Opening Ceremony

Several local programs that are members of the Stars and Rain Heart Alliance sponsored the two-day conference. Stars and Rain always encourage programs to work together when they coordinate regional conferences. This promotes collaboration and avoids using the conference to promote one program over another. The directors of the program took turns moderating the conference and hosting us for meals. The conference was attended by more than 140 teachers and parents, and some even sat in the aisles to be closer to the front. Front seats were always at a premium. Some came from other provinces, and others drove as much as six hours round trip each day. There was nothing fancy about the conference room, but it was functional and much less expensive than a hotel conference room. There were more questions than could possibly be answered, and we received positive feedback from the teachers and the parents. Several parents who felt that their child was “hopeless” had chosen not to attend the conference, but were encouraged to come the second day by their friends.

Pictures with the American experts were once again a frequent request. Even the shy found the courage to ask. Two young ladies who were dressed alike and looked like twins asked for a picture. I asked to know more about them and discovered that they were sisters, though not twins, and both worked as teachers for the same program.    

A Mother in Need

A number of parents with children with autism were asked to share their experience. Though all of them touched our hearts, we developed a particular sympathy for one mother and her daughter. She had not originally planned to attend the conference, most likely because she could not afford the registration fee. We encouraged her to come and talked with the organizers to waive the fee, or if they could not do that, we offered to provide the needed support. We were happy to see her in the front row at the opening of the conference, and we later learned that she had received a grant. She was most attentive throughout the presentations, and we could see her demeanor change from one of resignation and depression to one of hope. We had an opportunity to very briefly observe her daughter, and one can not help but wonder how their lives would change if we had even three to six months to work with her. It is strange how we can feel such a strong connection to a family with no common language or shared experience until the moment we met by chance.

Hope and our volunteer translator offered to translate the Heartspring presentations into Chinese. They will then be posted on the Stars and Rain and on the Heartspring website as well so that teachers and parents will have continued access to the information in Chinese.