Charities & Community
Rehabilitation Services
Jockey Club sets up autism support network in face of growing trend
02/06/2015
The Hong Kong Jockey Club is taking the initiative to tackle the needs of the growing number of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) attending Hong Kong’s mainstream primary and secondary schools under current integrated education. According to statistics from the Education Bureau, the number of ASD students in mainstream schools has doubled in the past four years. With greater public awareness of the disorder and improved detection and diagnosis, the number is projected to increase at a rate of 20% per year.
JC A-Connect: Jockey Club Autism Support Network (JC A-Connect), the first of its kind in the city, is to provide holistic support for children with ASD attending mainstream schools, and their parents. Funded by a donation of HK$167 million from the Club’s Charities Trust, the three-year project, run in collaboration with The University of Hong Kong (HKU), the Education Bureau and six NGOs, will provide school-based support for such students, giving support to their parents through satellite centres, as well as organising public education programmes with an aim to raise public awareness and understanding about autism.
Today (2 June), Club Steward Mrs Margaret Leung Ko May Yee joined Under Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung and HKU Dean of Social Sciences Professor John Burns to officiate at the launch ceremony of JC A-Connect.
Mrs Leung said that providing equal opportunities for students with special educational needs to develop their full potential had long been part of the Club’s commitment to building an inclusive society. “Generally, students with ASD are facing difficulties in communicating with people, which, coupled with misunderstandings about their behaviour, bring great challenges to their study, social and everyday life. We hope that through this cross-sectoral platform, schools, teachers, parents and the general public will have a better understanding of autistic students, and will provide comprehensive support for them,” she said.
This latest initiative to provide effective support for ASD children and their families at individual, school and community level follows the success of a Trust-funded pilot project in 2011 in collaboration with three NGOS that helped such students integrate into mainstream schools. With the participation of NGOs to provide school-based professional support, students demonstrated significant improvement in social communication, learning skills and self-confidence after receiving supplemental training. It is hoped that under JC A-Connect, an evidence-based sustainable model could be developed to share with the education and welfare sectors, and even create an impact beyond Hong Kong.
JC A-Connect will be launched in the new academic year this September with support from the Education Bureau and six experienced NGOs in serving ASD students – Caritas-HK, Heep Hong Society, New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, SAHK, The Salvation Army, and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals. They will conduct after-school training for ASD students on social communication, emotional regulation and learning strategies. The project is expected to cover 250 mainstream schools, to benefit about 50% of students with ASD every year.
As regards teacher development, the project will provide training to 5,100 education professionals; provide consultation to teachers on teaching and management strategies; and develop resource books and assessment tools to equip them with the specific skills necessary for helping students with ASD.
The project also reaches out into the community by offering family support at 18 satellite centres where education, counselling and training programmes will be provided to relieve pressure on parents in taking care of their children with ASD. It is expected to benefit 25,000 parents. Also, a series of public education programmes and an online platform will provide up-to-date ASD information and support, which aim at promoting public understanding and acceptance of ASD in order to build an inclusive society.
Apart from this project, the Jockey Club has invested in a variety of initiatives to assist students with special educational needs. In 2006, the Trust launched READ & WRITE: A Jockey Club Learning Support Network with a donation of HK$150 million, which supports children with literacy difficulties and covers students from pre-school to secondary levels and in the community.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class horse racing operator and Hong Kong’s largest community benefactor, as well as one of Asia’s most prestigious membership clubs. Operating as a not-for-profit organisation, the Club allocates its surplus funds for charitable and community projects. In 2013/14, its donations reached a record $3.6 billion, and in the last decade alone it supported over 1,275 projects. The Club is also Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer, contributing a record HK$19.58 billion in 2013/14. With about 70% of its revenue given back to society every year through donations and tax contributions, The Hong Kong Jockey Club delivers a significantly higher return to the community than any other racing and/or sports betting organisation in the world. As a socially responsible organisation, the Club helps Government combat illegal betting and advocates responsible gambling. The Club is also one of Hong Kong’s largest employers with over 24,800 full-time and part-time staff. Committed to global excellence and giving back to society, the Club is always “riding high together for a better future” with the people of Hong Kong. Please visit 130.hkjc.com.
