You Zhen's story: Communication is natural, gradually integrating, and on the path of mainstream school learning, we see the dawn.

Yuzhen is 9 years old this year. He was diagnosed with moderate autism at the age of 4 and joined the YiheAutism Intervention Program in late October 2021. Over the past 10 months, we have transitioned from initially meeting every two weeks to gradually shifting to online sessions due to the pandemic. When we met again during the summer vacation, Yuzhen had grown a lot, become more robust, and gained more freedom and agility.

"Due to some stereotypical and peculiar behaviors, we used to receive strange looks when taking Yuzhen out, and we had to constantly explain his situation," his father reflected. Now, with Yuzhen's growth and the gradual disappearance of stereotypical behaviors, no one pays attention to him when he blends into crowds.

"It's much easier now," summed up the parents. During the first meeting, the parents' faces were filled with exhaustion and anxiety about the future. Now, what we see in the parents is inner peace and hope. Let's review Yuzhen's journey with YiheAutism over these 11 months.

Introduction to Yuzhen: Last year, Yuzhen attended the second grade at a public school in Shanghai. Due to uncontrollable behaviors in class, such as standing up, walking around, and talking to himself, parents began to accompany him during classes. He struggled academically and rarely wrote, but his parents insisted on having him attend a mainstream school to provide a typical environment. Fortunately, the teachers and classmates around him were tolerant, but he couldn't integrate.

During kindergarten, Yuzhen spoke in phrases of no more than five words. Before joining YiheAutism, he was still in the stage of imitating speech and could not understand our meanings. At home, he liked watching Doraemon but repeatedly watched the same episode. His stereotypical behaviors included fixed hand-shaking movements, meaningless language, and specific eating habits. He only ate egg-fried rice with ham, cumin, etc., and he had to smell and lick the food before putting it in his mouth. In class, he rarely paid attention and mostly drew elevators, emergency exits, and fire exits. Each drawing looked similar, but with slight differences.

In terms of emotions, he frequently threw tantrums. For example, if he repeatedly mentioned the character "Qi Qi" from an animated series, and if someone asked him not to talk about it, he would cry and tantrum until he was exhausted, making his parents feel both frustrated and helpless. Communication with him always had a gap.

Yuzhen has been receiving interventions at rehabilitation institutions for years. Initially, the teachers had confidence in him, but after a period, they realized they couldn't reach him, and the progress was slow. Finally, he learned to recognize colors and made some progress in motor skills, but other aspects were challenging to teach.

Interaction with Yuzhen: Initially, during each visit to YiheAutism, teachers would give him a full-body Shanna energy massage. Although he was a little nervous the first time, he quickly enjoyed the tactile sensation. Once, near the end of a session, he unexpectedly said loudly to the teacher, "I love you." This sentence surprised and moved not only the teacher but also his mother.

He began participating more in household chores, such as washing dishes and organizing the room, and his self-care abilities improved. Recently, he started choosing his own clothing style.

Motor Skills: Yuzhen's motor coordination has been improving. While he had coordination in ball games before, he struggled with jumping rope for many years. However, one day in June this year, he suddenly mastered it and can now consecutively jump 20 times. His parents were thrilled to witness this improvement. His balance, movement coordination, and motor skills have improved. In the past, during physical education classes, he would symbolically mimic movements in the last row. However, after returning to school, he now participates more actively in exercises.

From Imitation to Fluent Communication: His mother mentioned that they used to worry about his language skills, but now they are relieved. When he senses that he has upset his father and is about to be scolded, he immediately rushes into his mother's arms and says loudly to his father, "Dad, I love you. I'll be more careful in the future." His language has become sweeter and more expressive.

"We can negotiate now" is a phrase his mother frequently mentions in recent interviews. She feels that when the child expresses a need that cannot be met, he is willing to accept it, unlike in the past when he would cry incessantly. For example, if he wanted to eat a hamburger, instead of crying until he got it, he now says, "I can't eat a hamburger today; I can only have it once a week, and junk food shouldn't be eaten casually."

Now, Yuzhen speaks meaningful sentences, and his vocabulary has expanded significantly. His expressions are more complete than before. He uses descriptive language to express his feelings, saying things like "my mouth is on fire" when eating spicy snacks or "welcome" when guests arrive. He refuses to eat things he doesn't like, saying, "I won't eat that." His language has progressed from incomprehensible to coherent and rich.

