China: One Womans Mission to Aid Parents of Autistic Children

Autism in China: A mother’s journey

John Vause (CNN)

When — after many visits to doctors and hospitals — Tian Huiping’s son was finally diagnosed with autism, the only advice she was given was to make use of a loophole in China’s “one-child” policy that allows parents with disabled children to have one more.

Tian Huiping considered suicide when she learned her son was autistic. Instead, she opened an autism school.

Alone with her son after her husband divorced her, Tian became depressed and desperate enough to consider killing herself and her son, Yang Tao.

“I made a poison for me and my son,” she said.

Fortunately, Huiping could not go through with her plans and went on to found the first support and educational program in China for autistic children and their parents. Given the obstacles she has faced, and the benefits she has provided to other parents and autistic children, I think she qualifies as a real hero.