Dazhong Daily reporter Shen Hong Duan Tingting
The person who accompanies the "stars"
Figure (1) Liu Lu conducts individual training for children with intellectual disabilities.
Figure (2) Liu Lu participated in the performance evaluation of the 2020 disability development subsidy fund in Shandong Province as a rehabilitation expert.
Figure (3) Liu Lu gave a course on autism and intellectual disability at the training course for rehabilitation and assistance managers of disabled children in Shandong Province.
Weekend People, China News Column
Loud and loud voices, walking strides, clean and neat work... This post-90s generation, who looks a bit of a "female man", is Liu Lu, director of the Education and Rehabilitation Department of the Shandong Provincial Rehabilitation Research Center.
When I first saw Liu Lu, I felt that she spoke, expression, and movements with some force, which was related to her profession. "We must learn to get along with them in the way of children, and our expressions and movements should be exaggerated as much as possible." As a special education teacher, Liu Lu often tells parents that she is also practicing it. From the moment she decided to enter special education, she was determined to bring hope to every child with special needs. In the more than three years since the establishment of the Education and Rehabilitation Department of the Shandong Rehabilitation Research Center, she has provided rehabilitation training for 115 children with special needs, of which 51 have been transferred to ordinary kindergartens or ordinary primary schools. "Respect for life, equality and justice, innovation and improvement, take on me" is the motto of the Special Education Department of Chongqing Normal University, Liu Lu's alma mater, and it is also a promise she has been practicing.
"Ignore the child no matter how she spits"
On the morning of April 23, the bell rang at the end of class, and children were resting in the corridor of the Education and Rehabilitation Department of the Shandong Rehabilitation Research Center. Liu Lu passed by, and a child reached out his hand and hit her hard. Liu Lu's face suddenly pulled down, showing a very angry look. "It's not really angry, just to tell him that this behavior is not good, and then guide him with the right behavior." Liu Lu said.
Here, there is such a group of autistic children. They have bright eyes, but they don't see you; they have normal hearing, but they turn a deaf ear to you; they often open their teeth and claws, and sometimes even behave in a way that is difficult for ordinary people to understand... They are "children from the stars", like stars, twinkling in their own world.
"They hit you, it's not that they hate you, it's just the way they say hello." Liu Lu said with a smile that autistic children have their own behavior patterns and behavior systems, as special education teachers in the face of these "abnormal" behaviors, not only to maintain a normal mind, but also to analyze their behavioral motivations, and then use reasonable ways to guide and educate them.
Earlier, the rehabilitation center came to a little girl with autism who loved to spit on people. "It's hard for autistic kids to communicate in normal language, she spits on you, you tell her it's not right, she'll spit on you again." Liu Lu said that through behavioral analysis, it was found that Xiaowen spat only to attract the attention of others, which is actually her unique way of greeting others.
How to guide and educate her? "After analyzing the motivations for her actions, we decided to completely ignore Xiaowen's spitting behavior." Liu Lu said that all the teachers in the department reached an agreement and communicated well with the parents, no matter how Xiaowen spat, ignore her.
After this, Liu Lu sat next to Xiao Wen to give her a lesson, Xiao Wen spat, Liu Lu did not react at all, Xiao Wen kept spitting on her face. "Half of my face was covered with her saliva, but I couldn't wipe it, just like nothing had happened." Liu Lu said, "You can only take advantage of the fact that the child is not paying attention, quickly and secretly wipe it." ”
Turning a blind eye to others, the child will go through a phase of "fading and exploding". In order to get the attention of others, she will use more extreme methods. As far as Xiaowen was concerned, in addition to spitting, she also began to scold people and even hit the table with her head. Teachers insist on ignoring their behavior, while encouraging and praising the child's correct way of expression, and slowly correcting and guiding the child's behavior. "It took Xiaowen about a year to get rid of his bad habit of spitting." Liu Lu said.
Growing up in the countryside, Xiaowen with autism was often discriminated against by others, coupled with Xiaowen's bad habit of spitting at people, it made everyone full of "unfriendly" to the Xiaowen family. This has made Xiaowen's mother suffer. "In 2017, I thought the best way to do that was to die." Xiao Wen's mother sighed. Xiaowen came to the Shandong Rehabilitation Research Center in August 2017, "Only the teachers here, the children spit at them, and they are willing to hug her again." Xiaowen's mother said that seeing that her children have changed, she has also changed, her life has become better little by little, and her life has hope.
