March 13, 2024

The day began on a bright, warm, and generally beautiful note. Upon our arrival at the Huiling Autism Center, we took a brief 10-minute break. Subsequently, we divided ourselves into different groups. Nicholas and Owen were assigned to the dancing group, while Max, George, and Aurelius were part of the sports group. Avril and Clare joined the drawing group. Today, we were accompanied by Ms. Pascual, who participated in the painting group. In the dancing group, Nicholas and Owen instructed the members on how to dance to the rhythm of 科目三. Their performance left a lasting impression on the center's representative, who expressed a desire for us to perform this song in the future. The drawing group had a fantastic time, engaging in lively conversations, playful interactions, and creative drawing sessions with the members. The sports group, taking advantage of the lovely weather, ventured outside the center to the nearby park. In summary, it was an enriching experience, one that we are eager to repeat in the future.

March 6, 2024

This week was our first visit after the CNY break. After we arrived at the center, the organiser informed us that since International Women’s Day was in 2 days, we’ll be folding small flower bouquets for another local autism center for women. When we arrived with the necessary materials, we listened attentively as the organiser gave us a more in depth explanation of the mission, goals and purpose of the Huiling Autism Center. The organiser began by expressing gratitude for our presence and support, emphasizing the importance of creating inclusive spaces and opportunities for individuals with autism who often face additional challenges and barriers in society. The mission of the Huiling Autism Center was to provide a nurturing and empowering environment for people with autism, enabling them to develop their skills, gain independence, and lead fulfilling lives. He explained that folding these bouquets symbolized the beauty and strength within each woman, just like a delicate flower blooming against all odds. It was a way to show solidarity, reminding them that they were cherished and valued. 

Soon after his inspiring speech we set to work, carefully folding each paper flower with love and care. The room was filled with a sense of unity, and it was heartwarming to witness the collective efforts of everyone, knowing that our small actions would bring joy and inspiration to the women at this centre. Leaving the center that day, we felt a renewed sense of purpose and gratitude. 

February 28, 2024

The day began with a visit to the administrative hub of the autism center amidst a chilly drizzle. The coordinator enlightened us about the center's objectives and shared inspiring stories. We then proceeded to the center and split into three groups: sports, dancing, and drawing. Due to its smaller size, the sports group later joined us for the dance session. We taught the center's members the rhythmic steps of "科目三," observing significant progress. The drawing group collaborated on creating beautiful art pieces. As the day concluded, we returned to our starting point, carrying with us the warmth of shared experiences and eager for our next visit.

January 17, 2024

As Chinese New Year was approaching, we decided to celebrate it early with them by playing some traditional Chinese games together and having a small performance. The first game we played was a modified version of the traditional dart-throwing game, where we took turns throwing mini sticks into tall red buckets placed at about 2 meters away. The atmosphere was very lively as we cheered each other on with enthusiasm, giving those who successfully landed darts in the buckets high-fives and words of encouragement. The second game was equally as fun, where we had a box with 10 balls inside strapped to our waist and jumped around to get them out through a small at the center of each of the boxes. The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement as the community came together to experience Chinese New Year traditions in a supportive environment, allowing us to connect with our friends as the center through a competition in a spirit of fun. After an exciting game session, we moved on to the performances. Haoran began with a captivating piano performance, which was followed by several engaging dances and songs. Overall, this visit was very meaningful, allowing us to relax while forming meaningful bonds with our friends at the center.

January 10, 2024

The day started off on a positive note as we arrived slightly early and took a moment to rest before diving into a fantastic day with the individuals at Huiling Autism Center. Both Nicholas and Allen bravely joined the dance group, and despite initial nerves, quickly formed strong connections with the other members, resulting in a truly memorable experience. 

Meanwhile, the arts group had an absolute blast. Owen partnered with one of the individuals and together they created an incredible abstract painting, while others enjoyed expressing themselves through colorful pencils.

The sports group opted not to engage in physical activities in the start as the members of the autism center were tired, but instead came together to have meaningful conversations and collaborate on making bags, which proved to be beneficial for the entire center. According to George, a total of 58 bags were made by the sports group, showcasing their dedication and teamwork. In the end, the sport team played some sports to finish the day off on a good note.

Overall, it was an incredibly enjoyable and eventful day. I am already eagerly looking forward to returning for another fulfilling experience at Huiling Autism Center.

December 6, 2023

Today we arrived at Huiling Autism Center under a cloudless sky, our objective today being to have a relaxing stroll with them along a path beside a river and some greenery. After they finished their lunch, we left for the route. Although it was quite awkward at first to start a discussion, we quickly managed to overcome this barrier and engaged in meaningful conversation with them, allowing us to get to know them better and familiarize ourselves to prepare for the activities in the afternoon. When we returned, it was coincidentally the time for their midday nap, allowing us to briefly recharge with a lunch break. When we returned, we split into three groups: Dance, drawing and sports. In the drawing/ painting group, I was particularly amazed by a detailed drawing of a cat, which I think can be partly attributed to Helen's exceptional teaching. Both the dance and sports group also showed remarkable enthusiasm and maintained high energy levels during their activities. Overall, this session was great, and we’re looking forward to returning in January. 

