Bao Mengna. [Photo/WeChat account: zjzsrbs]

Bao Mengna is reputed as the first person in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, to popularize autistic disorder.

Bao started to raise awareness about autism after she was involved in rehabilitation training of autistic children during her days as a preschool teacher.

In 2012, Bao launched the Blue Ribbon campaign to promote autism and offer consultation services.

The annual campaign helped local autistic children when there was few professional rehabilitation institution in Zhoushan. However, many families with autistic children still had to travel to different other cities to seek rehabilitation training.

File photo: Bao (2nd from L) talks with autistic children. [Photo/WeChat account: zjzsrbs]

In 2013, Bao established the Rainbow Hall Care Center for Children with Special Needs, the first professional rehabilitation institution in the city. As of the end of 2020, Rainbow Hall had trained more than 300 autistic children.

To achieve early detection and early intervention, Bao has been screening children aged 0 to 3 for autism. She is also planning to organize a forum and invite autism experts from around the country to explore new ways to care for autistic children.

Bao said that although she has been encouraging autistic children to go outside, some of them still find it hard to adapt to the complicated social environment. As such, she is planning to impart to them skills that would help them better fit into society.