"I know to choose this major, so I will not send you"
The confusion of outsiders is not only for children with special needs, but also for Liu Lu, who chooses special education.
"If I had known you were choosing this major, I wouldn't have sent you." This is what Liu Lu said when she went to Chongqing for graduate school interviews, and her uncle sent her to the airport. In fact, from the moment she chose this major, she was full of incomprehension around her.
Liu Lu was born in Qingdao and studied philosophy at Qingdao University as an undergraduate. "At that time, the graduate students who wanted to take the teacher training class did not think much about the major, and if they had not happened to see the special education major that night, they might have taken the philosophy major." Liu Lu introduced that one night when she used her mobile phone to check her major, she suddenly saw a special education major. "Before I didn't know about the special education major, I searched for a lot of information on the Internet at that time, and after reading it, I was particularly moved, and immediately decided to apply for the exam."
When choosing a school, Liu Lu noticed Chongqing Normal University. "Chongqing Normal University's special education major ranks very high, I found out from the Internet that the school's Professor Zhang Wenjing created an experimental school for special children, has a good practice platform, and decided to apply." Liu Lu clearly remembers going to the Academic Affairs Office to report his application for school and major. She said: "People are applying for Beijing Normal University, East China Normal University, etc., and the Chongqing Normal University I applied for is neither '985' nor '211', and the teachers are very confused, and they can't understand the choice of special education major." ”
However, this made Liu Lu feel excited and nervous, at that time, it was less than half a year before the examination, and the difficulty increased because it was an inter-professional examination. "The half year of reviewing for graduate school was the most diligent half year for me to study from childhood to adulthood." Liu Lu said that the idea of being a special education teacher made her full of motivation. In the process of reviewing the examination and research, Liu Lu was exposed to the teaching materials of the special education major for the first time. "I often look at it and I am moved to tears." This makes Liu Lu more and more yearn for this profession.
At the end of the written test, Liu Lu successfully received the interview notice. At this time, Liu Lu's family was still unaware of all this. "The interview was in Chongqing, it was the first time I had been to such a far place, and I had to ask my parents for travel expenses to buy a plane ticket." Liu Lu then "showed off" with her parents.
"Dad knows you, and this profession is perfect for you." Unexpectedly, dad was the most supportive of Liu Lu in the family, and immediately decided to accompany her to Chongqing for an interview. "But the other relatives in the family are not very supportive." Liu Lu said that her uncle is one of them, including her cousin, who is not very supportive.
"In their conception, special education teachers seem to be inferior to other educational positions." Liu Lu said that in fact, many people in society have such ideas. She believes that people may not understand why they should teach such a group of children who are blind, deaf, silent, and dancing with their teeth and claws, and why they should face parents who are full of negative energy such as anxiety, depression, anger, and anger. "Do many people think it's not good to be an ordinary teacher? Teach normal children to worry more, you can peach and plum all over the world. After working for many years, Liu Lu seems to have become accustomed to such prejudices.
In fact, the first time she saw an autistic child, Liu Lu was also shocked. "The school has a practice platform, and in the first six months, we mainly observed and learned." Liu Lu said, "That was the first time I went to the practice classroom, and there were some autistic children, older, very tall, running towards me, and they were really a little scared." But in the slow contact, she gradually began to understand the children and enter their world.
"They are children first and need to be educated, and secondly they look at some of the obstacles they have." Liu Lu believes that autistic children just have their own set of completely different expression systems, which need to be more accepted and understood by society. And that's what she's been working towards.
The original intention is "I want to be with the children"
It is with such an initial intention that Liu Lu chose to devote herself to the frontline when she graduated, accompanying the children with special needs to grow up.
In 2017, the Shandong Rehabilitation Research Center is planning to set up an autism department. "It's a coincidence." Liu Lu introduced that when she was in the third year of graduate school, Xue Yan, a staff member of the rehabilitation center, went to Chongqing with the task of "Bole Soma" to participate in the training conducted by Professor Zhang Wenjing. "I was performing a special needs child in class." Liu Lu said that under the recommendation of Zhang Wenjing, Xue Yan found her.
