A Very Cheerful Helper

J was about 8 months old when his orphanage asked us if we could help him. 

They wanted to confirm his diagnosis of Down Syndrome, and also suspected he had a heart defect.  J came to our Beijing home from his province and after visiting with specialists we were able to determine that he had no heart defect or other medical complications.  

He’s been in good health since then, but we are always monitoring for issues that are common in children with Down Syndrome.

Over the past eight years J has changed a lot, but one thing that has not changed is his deep curiosity about the world around him and his sunny, cheerful personality.  

His nannies agree he’s a real charmer and a fast learner. He loves to help out – any time there is a chore or a project to be done, he is right in the middle of it!  

Recently, he saw another child receiving therapy and he wanted to help.  He jumped right in and made himself useful!  We are always amazed at how much he understands and how dedicated he is to finishing a job that he starts, even when it's boring or he gets tired.

J is able to attend the special needs school inside the social welfare center, so his days are full and he’s always busy.

We are grateful to all who support us in our work.  You are helping us to make a difference for children like J, providing him with nurturing caregivers, a stimulating environment and developmentally appropriate opportunities for growth and education.  Thank you!

Made for Love - Creating Opportunities

Most of the children in our care have physical or intellectual impairments. Through our many years of working with them, we have come to realize how very important it is for adults to take initiatives and create opportunities for rich experiences for them, to organize play and to model social and cultural activities.  At the same time we must also maintain a sense of stability and security.

For a child with special needs, life can be full of challenges. As caring and supportive adults, one of the most powerful things we can do is to take the lead in creating enriching experiences that foster their growth, learning, and wellbeing. 

We do our best to provide a learning environment, both indoor and outdoors, where the children in our care have access to spontaneous interactions and learning moments. By organizing a vegetable garden, for example, we are opening up a world of new sights, sounds, scents and textures. The children get to help in the garden, feel the fresh vines of cucumbers, hear the rustle of corn leaves, and see vibrant colors in tomatoes. And when it's time to harvest we get to smell and taste the fruit of our labor!  It also creates abundant opportunities to learn concepts like “organic fertilizer”. These moments are not just enjoyable. They are crucial for their sensory, cognitive, and emotional development.  

Play is another main area where adults can make a significant impact. For the children in our care, play does not necessarily come easily or naturally. They often need help to understand how to engage with toys or how to interact playfully with peers. 

This is when adults come in for support. We teach the children play skills and communication skills by modelling, for example, building a tower with blocks, pretending to feed a doll with food made of Play-Doh. We also initiate ball-passing games with children to teach collaboration and turn taking.

Yet another key dimension that adults need to consciously lead is modeling social and cultural activities. Clear and consistent modeling can be incredibly helpful for the children we work with. Many children with intellectual impairment tend to struggle with reading social cues and social norms. By modeling simple social exchanges like greeting others, and knocking on the door before entering, adults pave the way for social development in the children. 

All of the above, of course, must be grounded in stability and security, which we provide by maintaining a routine, offering consistent support, and creating a nurturing environment as part of our job. This stability is not only useful for fostering a sense of safety, but it also helps build trust and confidence needed for the children to explore and engage with the world around them.

At the heart of it all, taking initiative as adults means being intentional in how we support the children. It’s about meeting them where they are, and helping them reach their full potential. Every experience, every play session, and every moment of connection counts. By doing this, we’re showing them that they are loved, valued, and capable.

Launchpad - Making Hua Mo 花馍

 For the young adults in our Launchpad program, discerning what vocational skills they are interested in pursuing is not an easy thing!  Of course there are careers that interest them, but these don't always line up with their strengths and abilities.  Eighteen year old YG has been pondering this question over the past months, and he has recently decided to try and improve his skills making "hua mo" 花馍 in the hopes that this might open doors to full time employment for him in the future.

What is hua mo 花馍, exactly?  We're glad you asked!  Steamed buns are a popular food in China, and hua mo are very intricately shaped and decorated steamed buns.  These can be made to represent flowers, dragons, birds, fish, people and other objects.  They are a specialty usually found in north China's, especially in Shanxi province - where YG lives.  They are especially popular at Chinese New Year and other traditional feasts and holidays.

YG began learning the art of making hua mo when he was still living in the orphanage.  Because he is dependent on his wheelchair for mobility, it was one of the few vocational training programs that he could participate in.  Here he shows us how he makes a very simple hua mo design - a rose.

He starts with a basic steamed bread recipe.  It's tricky knowing how stiff to make the dough... you don't want it too dry, or it will be tough and chewy, but you also don't want it too soft, or the intricate designs won't hold their shape.  

Then he works to cut and shape the various components of his design - in this case, the petals of the rose:

Here's a rose all ready for the steamer:

After steaming; it's ready to eat!

Hua mo can be decorated with fruit or nuts, and are often brightly colored.  YG is going to experiment with some of these embellishments in the future, and we look forward to sampling some more of his work!