Hidden challenges

A film shows that society can do more to help children with autism and offer greater support to their parents, Fang Aiqing reports.

A film featuring the triumphs and tribulations of a single mother bringing up her son with autism was screened at the China Disabled Persons' Federation in Beijing on April 1, the day before World Autism Awareness Day.

Dream Forest presents not only the differences in behavior of Kangjian, 10, and the consequent misunderstandings of him by others, but also the financial, psychological and social pressure his mother Xiaobei faces.

Autism spectrum disorder covers a variety of conditions. Some are affected more than others. For example, some people with autism do not use spoken language, while others have excellent spoken language skills but may find it difficult to understand what other people mean.

People with autism usually lack social abilities and find it hard to communicate or interact with others. They also have difficulty empathizing with others and can behave rigidly like speaking to themselves in improper situations, repeatedly doing one movement or not looking at other people. The brain of a person with autism works in a different way.