When she graduated in 2017, Liu Lu had many choices in front of her, in addition to the Shandong Rehabilitation Research Center, shandong provincial special education vocational college also threw out an olive branch. She also won the first place in the rizhao special education school recruitment examination. Faced with multiple choices, Liu Lu sank down and thought about her original intention of choosing a special education major. "When I chose the special education major across majors, I wanted to teach children with special needs and to be with the children." Liu Lu finally chose the Shandong Rehabilitation Research Center. The special education here is from scratch, and the work is very difficult, but it also provides Unlimited space for Liu Lu.
On June 29, 2017, Liu Lu came to Jinan from Chongqing. "The first time I came here, I really didn't feel a sense of belonging." Liu Lu introduced that the rehabilitation centers are all operating rooms, which is far from the imaginary "education" environment. However, for the sake of the original intention, Liu Lu quickly threw herself into a series of department formation work such as purchasing equipment, recruiting personnel, and formulating teaching plans. After a busy month, on August 10, 2017, the department welcomed the first batch of special needs children, a total of 10 people.
However, in the face of these children and families, Liu Lu once fell into weakness. "Children with empty eyes can't move no matter how they call; parents who grasp the straw like life-saving straw can't shake it off." She was overwhelmed by the enormous responsibility and pressure. She leads a team of teachers to conduct personalized assessments of each child, formulate differentiated rehabilitation training plans, use recess to make teaching aids, discuss cases during lunch breaks, communicate with parents in the evening, and go out on weekends to participate in training... In addition to attending 7 classes a day like other teachers, Liu Lu also needs to deal with a myriad of transactional tasks in her spare time. Whenever she flinched and thought of her children, she regrouped.
"The pain of parents is difficult for others to empathize with"
A child, once labeled as an autism, means that family stress and mental trauma, the heaven-to-hell gap, is unbearable for every parent. In fact, for the families of these children with special needs, it is not only the children who need rehabilitation, but also the parents.
One day in April 2018, at noon, Liu Lu came out of the elevator and saw the student Xiaoshan's mother supervising the child's nap. Just after walking by, I heard Xiaoshan's mother shouting, "Go to sleep!" ”。 Xiaoshan's mother is usually particularly gentle and nurturing, but she treats Xiaoshan very harshly, and even grabs the child's ear to go to the toilet to reprimand. Liu Lu quickly retreated and enlightened Xiaoshan's mother. But a sentence from Xiaoshan's mother suddenly "poked" Liu Lu. Koyama's mother said, "There is no empathy."
"It is true that the pain faced by parents is difficult for others to empathize with." Liu Lu said that the negative emotions of parents will also have a negative impact on their children. "When Koyama is in class, he often bursts into tears." She said that the memories of autistic children are fragmented, and they will often suddenly remember happy things regardless of the occasion, and they will immediately shed tears because they suddenly remember sad things. Liu Lu realized that it may be that the mother's harshness has put too much pressure on the child.
After returning to the office, Liu Lu immediately called her peers for help. "This friend is a psychology student, also works in a rehabilitation center, and is very good at doing parental work." Liu Lu invited him to jinan to give a lecture, and specially invited Xiaoshan's parents over.
At first, Koyama's parents did not listen to the teacher's guidance at all, and even argued with the teacher in class. After the teacher's guidance, the parents' thinking began to change. Since then, Koyama's mother has stopped coming to school with her children and has replaced her father. "Dad is more relaxed, will play with his mobile phone in the hallway, and will not stare at his child all the time. The child's emotions gradually let go. Liu Lu said, "Xiaoshan has spoken more and more, the rehabilitation effect is getting better and better, and he has even learned to talk back to the teacher." This year, Koyama is already planning to go to elementary school. ”
Some time ago, Liu Lu rarely saw Xiaoshan's mother to pick up the child. "Xiaoshan's mother complained about what to do if the child went back at night and did not write homework." Liu Lu said that her voice increased by several decibels, and it was difficult to hide her excitement, "Normal communication for autistic children is not easy, but now Xiaoshan's mother is worried about the problem of his homework!" ”
Although she is not very old, Liu Lu's open-minded and cheerful personality makes her get along very well with her parents. Whether it is the children's parents or grandparents and grandparents, Liu Lu can always talk to them speculatively. It also stems from the fact that she knows a lot about the situation with her children. After the child enters school, everyone has their own file. Now the files of 68 children have been printed in Liu Lu's mind, including the child's situation, family situation and so on.
At 9 p.m. one night, Liu Lu, who was walking her dog in the community, received a call from a parent. The parent couldn't bear the pressure at home and drove to the rehabilitation center. Liu Lu listened to her on the phone and constantly enlightened, which also became part of her work.
