Huang Wei (R) offers a reward to a student with good classroom performance at the Sunflower training center for children with autism in Huainan, east China's Anhui Province, March 30, 2021. Huang Wei is the founder of the Sunflower training center in Huainan which is dedicated to children with autism. The story of Huang's rehabilitation center could be traced back to 2003, when she quit her job at a bank in order to seek medical treatment for her eldest son who had been diagnosed with autism. After her numerous hospital visits, Huang had become skilled at several therapies for autism. In 2008, she co-founded an autism parents association, which became the first rehab school for autism in Huainan and the predecessor of the training center she is now running. "At first, all I had in mind was to provide a 'shelter' for other children with autism, not just for my own son," Huang recalled. For 13 years in a row, Huang has devoted herself to one thing: improving her training center so as to enroll more and more children with autism. In addition to the refinement of facilities, efforts have been put to enhance the teaching quality. The number of students increased from merely three to over 300. Since its establishment, Huang's autism training center remained free in most cases. Students under 14 are entitled to government subsidies, while those above 14 are granted fee waivers. "Making money is not in my plan," said Huang. "My sole intention is to offer autism families a safe harbour, a hope." (Xinhua/Huang Bohan)
