Who are we?
The Hong Kong Autism Institute is a non-profit institution dedicated to systemic change in the landscape of services, support, research and development to enable Autistic people far greater opportunity in their lifetimes.
At a system level we are working toward fairer access to high impact ‘gold standard’ services for families regardless of their economic circumstances. And we believe more progress can be made in the areas of research and development and the provision of high-impact services and support through greater collaboration and the aggregation of funding, knowledge and execution.
We believe that by working together and through overcoming siloes and vested interests, Autism can be transformed from a worrying challenge into a rising opportunity for society. We aim to apply the highest standards to our work on behalf of our Autistic stakeholders and their families because second best is simply not acceptable to effect real change.
About Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a different way of experiencing the world through the unique way a person's brain functions from birth. It's not an illness — it’s a unique neurological makeup that shapes how a person perceives, interacts with, and makes sense of everything around them.
Autism is a difference but not a defect in the ‘operating system’ of the mind.
Autistic People interact socially in different ways. They may have a deep focus on specific interests and rely on consistent routines or repetitive movements to feel comfortable. They might have heightened or reduced senses where sound, touch, light or texture can be barely noticeable or completely overwhelming.
Autism in Hong Kong SAR and Mainland China
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Impacts 10 million people in Mainland China including 2 million children under the age of 14 (Wucailu Centre, Beijing)
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1 in 40 Hong Kong children (CUHK)
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685,000 people in China’s Greater Bay Area (GBA), including 288,000 children (HKAI)