The event aimed to provide an opportunity for the children to meet each other and develop their social skills. It also sought to raise public awareness of autism, thus encouraging empathy and love for children with autism.
At the programme, the organising board presented gifts to children with disabilities and autism at the school.
The programme was part of a project co-hosted by the Vietnam Children’s Fund and the Phu Nhuan Jewelry SJC (PNJ) between 2018 and 2023 to enhance public awareness of children with autism, and support children with autism’s integration into society.
Under the project, a standardised set of documents on children with autism was released, introducing the public to rehabilitation measures for the children, how to play with children with autism, and the right support for students with an autism spectrum disorder.
Many training courses and communications activities have also been organised to equip teachers and parents nationwide with better knowledge of autism.
The United Nations General Assembly declared April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day in 2008. The theme of World Autism Awareness Day 2022 is ‘Inclusive Quality Education for All’.
In Vietnam, there has not yet been an official survey to count the number of people with autism, but preliminary statistics of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs estimated that some 200,000 people in the country are living with autism. The figure has been increasing among children since 2000.
