Dear Dr Nam,

My parents told me that when I was a baby, I lived in silence most of the time: no loud crying, nor any babbling or cooing. When I was about three years old, I was assessed by a doctor as suffering from "autism". From then on, I was weighed down with the burden of "autism", which felt like "being cursed by the devil." At that time, I was like a robot with a human body but no "soul". I would not do anything unless pushed by my parents. Such being the case, my family had to rack their brains to think about how to teach me. My father would sometimes take me outdoors to play in the hope that I might become more lively and active, while my mother hired tutors in different subjects to improve my learning ability. In fact, in order to overcome the "curse of autism”, my parents gave me numerous kinds of "training" and I had to endure various “training” hardships in the course of growing up.

Thanks to the favor and grace of God and through the careful teaching of my parents, I gradually came out of my gloomy world and passive life to live in this colorful world with growing self-awareness. As I grew up my learning ability and talents gradually became more developed. Even so, I often felt lonely and desolate because I did not know how to deal with people, and I did not care about building interpersonal relationships or establishing social circles. Because of this, I had very few real "school friends" while in primary and secondary school.

One day, my mother took me to the Positive Life Association Ltd. (PLA) to receive an Integrated Evaluation by the Educational Psychologist Dr. Jane Nam. Dr. Nam evaluated my intelligence level, talents, interests, social situation and so on. During the evaluation process, Dr. Nam’s kind and amiable attitude allowed me to speak frankly about myself. My evaluation results were: intelligence and memory were at a high level, language skills were also at a high level, and I was assessed to be a serious worker and an honest and kind-hearted person. However, I was not good at getting along with others.

After that, I received training from Dr. Nam in learning and social aspects. She guided me to focus on developing my talents and interests and encouraged me to aim high. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Nam's training and counseling were conducted via phone and WhatsApp. In addition, Dr. Nam gave me encouragement and improvement suggestions when I encountered difficulties in getting along with my family and friends.

I can say with certainty now: I have overcome the "curse of autism"!

In terms of language proficiency, I have obtained second grade in the Putonghua Proficiency Test sponsored by the State Language Commission; my English and Japanese skills are also very good. During secondary school, Chinese Language and Chinese History were my specialty subjects. I am now a third-year university student majoring in Chinese Literature. In terms of music, I have obtained a Level 5 pass certificate in music theory, and I know how to play the trumpet as well as electronic drums. In addition, I am always keen to explore and learn more knowledge and skills to enrich my life. To cultivate my moral character and develop my temperament, I have taken various courses such as calligraphy, Go chess and tea art; to strengthen my body, I have participated in the Hong Kong Marathon for two years and joined various martial arts training classes (including Chinese Kung Fu, Karate, Taekwondo, Kendo... etc.) By taking part in these activities, I am training up my mind and body for a full and active life.

On the social side, Dr. Nam has made me realize that "there is love and kindness in the world". Having let go of my previous fixations or attachments, I am now able to see the big picture beyond what meets the eye. A more sincere and honest person than before, I have learnt how to get along with others and to appreciate the strong points of the people and things around me. There is so much worth learning from my friends, whether they are my schoolmates or other peers. I believe that my social circle will keep expanding and I will be able to build sincere friendships with more people in future.

Regards from Daniel