November 29, 2023

We began our day under clear blue skies, the warmth was unusual for the season. Upon arriving at the Huiling Autism Center, the coordinator warmly welcomed us,. He informed us that after they finished eating, they would happily join us for a relaxing stroll around the grounds. During our walk, we enjoyed engaging in meaningful discussions with them, getting to know them more deeply and forming authentic connections. The time was expertly managed to ensure we returned to the Center as their scheduled naptime began, allowing us a brief respite which we appreciated. After our short break, our group rejoined the reenergized group, eager to participate in our chosen activities: dancing, sports, and art. The dancing group demonstrated remarkable skill, moving enthusiastically through song after song. Meanwhile, the art group left me in awe of their creative works. One art piece in particular stood out to me as excelling in anything I could create. I believe this can be attributed to Warren's exceptional teaching. According to the sports group, their experience was amazing. Undoubtedly the largest group, they headed to the back of the centre to enjoy badminton and table tennis. Max, one of the participants, described the atmosphere as brimming with laughter and smiles, with people running around enjoying the swings while waiting for their turn to play. Overall, this week's experience provided an amazing bonding opportunity with the individuals at the centre. 

November 22, 2023

This morning we embarked upon our journey to the Huiling Autism Center with an attentive and inquisitive mindset. When we arrived, we placed our belongings in an available space where a staff was diligently crafting homemade soap. As a majority of the people were calmly slumbering, we had the opportunity to greet the handful who were alert at that hour. Today’s objective was to introduce ourselves, have a fun mini performance and play some sports at the end.

After they’ve awakened, we moved into a larger space and stood together in a circle, where we, one by one, introduced our names and our hobbies. There was one person who said he really liked cars. While most of this mini introduction session went smoothly, we noticed that a lot of them were quite hesitant and shy to speak, and we wonder if we can cultivate the confidence and also a safe environment for them to express themselves in future sessions. The most memorable part of our visit was undoubtedly the performances, where we danced “Super Shy”, sang “Last Christmas”, “小幸运”, and had Tony play “萱草花” on the guitar. Even though most of the performances were great, we did notice some dialogues of discouragement being exchanged between them, and speculated if this was the cause of some of their lack of confidence. 

After the performance, we split into two groups, one group playing badminton while the other group played table tennis. During our games, a girl gave us each a printed template of mountains and flowers that was colored by some vibrant colors. Another person kept asking us about what types of cars we liked, which we tried to fulfill by cycling through a list of about 10 cars. We decided that we might bring some printed Lamborghini & ferrari coloring sheets for him in future sessions. We learnt a lot about them today and are eager to visit again in 2 weeks!

November 15, 2023

Today, we arrived at the autism center with an optimistic and ready-to-observe attitude. Prior to our visit, we had communicated with the leaders of Ya'En in my own time, and we were given permission to eventually teach groups of children ourselves in specialised groups. 

Avril, Nicholas, Owen, Claire and I were assigned to a group that focused on social interaction through arts. Throughout this session, we paid close attention to our partners’ emotional control, task initiation, social interaction, and cognitive abilities. We printed out colouring sheets that specifically catered to our partners’ enjoyments. For example we printed out colouring sheets of Ferari racecars for one particular person who had an interest in racing cars. 

On the other side, George, Aurelius, and Max were busy with the music and sports groups. They were paired with partners who particularly enjoyed active games and spent the day accompanying them. They played badminton together and Aurelius had the opportunity to show off his piano skills, something which they particularly enjoyed. 

It was, once again, a successful links session. We all hope to return back in the next following weeks. 

September 27, 2023

Today was the first day that Links B went to the Huiling Autism Center. When we first walked in, the staff and residents all greeted us happily and with lots of excitement. They had a lot to prepare for the upcoming mid autumn festival so we were there to help them finish their tasks, and get to know them a bit in the process. It was a very memorable experience talking to all of them, and this visit gave us a chance to learn about their experiences and connect with the people. We were split up into 2 groups, 1 group helped to put cards with washing information into card sleeves, and the other group helped them to punch holes in bags that they needed for mid autumn. We noticed that the center likes to give them lots of easy tasks to help stimulate their brains and give them something to focus on. Something that surprised me is that they made recycled soap bars out of left over soap bars that hotels give them. They shave off all of the outer layer, sterilize it, then press it back into a bar form. These daily tasks help to keep them occupied and helps with their ASD. Since there was a lot of work to be finished today, we didn’t get to perform or do as much bonding as wse would have liked, but while doing the tasks, we spoke with the residents to get an understanding of what types of activities they liked, what their english levels were and other interesting facts about them. They all had such positive and contagious energy that made the entire trip very memorable.