Helping with the Garbage

Most teenagers (including my son Danial) hate taking out the garbage.  But I know an exception to this rule. In fact, fourteen-year-old Zi-Wei is not only exceptional, he is inspirational to me.  Yet there was nothing in his past to encourage him to be a help to anyone.  Zi-Wei is now a special ed. student at Xining Rehabilitation Centre and I’m happy to share his story with you.

When Zi-Wei’s father died before he was born and his mother left him, his grand-parents took over the care of this very young boy.  He wasn’t an easy child to care for and his grandparents brought seven-year-old Zi-Wei to Xining Rehab Centre in in 2007 to be part of a Special Education programme.  His teachers didn’t know how to deal with Zi-Wei’s frequent violent outbursts, so they eventually asked his grandparents to remove him from the school.  His destructive behaviour increased, and his grandma’s distress brought her back to the Rehab Centre a year later, desperately looking to us to help her grandson.

I’m glad that she was persistent because in the meantime, Cindy Pearson, the Special Ed. consultant stationed at Xining Rehabilition Centre, had been training the teachers to help children like Zi-Wei who had been diagnosed with a severely cognitively delayed brain function.  This time the teachers felt better prepared for his problems.  

At first he could only work with a teacher one-on-one. He was taught to follow easy directions like ‘take off your shoes’. Then they taught him not to throw the shoes once he took them off!  He soon began to follow one-step directions.  Within a few months he was able to participate in group lessons for just five minutes at a time, and progress to full days in a group.  His frowns and temper tantrums are slowly being replaced by smiles, especially when he gets to play with his friends. And of course when he helps with the garbage!  

Grandma brings Zi-Wei to the Centre every day and she is very happy with his progress because we have taught him to wash his hands and brush his teeth without supervision, to feed himself, use the bathroom and wash his face. He can now use different pictures to communicate his needs: ‘I’m hungry’, ‘use the bathroom’, ‘wash hands’. For someone with Zi-Wei’s disabilities, these are major accomplishments!  Zi-Wei’s teachers are also champions for their patience and persistence with a boy who had previously defeated them. 

This year Xining Rehabilitation Centre will reluctantly increase the fees for all students from the community, including Zi-Wei.  Like others, his grandma is concerned about this, so we need to raise funds to provide subsidies for families like Zi-Wei’s.  This is essential if we are to continue to teach the community that disabled children need not be abandoned, but can be taught how to help themselves and be specially educated to their full potential.  Please use the Donate button if you can contribute to this worthwhile programme.