Chongqing doctor and kindergarten owner He Xiaoyan claims her “hate therapy” is "curing" autistic children and restoring happiness to Chinese families.
He treats autistic children at the Leyi Amalgamated Kindergarten in Geleshan County using methods that can only be described as violent and unethical.
Most recently, He treated an autistic child who was prone to biting, by... you guessed it, biting them back. She also "cured" a seemingly naughty autistic boy who loved to play with water by forcing his head underwater for an extended period of time.
He said she has "cured" ten children over the past ten years with the credo “if violence is used by the child, then violence will be returned to the child.”
She admits most parents are hesitant to give permission for the procedure at first, but eventually agree because they want their child to be "cured":
So long as I have the parents’ approval, I will implement these procedures. They are the source of all my actions. I feel that by doing this I can save the children, save the family unit and even the entire extended family.
The stigma attached to mental health issues and neurological disorders in China is enormous, so even if He’s “hate therapy” appears cruel and their child may be harmed, more than 90% of Chinese parents approve of the procedures regardless.
From one Chengdu parent's testimony:
When a child is afflicted with autism, it’s the whole family that must bear the pain. By sending the child here there’s a hope that Ms He will be able to cure the child.
Another parent said:
If it happens at home, we wouldn't be able to act (like Ms He does against our child)
While He claims she has found the best way of treating autistic children, the Secretary-General of the Psychological Teaching and Work Committee of the National Psychological Association, Dr. Zhang Zhongming, said there more research needs to be done before any conclusions can be made.
The causes of autism are not clear and I am against this type of “violent” rehabilitation. Through this training, the child can easily incur more hurt and harm, and does not bring about an easy application. Even though some cases have gotten good results, but we must first research the evidence.
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