Talk show "I have special rights"

Scene of the discussion. (Photo: Linh Bao)

Part of the program to raise public awareness about autism spectrum disorder "I have special rights" - an educational discussion organized by Embassy Education in collaboration with the Vietnam Foundation for Children with Disabilities, the International Behavior Analysis Organization has received the attention of many experts and artists, both domestic and foreign.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasingly recognized in modern society. However, public awareness is still full of prejudice and lack of empathy towards autistic people and their families. Many “gray areas” in public awareness of autistic people have not been changed and clarified from a scientific and humanistic perspective.

The correct identification of the golden period in diagnosis, intervention and support for autistic people in Vietnam is still in its infancy, neglected, and many emotions are hidden. The different inner world of autistic people is not properly understood or accompanied.

Singer Thanh Bui shared: The story of learning about autism spectrum started with his child, when he realized that his child had different symptoms compared to normal children. From then on, he began to learn more about autism spectrum and realized that autism spectrum is not a disease.

Many talents in the world are also people on the spectrum, so he understands that his child is looking at the world in a different way, he has special rights. However, in reality, many parents still do not understand exactly about autism spectrum, they even hide their children's condition. And more specifically, many people still have a discriminatory view of people on the spectrum. From this reality, singer Thanh Bui has made efforts to help people gain more knowledge and understand correctly about autism spectrum.

Dr. Simona, Professional Director of the International Center for Diagnosis and Early Intervention of Autism Spectrum Disorders (VICA), believes that autism spectrum disorder is not a disease because it does not affect human development. More and more research shows that this is a different level of brain and nerve development and it often has very early manifestations. From birth until the child is nearly 2 years old, we can identify it.

“Once again I emphasize that this is not a medical condition that we have to fix or fix. It is just a different level of brain development and a different way of perceiving the world. We need to respect that development of children,” said Dr. Simona.

Dr. Simona added that the manifestations of autism spectrum are extremely diverse. Therefore, children with autism spectrum need to be diagnosed early because when detected early, we will have timely support for children to develop comprehensively. The golden period is from birth until the child is 3 years old. In addition, the period from 3 to 6 years old is also considered a suitable period to be able to teach children the necessary skills, as well as develop their talents.

According to Mr. Michael M. Mueller, founder of the International Behavior Analysis Organization (IBAO), in addition to supporting behavior for people on the spectrum, equipping those who support children on the spectrum with knowledge and skills is extremely important. Only those who have practical ability and understanding can help children on the spectrum improve their language skills, build life skills, adaptive skills, and many other functions so that when children grow up, they can still live independently, not depending on their parents or society.

“Schools play a very important role in coordinating to support children on the spectrum. Therefore, we need to equip teachers with new knowledge about autism spectrum, to change the way they look at children on the spectrum. If just one person changes their perspective, we can change the lives of many people,” said Mr. Michael M. Mueller.

Mr. Michael M. Mueller shared at the seminar.

Dr. Simona added that parents in Vietnam have great trust in doctors. Therefore, doctors need to have knowledge and skills to detect autism spectrum disorder, examine children not only physically but also mentally to detect autism spectrum disorder early.

Autistic people do not see the world as normal people do, do not hear as normal people do, do not react as normal people do. The inner world of an autistic person operates like an infinite diagram: light can echo into sound, sound can shrink into shapes, emotions can condense into a spectrum of colors.

That richness is the spectrum of human perfection. A distracted look is not aloofness, but an unfolding inner journey. An expressionless face is not an absence of feeling, but a different form, a different rhythm of being.

The special rights of autistic people do not lie in being given priority over others, but in the right to be seen - to be heard - and to have their differences respected, to be perceived as advantages, abilities and ways of perceiving the world.

Artist Lap Phuong shared at the discussion.

Mr. Michael M. Mueller, founder of the International Behavior Analysis Organization (IBAO), said that through the discussion, the key word that came to his mind was “hope”. We need to be filled with hope that what we know and what we will apply will help make the lives of many people around us better.

On this occasion, the International Behavior Analysis Organization (IBAO) officially launched in Vietnam, bringing internationally recognized training, certification and practice standards to professionals and organizations operating in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) nationwide.

IBAO is a global ABA certification organization with a mission to establish, maintain and certify best practice standards in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. With more than 7,400 members, representatives in 120 countries and training programs in 35 languages, IBAO expands its operations and brings international quality standards to Vietnam from December 6, 2025.

The signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding between IBAO and the Vietnam Disability Fund aims to promote community activities for autistic people in Vietnam.

Through IBAO, individuals and organizations in Vietnam can now access a comprehensive professional development path, through training courses and certifications: Introductory Course in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), International Behavior Therapist (IBT) Candidate and IBT Certificate, International Behavior Analyst (IBA) Candidate and IBA Certificate.

In addition, IBAO also brings advanced Micro certificate programs to Vietnam, including: short-term intensive training courses in areas such as autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, school environment, mental health, organizational behavior management, child rearing, etc.

Also at the event, IBAO signed a memorandum of understanding with the Vietnam Disability Fund to promote community activities for autistic people in Vietnam.

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