What will happen to China’s autistic adults when their parents pass away?
According to estimates from China’s autism education sector, there are around 10 million autistic people in the country, 80 percent of whom are over the age of 14. Worldwide, the disease is poorly understood and has been widely diagnosed only in the last two decades. China has around 2,000 education facilities for children with autism, and has started providing government subsidies for families with autistic children, but these benefits are typically only available to autistic children under the age of 7.
Early detection and education is considered key to helping autistic people live independently as adults, but many families who had no access to government benefits and educational resources in past decades have had to figure out their own ways to raise their autistic children and teach them life skills. And after a lifetime of providing care, parents are still haunted by the question—what will happen to their adult children when they are no longer around?
Founded in 2017 by Kou Aizhe, Story FM is one of the most renowned podcast in China. Each episode focuses on ordinary people’s lives and viewpoints, including the difficulties of marginalized people. Through intimate and private interviews, Story FM digs out first-person experiences and lets listeners immerse themselves in another person’s voice and feelings. You can listen to their podcast in Chinese on Ximalaya, Qingting FM, Apple Podcasts, and the 故事FM mini-app on WeChat.
