'Rediscovering Dreams' empowers autistic children to grow up confidently and pursue careers.

Driven by a mother's love, the "Rediscovering Dreams" project and the Hi Future career guidance program were born, not only helping young autistic individuals discover their hidden potential but also addressing the biggest challenge for families: how to ensure their children lead independent lives and contribute positively to society.

'The key to change' starts with parents.

Ms. Nguyen Le Thao Nguyen (editor at Ho Chi Minh City Radio and Television Station) founded the "Rediscovering Dreams" project in 2017. This journey stemmed from her deep understanding after having children, researching, and discovering a "different neurological pattern." From then on, she aspired to help other parents recognize this earlier, enabling their children to develop better.

'Rediscovering Dreams' empowers autistic children to grow up confidently and pursue their careers.

The project evolved into the Hi Future career guidance program in 2022, as a response to the concerns of many parents Thao Nguyen met on the television program "Winning with Your Child." She shared: "The biggest question is how to guide autistic children to adulthood so they can find a job or become useful members of society."

Looking back on her journey working with autistic children, Thao Nguyen said that what she cherishes most, and which serves as the guiding principle of the project, lies not in her expertise, but in her understanding of each family. According to her, to help children progress, it is first necessary to change the perceptions and approaches of parents in supporting their children.

Ms. Thao Nguyen guides new members in getting acquainted with the class activities.

This is also a lesson she remembered from her first meeting with Professor Tran Dong A: "When I started participating in the program to support autistic children, Professor Tran Dong A reminded me of something that I still remember to this day: 'To change a child, you must first change the parents.' That is the key to unlocking real change."

Ms. Thao Nguyen said: "We always have experts to support us professionally, but the most valuable thing I've learned is to listen to and understand parents, as well as the inner world of the children. Children are inherently adorable; just a little understanding is enough to support them. But if you don't understand the parents, it's almost impossible to guide them."

Teacher Nguyen Duy Nhat enthusiastically guided the students during the lesson on decorating tree wreaths.

With the goal of "guiding you to your destination," Hi Future is not just a classroom but a professional training model that enables you to create your own products based on your passion, thereby enabling you to "start your own business." The chosen model must be easy to operate, easy to maintain, and artistic. Planting trees and decorating green wreaths has become the focus of the program.

Teachers like artisan Nguyen Duy Nhat volunteered to participate, using their passion for planting trees to guide the children. Nhat admitted: "Teaching children with special needs is more difficult. I have to teach them repeatedly and teach each child very carefully, because each child learns differently, so I have to teach them individually."

A moment captured of a student attentively following each step of the instructor's guidance.

In a small space at the cafe, young people learned how to tie roots and attach plants to wreaths. Tran Vo Bao Khanh (22 years old) innocently shared her simple but meaningful joy: “I am very happy to participate in experiential activities like planting trees. This is the first time I have made a wreath like this. The people here are very friendly. I hope Ms. Thao Nguyen and Hi Future will organize more activities like this to help me integrate and grow.”

It is these seemingly small activities that help children feel useful, earn their own income, and integrate into society.

When the journey to maturity begins with experience

The children's progress is the greatest motivation for the project to continue developing. Through experiential activities, many parents have noticed significant changes in their children.

Parents chat and share experiences about accompanying their children while waiting for class to begin.

Mr. Le Minh Tuong, the parent of Minh Quan (residing in Ban Co Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), said: "After participating for almost a month, my child has shown positive signs. He is more enthusiastic, cheerful, and active."

According to Mr. Tuong, these activities provide opportunities for children to experience and explore themselves. From there, they gradually realize what they enjoy and develop their unique strengths. "Through various activities, the children will be able to choose what suits them best. In this way, they can follow their own interests and individual development paths," Mr. Tuong said.

Little Tran Vo Bao Khanh proudly showed her mother, Vo Thi Hong Nhung, the wreath she had just finished making.

In particular, participation in the project has brought about significant changes in the awareness and life skills of the children. Ms. Vo Thi Hong Nhung, parent of Bao Khanh (residing in Chanh Hung ward, Ho Chi Minh City), proudly recounted: “After participating in the group's activities, Bao Khanh has become very diligent and enthusiastic in household chores... He is more conscious, more agile, and more confident in communication.”

Many parents acknowledge that, after participating in the project, many young people have begun to understand themselves better and have a clearer direction for the future. They realize the need for career guidance and employment to become useful members of society. This is a great joy for those who have supported them.

These images showcase some of Hi Future's activities during their cooking practice session, helping children develop skills and increase their independence.

Teacher Duy Nhat shared that even small tasks like arranging flowers or planting trees bring immense happiness to both parents and children. It's at these times that the children feel a sense of self-worth and a sense of their contribution to the community.

Not content with just creating handcrafted products, Hi Future continues to expand with the idea of ​​building a vegetarian restaurant for young people with autism as part of the project. According to Ms. Thao Nguyen, this is an important step because the vegetarian restaurant space provides tranquility and peace, creating conditions for the children to develop better. The model also helps to address the difficulties in eating that some of them face.

A display corner showcasing products made by the children themselves.

Ms. Thao Nguyen shared: “This model aims for complete self-reliance and aligns with the current trend of healthy living. I believe that operating a vegetarian restaurant will help improve the health of the children and bring positive value to the community.”

According to her, the vegetarian restaurant is not only a workplace but also an environment for young people to develop self-confidence, communication skills, and operational abilities. "This is also how Hi Future continues to fulfill its mission of supporting young people to integrate, grow, and find their place in the future," Thao Nguyen shared passionately.

The Hi Future career guidance model has helped students gain more practical experience, such as participating in exhibition booths and selling the products they made themselves at exhibitions.

The "Rediscovering Dreams" journey with the Hi Future program is proof that, with love, understanding, and a suitable career guidance model, young autistic individuals can fully assert their value. It also opens a wide door of hope, not only for these young people but also for thousands of families seeking a better future for their children.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/van-de-quan-tam/tim-lai-uoc-mo-chap-canh-cho-tre-tu-ky-truong-thanh-tu-tin-huong-nghiep-20251209204223418.htm