Vietnam has about 160,000 people with autism

With a population of 80 million, the number of people with autism in Vietnam today can be up to 160 thousand people (calculating the rate of 1 / 7,000 population by foreign documents). Children with autism in Vietnam are often found late when the intervention has been ineffective.

According to Dr. Do Thuy Lan, Public Health Association, most autistic children are male. In fact, the examination and treatment at Sao Mai Center (located in Hanoi, under the Vietnam Association for the Relief of Disabled Children) shows that 4 out of every 5 autistic children come to visit. Only one third of autistic children visited before 3 years of age. While, According to Dr. Tran Thi Thu Ha, deputy head of the National Rehabilitation Hospital, the time to intervene is best at 18-36 months.

Dr Thuy Lan said, the reason why the disease was discovered late is that parents do not know where to take their children to visit, or because of guilt, do not want people to know their children are abnormal about development. Many parents soon realized the behavioral and language abnormalities in children, went to the doctor but did not accept the doctor's diagnosis. They take children to other places to look for more " positive " diagnosis, and when they are forced to accept the reality, it is late.

For autism, early intervention minimizes the transition from disability to disability. The purpose of intervention is to help children take care of themselves, develop their speaking and communication skills to better integrate. This requires a combination of medical (pediatric and mental health) and education, and the commitment of parents (they need to be instructed to teach children).

In Vietnam, the rehabilitation for autistic children is very difficult because the education sector has not yet developed a model or specialized guidance in special education for children with autism. The few centers for these children often belong to the relief association for disabled children (such as Sao Mai, Hy Vong Phuc Tue in Hanoi), the women's union (Phong Lan school in Da Lat), the mental health center (Tuong Lai school, District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City) or church (Thanh Mau school, HCMC) .

HH