China Focus. From learning to earning, China explores new support for autistic adults
Xinhua
1st April 2026
China Focus. From learning to earning, China explores new support for autistic adults
Though it was winter vacation, 17-year-old Yangyang started his day early, walked to the supermarket on his own and returned home to whip up a bowl of seafood noodles for his younger sister.
To outsiders, he seemed like a caring and responsible older brother with a passion for cooking, yet only his parents truly understood the immense effort involved in helping Yangyang, who lives with autism, reach this level of independence.
"He is outgoing, generally capable and communicates reasonably well," said Yangyang's mom, 47-year-old Yang Xiaoxia, a resident of Haidian District in Beijing.
As a young child, Yangyang was hyperactive and reveled in rough-and-tumble play, while struggling with social interactions and following instructions, Yang recalled. The mother initially thought it was ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and was taken aback by the autism diagnosis.
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