On International Children's Day, which falls on June 1, kids were especially welcomed in Beijing's 798 Art Zone, where International Children Art Week was held from June 1-4.
The four-day event featured an exhibition of paintings by autistic Chinese children at the Enjoy Museum of Art.
It is a common misconception that autistic people have an unwillingness to communicate. In fact, autistic people interact with great enthusiasm, but in their own ways which most people do not understand, according to Li Hua, a member of the Beijing Association for Rehabilitation of Autistic Children, a social organization aiming to provide care and support for autistic people and their families.
Many autism sufferers exhibit social isolation caused by communication problems and difficulties controlling emotions and attention. Their artistic self-expression is a good opportunity for the public to learn more about autism.
During the opening ceremony, fourteen autistic children from the Beijing Haidian District Jintian Center performed a song as a gift for the holiday. Jintian is a non-profit therapy center for young people with autism, cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities.
At the end of the ceremony, guests and autistic children extemporaneously produced a 12-meter-long painting, letting their thoughts flow smoothly onto the canvas.
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