Volunteers light the way for children with autism

SHENYANG — Zhao Yue will never forget the summer day in 2014 when her 5-year-old son, who has autism, said the word "grandpa" in a clear voice. It was the first time Lun Lun (pseudonym) had ever called out to a relative.

When the boy was sent to the Little Turtle children's services center in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province, he had been entirely isolated in his own world, wouldn't talk to other people, and even refused to make eye contact with his parents.

"He couldn't even say 'mom', and I wondered if he recognized me at all," Zhao remembers with sadness. Teachers at the center spent three years training Lun Lun to dress himself, use the toilet, and eat with a spoon, repeating their lessons thousands of times before sending him to a special education school.