"These parents have been depressed for a long time, spending all their energy on their children, and have not paid attention to themselves for too long." Liu Lu said. In order to allow parents to be better cured, the rehabilitation center regularly holds parent training every month to not only provide parents with the knowledge and skills of children's rehabilitation, but also provide psychological counseling for parents and provide them with "respite services".
"Today, you are not anyone's mother, you are yourself." On March 8th this year, the rehabilitation center provided parents with half a day of respite. Professionals were invited to teach parents to make up, make handmade bags, and bake. "I haven't been so relaxed in a long time." Parents are very emotional.
"Shadow teachers" accompany children to integrate into society
Liu Lu is clear that there is still too much ignorance about autism in today's society. Only by gradually changing social attitudes will it be possible for children with special needs to be better integrated into society. The goal of integrated education is to return to the mainstream, and all she has to do is to build a step by step for children to integrate into society.
In the rehabilitation center, in addition to rehabilitation treatment, classes are also established normally, so that children can feel the collective environment and set up normal teaching courses. Such a bridging class, whether in terms of curriculum or process, is relatively close to the kindergarten, so that children can adapt well to the ordinary school environment.
As more and more children with special needs enter ordinary kindergartens and ordinary primary schools to receive integrated education, situations such as being discouraged and isolated occur from time to time. Children follow the class, emotional behavior is not managed, and the rehabilitation effect is even reversed. In order to continuously improve the rehabilitation effect of children and make children truly integrated, the Education and Rehabilitation Department of Shandong Rehabilitation Research Center has innovatively set up "shadow teachers" since September 2019 to arrange rehabilitation teachers or interns into ordinary kindergartens and primary schools, and further correct, stabilize and enhance the behavior, social and academic abilities of children with special needs, helping children adapt to the rules of learning and social interaction.
Sun Ning's son Guo Guo is in the second grade. "In the first grade, my autonomy was too poor to take the initiative to learn, and the school has been discouraged." But the child needs this normal school environment to stimulate him, Sun Ning said. Since the second grade, Sun Ning has applied for a "shadow teacher" to accompany him, and the "shadow teacher" will help Guo Guo in the classroom. If you are distracted, someone will remind you, and socializing will also help. "The effect is particularly good, and now the child is making great progress." Sun Ning said that in the past, the classmates did not accept the fruit, and now he has small partners. On the day of Guo Guo's 8th birthday, the classmates also came to celebrate his birthday, and the "shadow teacher" also came, which made Sun Ning particularly moved.
Sun Ning also mentioned that whether children enter ordinary schools or let "shadow teachers" accompany them, they need to work very hard with the school. "I really want the school and society to accept them." This is the wish of all parents of autistic children, and it is also the direction that Liu Lu has been working towards.
In order to allow children to better integrate with society and truly return to the mainstream, the Shandong Rehabilitation Research Center holds integration activities every month to take children to ordinary kindergartens and primary schools, into communities, parks, sports meetings, field picking, supermarket procurement, not only giving them the opportunity to enter social life, but also giving ordinary people the opportunity to understand these lovely children.
So far, the Education and Rehabilitation Department of Shandong Rehabilitation Research Center has provided rehabilitation training for 115 children with special needs, in addition to autistic children, there are also children with intellectual disabilities, of which 51 have transferred to ordinary children or ordinary primary schools, and the integration rate has reached 44.3%... This string of numbers, Liu Lu remembers very clearly, it records the bits and pieces of her efforts, but another set of numbers she also remembers very clearly, there are currently 68 children in the rehabilitation center, there are still nearly 300 people waiting in line...
"Rehabilitation education for children with special needs still faces many problems such as insufficient teachers and lack of resources." Liu Lu said that in recent years, the situation has improved little by little. In 2019, Shandong Province issued policies to improve the medical insurance treatment of children with autism, uniformly expand the age range from 0-6 years old to 0-17 years old, and include all 29 medical rehabilitation projects stipulated by the state into medical insurance payments, further requiring that the expenses that meet the regulations be included in medical insurance outpatient payments and refer to outpatient chronic disease management.
Liu Lu knows that there is still a long way to go before society opens its arms to "children from the stars", and what she is trying to do can only affect a small number of people. However, she believes that the slight fireworks can also bring a glimmer of light to the world of "stars". For this glimmer of light, she was willing to burn herself all the time.
(The names of children and parents with autism in this article are all pseudonyms)
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