Professional Development

2008 Heartspring Award for Innovation and Creativity in Special Education

Cindy De Clerck, Belgium

Cindy De Clerck has a background in sinology, the study of Chinese language and culture, and she is currently working on a doctorate degree in anthropology in her home country of Belgium. Cindy speaks 6 different languages, and you will seldom find her at home. For the last several years she has lived in China and has been collecting data for her dissertation on autism awareness and recognition within the Chinese culture. She hopes to develop a better understanding of the interaction among cultural norms, family values, the challenges of autism, and service providers so that children can be identified sooner and can access the services they need.

When Cindy is not in the field collecting data for her dissertation, she volunteers for organizations in Beijing that work with children with autism. She believes that you get to know a culture by living in it. She lives in a dorm in a Chinese university, takes public transportation, and often goes many months without speaking her native language. We first met Cindy at the Stars and Rain Education Institute for Autism, which is on the out skirts of Beijing. At Stars and Rain, she volunteers to translate professional literature on autism from English into Chinese. And she translates for visiting professionals who are at Stars and Rain to work with the children and the staff. She was of invaluable assistance to our staff when we were there, and helped us make a connection with all of the staff, the families and children, and visiting reporters as well as to inform us of what we were really about to eat. Helping at Star and Rain is not an easy task for Cindy for she lives on the far west side of Beijing. It is a 2½ hour commute by public transportation each way.

Cindy is passionate about her work, her research and most importantly, the children and families affected by autism. Her goal is to create culturally specific media campaigns to raise awareness about autism.