The 21-year-old autistic child, Xiao Rui, is a young man with severe autism who spends 8 hours a day in the workshop and learns independent living in the community home from Monday to Friday nights. The educare givers called "mothers" of the disabled service team allow parents to build a balance between work and family. Through Five Loaves and Two Fishes small workshop and community homes, persons with disabilities are secured and be taken care of, and they learn how to live independently. For the upcoming Mother's Day, Xiao Rui presented a bouquet to his mother on 7th May to wish her a happy Mother's Day, which touched his mother’s heart.
Xiao Rui’s mother, Chen Meixiu, said that when Xiao Rui was 3 years old, his language development was slower than others, and unable to express his joys and sorrows for a long time. In his fourth grade of elementary school, he was bullied by his classmates, forcing him to swallow sand. Therefore, Ms. Chen resigned her job to take care of him and devoted all her energy to educating him. Because of Xiao Rui’s need for self-stimulation, he has to constantly shake his body, play with his fingers, and have limited verbal skills. This made him lag behind other children same to his age in growth and learning. After Xiao Rui graduated from high school, Xiao Rui’s mother searched for community-based daycare services and found nothing, until she came to Eden's Five Loaves and Two Fish Workshop, which enrich the life experiences and interpersonal interactions of persons with disabilities through diversified activities and recreations, including community cleaning, charity sales, physical activities, and community participation.
Li Jinlian, a social worker at the Five Loaves and Two Fish Small Workshop, said that Xiao Rui's mother had long working hours and Xiao Rui had a younger brother. Xiao Rui's mother would ask her family to help take care of two children when she was busy. She had to take care of Xiao Rui and his younger brother after work which pressure her so much. Therefore, the social workers have discussed with her about taking Xiao Rui to residential service-Yazi's Homewithin the community since last December. This allows him to live from Monday to Friday and learn how to live independently. Yan Cuiwen, the workshop educare giver, stated that “First of all, make the child feel warm-hearted, and then we teach them how to behave.”
Xiao Rui used to be picked up by his mother every day, and his mother had to help him shave. His expressive ability can only imitate the adults. But after training from the community home, he had learned how to sweep and mop the floor, wipe the table, wash the dishes, shave and wash his own hair.
The workshop educare giverGao Yingtai said that Xiao Rui did not learn to take the bus by himself immediately. He was accompanied by the trainer in the beginning and practiced to accomplish by himself gradually. During the training period, Xiao Rui was followed by the educare giver by motorcycle, and sometimes he might needed the bus driver reminding him the arrival of the destination. Now, he can take the bus with little assistance from the trainer. With obvious changing, Xiao Rui’s mother thanked educare givers Gao Yingtai, Yan Cuiwen and social worker Li Jinlian of Eden Five Loaves and Two Fishesfor their help . Xiao Rui’s mother said her hard work was worth it because her son was fortunately taken good cared by three other“mothers".
Xiao Rui presented a bouquet to wish his mother a happy Mother's Day
Xiao Rui has learned to shave by himself
Eden’s educare giver, Gao Yingtai, accompanied with Xiao Rui to learn
Eden’s professional work team support Xiao Rui to learn
