On March 6, Hanoi National University of Education coordinated with the International Medical Research Association for Developmental Disorders ASIA to co-organize the first scientific forum on Supporting Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Children with Other Developmental Disorders with the theme: "New Models of International Cooperation and Support to Ensure the Development of Asian Children".
Don't leave children behind
The Forum on Supporting Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Other Developmental Disorders in Asia gathered more than 300 delegates who are scientists, medical experts, education managers, teachers and parents from Vietnam and Japan.
Speaking at the opening, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Duc Son - Rector of Hanoi National University of Education, said that the maturity of each individual is a miraculous, unique and unrecurring journey. He expressed concern about the challenges that children with special needs must face, and emphasized that understanding both biological mechanisms and social factors is an important condition to effectively support them.
According to him, the forum aims to connect medicine, psychology and education to promote human values, helping children with special needs to integrate and not be left behind.
According to that orientation, the discussion contents focused on a multidisciplinary approach, closely combining medicine, psychology and education from family to school.
Many new technology solutions have also been introduced, such as the application of minimally invasive endoscopy in pediatric care, research on energy metabolism related to 5-ALA compounds, or eye-tracking technology to analyze cognitive characteristics of autistic children.
These approaches contribute to building a support system based on scientific evidence, respecting personal cognitive differences and limiting dependence on pharmaceuticals.
Vision for development
The wife of the late Japanese Prime Minister - Ms. Akie Abe, expressed her honor to be introduced to support initiatives from Japan and wished to work with Vietnam to promote a more humane society through sustainable inter-sectoral cooperation.
Japanese Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Vietnam Ito Naoki also highly appreciated Vietnam's bridging role in regional cooperation initiatives and hoped that the forum would help parents have more opportunities to access professional knowledge to accompany their children.
Also at the forum, Mr. Hiroshi Takemori - Chairman of AISDDR - said that supporting children with developmental disorders is not only the task of the education sector alone but requires the joint efforts of the whole society and long-term international cooperation.
In addition to academic discussion sessions, the forum also organizes many practical activities such as painting exhibitions, research product booths and cultural experience areas for children. These activities both honor the creativity of children with special needs and create opportunities for parties to share experiences and form comprehensive support models from the practices of the two countries.
The forum is expected to open up a network of sustainable academic and clinical practice cooperation, contributing to improving the quality of support for children with autism spectrum disorders and developmental disorders in Asia.
