Da Nang is devoted to helping autistic children live confidently in their communities through his innovative therapies. His great efforts have partly raised the public awareness of autism, as well as help to further these disadvantaged children’s progress in a comprehensive manner. 

Nguyen Viet Tuan (left) help an autistic girl actively become engage din movement activities

Tuan is working for the city’s University of Physical Education-Sports.

In August 2017, Tuan launched a programme featuring a combination between psychomotor therapy and behaviour management methods applicable to children with autism who were being cared for at the Uoc Mo Xanh (Blue Dream) shelter under the city’s Centre for Special Education Research and Development.

Autistic children suffer from impairments such as social interactions, language and communication skills, cognitive and psychomotor skills.

Psychomotor therapy aims to assist an individual’s personal development. It is based on a global view of human beings that considers each individual as a unity of physical, emotional and cognitive actualities, which interact with each other and the surrounding social environment.

Tuan pointed out to the fact that, in Viet Nam, only a few of individuals and organisations are actively engaged in psychomotor intervention on children with autism spectrum disorder.

During times of transition or change, children may be more likely to have tantrums, aggressive behavior, and show resistance.

Tuan highlighted the importance of the application of psychomotor therapy in helping autistic children get past the aggression, learn to rein in disruptive behaviour, and enjoy a much more positive relationship with others around.

Tuan’s great efforts have paid off as he recently successfully held a sporting event which attracted the active participation of autistic children from Uoc Mo Xanh shelter, and disadvantaged ones from the city’s Nguyen Dinh Chieu Special School for Disabled Children and the city’s Support Centre for Agent Orange (AO) Victims.

Notably, Tuan is implementing his meaningful photo project entitled ‘Smile Angel’ under which Tuan captures the loveliest moments of autistic children right at his own small home studio. 

Tuan and an autistic boy posing for a souvenir photo

Tuan said it usually takes many hours to take such photos because autistic children sometimes have trouble sitting still or staying in one place, as well as have a short attention span, be sensitive to sensory stimulation, and run away from the camera.

Nice photos always make families of autistic children very happy as they see their disadvantaged children develop normally. Tuan can fully feel the parents’ elation at their children’s progress.

Tuan spends much time and energy capturing the loveliest moments of autistic children

Ms Le Thi Kim Thu, the Deputy Director of the Centre for Special Education Research and Development highly praised the good deeds by Tuan and other volunteers for helping to promote the overall physical and mental development of autistic children at the Uoc Mo Xanh shelter.

In the coming time, local AO-affected children are expected to benefit from the ‘Smile Angel’ project. Tuan said his activities are just initial parts of a long meaningful journey aimed at bringing happy smiles to disadvantaged children.