His progress in expression was evident in multiple meetings. From not being able to sing at all to starting to sing, during one interview, Yuzhen surprised everyone by singing nearly 20 songs in a row. Recently, he learned a song we created for autistic children called "Awakening." Now, he can sing more songs, and he even learned to find and learn songs he likes online.

Previously, he couldn't ask questions. Now, he can independently dial phone numbers and make phone calls, engaging in active communication with his mother. The improvement in interactive abilities is a significant step in Yuzhen's integration and development.

Emotional Stability: In the past few months, Yuzhen has been able to express his emotions correctly. When he is not satisfied, feels wronged, or is angry, he tears up. When communicating with his parents, he can listen, understand, and control himself. He no longer throws tantrums or loses control of his emotions. The distant gaze and the sight of looking upward at a 45-degree angle have disappeared.

Compared to the heartbreaking scenes of crying in the past, he now remains emotionally stable and happy every day. His ability to recognize others' emotions has also improved. If there's something he can't do, a glance from his parents is enough for him to understand. He has also learned to observe and respond to our emotions, using a fake smile and sweet words to defuse tension. His emotional intelligence has noticeably increased.

Stereotypical Behaviors: Compared to only watching a single episode of Doraemon in the past, Yuzhen can now watch entire movies, overcoming the confusion of only watching segments. He can also narrate the plots of movies. His stereotypical actions have been significantly reduced, with fewer hand gestures and eye movements.

The habit of smelling and licking food before eating has disappeared with the improvement of his sensory system. Now, he eats almost everything, including vegetables, which he previously avoided.

Social Integration: Yuzhen is getting closer to his peers. He willingly plays with other children, imitating their actions and movements. He can now join in physical education classes on the playground, participating actively instead of observing from the sidelines. He

has even integrated into soccer games, passing the ball and showing signs of teamwork. During extracurricular activities, classmates willingly include him, and his parents have gradually started maintaining a distance, observing from afar.

We have observed a process of integration, from the periphery to following other children. Yuzhen's role has become clearer, and he eagerly desires friendship. Whenever friends' children come to visit, he wishes they could stay longer, finding the playtime not satisfying enough. Once, when he attended his cousin's wedding, he said it was Doraemon's Big Bear and Shizuka getting married. He finally understood the story from the animated series.

When going to supermarkets or shopping malls, he used to get lost frequently, causing his parents various worries. Now, his mother says, "If he gets lost, we just stay in place and wait. He knows the way and will come back. His ability to recognize routes is super strong."

Learning Abilities: During the period before the pandemic, his mother observed that Yuzhen's focus in class had improved significantly. When he wanted to speak, he would do so quietly and consciously, not disturbing others. Although he had missed a lot of knowledge in the past two years and couldn't keep up with the teachers, he now draws quietly when he doesn't understand during class.

Yuzhen's learning has always been his weak point. Previously, he disliked reading and didn't know books were meant to be read, tearing many of them apart. Now, he willingly reads books. He reads picture books and narrates while holding his mother's finger, but his literacy level needs improvement, so there is a need for additional catch-up lessons. Although there is still a considerable gap in learning, Yuzhen has started writing every day, learning addition and subtraction, memorizing multiplication tables, and solving logic problems with noticeable progress.

Building Confidence and Nurturing the Heart: Yuzhen, now that he's hungry and there's nothing to eat, can independently boil water and make instant noodles to solve his hunger problem. Recently, he downloaded Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), and as a typical foodie, he often downloads delicious recipes, discusses them with his mother, and is particularly happy.

Yuzhen is a happy child. The acceptance and supportive learning environment provided by his parents have given him a sense of love and security. When he is confident in things he can handle, his speech tone and language are different. The creation of a psychological environment in the family and school has provided Yuzhen with tolerance and support. Yuzhen's parents say, "We have come out of helplessness, and now he is getting closer to normal children. When he has the ability to absorb, we hope to help him integrate better into the community, establish social norms, improve self-care abilities, and learn skills."

Continued Attention: Yuzhen's parents are not as anxious and confused as they were at the beginning. They have confidence in their child and are hopeful for his future. The intervention plan with Yuzhen will continue for 2 years, providing guidance for at-home companionship, supporting parents, and improving family psychological and environmental aspects. The program aims to provide comprehensive support and companionship for the child and the family."