A large number of children in special circumstances in Da Nang, mainly disabled and autistic ones, were very eagerly and enthusiastically engaged in participating in a special musical and sporting fest on the occasion of the recent Mid-Autumn Festival.

Unfortunate children enjoying joyful moments at the musical and sporting fest

The festival was initiated by Nguyen Viet Tuan, a professional counselor at the Uoc Mo Xanh (Blue Dream) Centre for Special Education Research and Development.

With a deep sympathy for the disadvantaged children, Tuan became actively involved in making preparatory plans for this meaningful programme, appealing for the participation of centre operating for the sake of disadvantaged children, and seeking collaborators and volunteers.

During the programme, disabled, autistic, AO-affected children enjoyed joyful and bustling atmosphere full of profound love for humanitarian values.

The parents of such disadvantaged kids burst into tears of joy whilst seeing their beloved children eagerly join in flashmob performances full of energy and passion, along with wide range of sports events.

Mr Matthew Keenan, 68, from the USA, an active volunteer for the Da Nang Care Centre for AO Victims and Disadvantaged Children, attended the programme, and captured moments of the children immersing themselves into the joyful atmosphere in such a cozy space.

Ms Le Thi Kim Thu, the Deputy Director of the Uoc Mo Xanh Centre for Special Education Research and Development remarked that the programme not only brought the joyful moments to disadvantaged children, but it also offered a great opportunity for them to enhance their physical strengths, and raise their social interaction skills.

Also, such a practical event clearly demonstrated the whole community’s kind concern for children, especially those in special circumstances.

Ms Bui Thi Van Ha, a representative from a charity group participating in this programme expressed her delight at having instructed underpriviled children how to dance and sing. Such arts activities indeed helped children with autism spectrum disorder get overcome their aggression, learn to rein in disruptive behaviour, and enjoy a much more positive relationship with others around. Thanks to this, many of them have shown their outstanding improvements in their physical and mental progress. This positive sign, therefore, helps to ease the burden of caring these disadvantaged children, and motivate them to confidently integrate into the community.

Autistic children suffer from impairments such as social interactions, language and communication skills, cognitive and psychomotor skills. Actually, children with autism are not necessarily mentally retarded. In fact, many of them exhibit higher intelligence than the average child and some have extraordinary capabilities in different aspects, such as memory, mathematics, arts, and physics.

Fully aware of this fact, in the coming time, Tuan is planning to carry out another programme under which autistic children with good capabilities in arts will be offered training on music and painting skills.

In August 2017, Tuan launched a programme featuring a combination between psychomotor therapy and behaviour management methods applicable to children with autism.

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.