Shanghai unveils first vocational competence assessment for autism rehabilitation services

Shanghai officially launched China's first specialized vocational competence assessment project for autism rehabilitation services on Thursday, during the 19th World Autism Awareness Day, addressing a gap in professional certification in this field nationwide.

Led by the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau and evaluated by the city's vocational skills appraisal center, the assessment emphasizes talent specialization. It enhances the comprehensive care system for autistic children across five dimensions: rehabilitation standards, early intervention, educational empowerment, institutional supervision, and family support, providing professional assistance to children and their families.

"Caring for autistic children requires not only the warmth of love but also professional support," Fan Chuanwei, deputy director of the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau, said. He noted that this pioneering assessment project aims to build a professional growth ladder for frontline practitioners. Future efforts will focus on integrating resources and coordinating policies in healthcare, education, rehabilitation, and social security to deliver more precise and compassionate services.

The assessment prioritizes practical skills over theoretical knowledge, with core modules in rehabilitation activity preparation, daily activity training, and collaborative communication support. It establishes a closed-loop management system of training, assessment, certification, supervision, and improvement to guide professional development.

To facilitate the project's implementation, Shanghai plans to encourage 600 practitioners from rehabilitation institutions to participate in the assessment this year. The project is part of the Class A subsidy program of the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Human Resources and Social Security, which offers policy subsidies to qualified participants.

Yang Huiling, deputy director of Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau's children's welfare department, said, "What's lacking in rehabilitation services for autistic children is not practitioners but pathways for enhancing their professional capabilities."

At the event, various departments showcased achievements in autism care services.

The Shanghai Municipal Health Commission has developed a grassroots early screening network for autism for children aged 0 to 6, achieving a 97.91 percent initial screening rate in 2025 and establishing eight early intervention bases to extend services to communities. Wang Yi, president of the Children's Hospital of Fudan University, emphasized the importance of early intervention. "The brain's plasticity before age five significantly increases the chances of children returning to a normal state," she said. 

Others, such as the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, are leveraging AI to create an integrated education model that combines multidisciplinary collaboration with artificial intelligence to personalize teaching. The Shanghai Disabled Persons' Federation, along with other departments, has launched a pilot project to monitor and evaluate rehabilitation services, ensuring quality through comprehensive supervision of institutional guarantees, service standards, and outcomes. The Shanghai Women's Federation will expand the Star Mothers' Harbor project, which provides support and services specifically for families of autistic children, especially mothers, to cover all 14 districts in the city.

Huang Weiqi, an autistic graduate of Pudong New Area Special Education School, excels in the traditional art of tie-dyeing.

He said, "We have vibrant dreams too. We strive to improve ourselves, repay our parents, thank our teachers, and contribute to society in our own way."