A Comparative Study of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in China and the United States: Diagnosis, Treatment and Educational Services

Kevin Wang Ye
2022 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research   unpublished
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a group of pervasive neurodevelopmental disorders that originate in early childhood. There are more than 10 million autistic people in China and the number of autistic children is estimated to be growing by nearly 200,000 a year. Such a large number puts great pressure on the country's efforts to provide rehabilitation support and educational services for children with ASD. This paper compares the status of ASD between China and the United States in terms of
more » ... gnosis, treatment and educational services. The estimated prevalence of ASD is much lower in China than in the United States. However, there are concerns that the prevalence of ASD is underestimated in China due to the lack of a systematic framework for diagnosing autism. Similar to in the United States, treatment methods, such as behavioral intervention, sensory intervention, therapies and comprehensive interventions are also used to treat ASD in China. In addition, traditional Chinese medicine therapies such as oral Chinese medicine, acupuncture, massage have also been applied to the treatment of autism to relieve the clinical symptoms of children with ASD. Compared to the United States, there are fewer educational services provided to children with ASD and there are insufficient training capacities and a lack of teachers to provide special education to autistic children in China. The government should increase support for special education services for children with autism, so that children with autism can receive a good education, develop independent survival ability, and reduce the pressure and burden on families of children with autism.
doi:10.2991/assehr.k.220704.081 fatcat:drzmb5prircljf5j23snjsrtw4