Playing the 'hello' card

There's so much in life that we take for granted!  This post is about a little boy who has made me very grateful that I am able to do the simplest thing - say 'Hello'.

When Jiang Xiang, now eleven, came to live at Xining Children's Home four years ago he had congenital heart disease and cognitive disability. We had a big challenge before us, so I'm also very grateful that our special education consultant at Xining Rehabilitation Centre was there to tackle this challenge.

Jiang Xiang was once an outgoing little boy, but because of his cognitive disabilities he was only able to make strange sounds. Other children laughed at him, so he was ashamed and became socially withdrawn.

In the Children’s Home we taught him how to brush his teeth, wash his hands and face, and use the toilet with minimal supervision.

Then he began attending school at Xining Rehabilitation Center and learned how to match and sort objects, put puzzles together and recognize most colours.  Sadly, he didn’t learn to speak. We had to find a way to help him break out of his lonely, silent world.

A year ago, knowing how much Jiang Xiang wanted to interact with others, his teachers started teaching him to communicate using picture symbols. He struggled in the beginning, but never gave up.

The good news is that Jiang Xiang can now communicate in his own way.  Selecting from over 20 symbols he can talk about the weather, daily activities and what he likes to eat and drink.  But his favourite activity is greeting people when they enter his classroom. This little guy, who has the stature of a five-year-old, runs to his communication book, grabs the ‘hello’ card, then runs to the visitor and hands it over as a greeting. When the guest reads it and greets him back, his face lights up with a huge smile – this is a priceless gift to those who have successfully brought back the socially outgoing little boy!

Our special education consultant will soon be leaving us for a year, and we wish her every blessing.   Please pray with us for a new teacher with the right qualifications and experience to take over her role in Qinghai!   Thank you so much!