HCM CITY — Children with autism will have a chance to improve their behaviour, skills and language development thanks to a new educational centre in HCM City.

Founded by international artist and educator Thanh Bùi, the Special Em’s Education Centre (SEEC) aims to provide a proper educational environment that can provide early and comprehensive intervention, stimulating their curiosity and observation to improve social skills.

The centre provides educational programmes supported with pictures so that the children can always grasp ongoing activities and visualise the next step, helping them understand and learn effectively.

According to the founder Thanh Bùi, who has been working in the music industry in Australia for decades, he always has a special connection with people with autism as he had chance to work with people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who are very talented yet sensitive. The establishment of the SEEC comes from his personal experience.

International artist and educator Thanh Bùi shares his personal story which is a motivation for him to open the SEEC in HCM City. — Photo courtesy of SEEC

He said: “When my twin children were born, I didn't expect one of them having language difficulties. I was told that my child is the one with ASD.

"Of course, I couldn’t accept that fact and continued to find international experts who treat children with ASD. Luckily, after conducting a three-month diagnosis, a leading specialist concluded that my child isn’t the one with ASD.

"Since then, I have nurtured the idea to create a reliable address to assist parents in Việt Nam because they need support to overcome their particular fears of having ‘special’ children.

“At SEEC, we are not erasing differences, we strive to improve the lives of our children in special ways.”

Alongside the SEEC, the educator has also opened the Vietnamese International Clinic for Autism (VICA) – a modern and professional clinic for Vietnamese and international children with special rights to have very early screening and diagnosis for ASD through the most reliable tests worldwide.

“At SEEC, At SEEC, we are not erasing differences, we strive to improve the lives of our children in special ways,” Thanh Bùi emphasized. — Photo courtesy of SEEC

The inauguration of the SEEC-VICA is in line with ‘World Autism Awareness Day’, April 2, promoting the awareness among the community and enhance their understanding and attention to people with autism so they can lead full and meaningful lives as an integral part of society.

Born and raised in Australia, and started his music career in 2004, Thanh Bùi was a top eight finalist in the Australian Idol programme in 2008 and travelled the world as a singer/songwriter/producer.

In 2010, he returned to Việt Nam and became a famous singer in the country with many hits. He since has been investing in advanced educational models and collaborating with international partners in education.

His Soul Music & Performing Arts Academy has laid a foundation for creative education with the help of his partners in Asia Music & Performing Arts Education, the first iNGO in the arts. He has also diversified through the founding of the Embassy Education that inspire each student to discover their unique voice, potential, future path and to be the best version of themselves.

His Vietnam Institute for Arts Education (VIA Education) supplies art schools across the country with international-standard textbooks by prestigious examination boards which offers graded and diploma qualifications across a range of disciplines in the performing arts learning and teaching.

Recently, the North London Collegiate School HCM City, also founded by him, announced a scholarship programme worth US$1million for talented yet disadvantaged children in Việt Nam.

Targeting children aged six to 12 years old, who are in difficult circumstances, the Việt Nam Tinh Hoa Enrichment Scholarship aims to discover and help those children to expose their special talents, in school subjects or in arts and sports. — VNS