Training parents and professionals to help children with autism in China: The contribution of behaviour analysis

Abstract

Atraining programme is presented with two parts. (1) Professional training is received by graduate students at the Institute for Mental Health of Beijing University, based on the principles of behaviour assessment and modification, radical behaviourism, and applied research methods. (2) Parent training focused on parents with autistic children, using the behaviour analysis and modification methods. China has between 400,000 and 800,000 children with autism. In comparison to its fast economic growth the development of social welfare and social insurance systems are far behind. Once the child is diagnosed with autism, the parents or the primary caregivers of the child, not the government or the community, take the responsibility for the child's rehabilitation. The diagnosis of autism was first introduced in China in 1982, and for years the work was based on clinical appearances and diagnosis. The main mission of child psychiatrists was early diagnosis, but there was little change obtained with autistic children. From the year 2000 more people were interested in rehabilitation rather than in diagnosis and medical treatments. Behaviour analysis methods are now extensively used in interventions in children with autism in this country. There is a great need in China for this kind of work, but there are few professionals with the appropriate scientific knowledge and skills to work with autistic children. These professionals will help to further develop the area of behaviour analysis in China.