Dr Perymon (Dr Amber Perymon, Executive Director, The Children’s Institute of Hong Kong),

Distinguished guests and friends,

Good morning.

Thank you for inviting me here to the first Autism Community Summit. This is my first public community event since coming on board just over a week ago as the new Chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC). It is indeed my great pleasure to be here with so many amazing leaders and advocates from the education sector and Hong Kong’s autism community. Your passion and dedication to improving the lives of people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and making their voices heard are truly inspiring. I am sure that the conversations and discussions today will lead to new ideas for policies and practices to break new ground.

In recent years, the number of individuals with ASD in Hong Kong has experienced significant growth, more than doubled from around 10 200 in 2013 to 22 400 in 2022. During this time, our society has become more aware of neurodiversity, as well as the needs of individuals with neurodiverse conditions. In schools, we are seeing more dedicated support for students with special education needs, including those with ASD. In the corporate world, there is a growing awareness that neurodiverse employees can bring unique advantages to organisations and businesses.

While these developments are encouraging, there is no doubt that individuals with ASD continue to face difficulties and challenges in participating in society. In a research the EOC published last year on the implementation of integrated education in Hong Kong, we found that teachers and Special Education Needs Coordinators, or SENCOs, still see students with ASD as some of the most challenging to teach in the classroom. Another study we funded on the experience of university students with ASD highlighted that stigmas and stereotypes negatively impacted the social and academic life of the interviewees.

Beyond the education setting, it is evident that individuals with ASD face significant barriers to participate equally in the labour market. According to official statistics published in 2021, only 26 percent of individuals with ASD aged 15 or above were economically active. This is in contrast to the labour force participation rate of around 59 percent for the general population.

At the EOC, we firmly believe that individuals with ASD have much to contribute to our community. The continued exclusion and discrimination they face is not only detrimental to their individual wellbeing, but also to all of us as a society, as we also deprive ourselves of the diverse talents, passion, and skills they offer.

A major part of our work is to implement the anti-discrimination ordinances, including the Disability Discrimination Ordinance, which protects those with ASD from discrimination, harassment, and vilification in public domains, such as education and employment. Over the years, we have taken a multi-pronged approach to tackle the causes of exclusion and discrimination that individuals with ASD face in everyday life.

Through our complaint-handling system, we are able to give direct assistance to individuals with ASD who have faced discrimination to seek redress. Some of the cases we have dealt with in the past involve individuals with ASD being treated with poor services or being denied equal opportunities in education. These cases not only allow us to resolve disputes through conciliation but also inform us of the latest developments on the ground and help us devise policy strategies accordingly.

Aside from handling complaints, another key component of our approach is research and advocacy. Earlier, I mentioned some of the findings we published recently on the experience of and challenges faced by students with ASD. Conducting these research studies is often just the start for us, as we strive to translate the findings into concrete policy proposals.

Take the study on integrated education, for example. One of the key findings was that heavy administrative workload is creating difficulties for SENCOs to fully support students with special education needs. Teachers and principals also told us that restrictions in the use of the Learning Support Grant from the Education Bureau make it difficult for schools to effectively allocate resources to where they are needed most. Based on these findings, we included in our submission for the Policy Address public consultation last year the recommendations to streamline administrative processes for SENCOs and provide more flexibility for schools to deploy the Learning Support Grant according to their individual situations.

Our advocacy efforts have in fact led to substantial policy changes in terms of support for individuals with ASD, with the introduction of the role of SENCO in the 2017/18 school year being a recent highlight. Going forward, we will continue to liaise with relevant government bureaux and departments to ensure the inclusion of individuals with ASD at the societal level.

In tackling discrimination, we have found that biases and stigma often stem from a lack of understanding. As such, public education stands as a powerful tool we have at our disposal to dismantle the stereotypes that people with ASD face and promote interactions that foster inclusion.

One area to which we have devoted special attention since day one is ensuring equal learning opportunities for students with special education needs, including those with ASD. Through our Code of Practice on Education under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance, we provide practical tips and guidelines to help schools formulate inclusive policies and empower teachers to deliver quality education to students of diverse abilities.

Beyond the Code of Practice, we have also developed guidelines on ASD. For example, following the wrongful arrest of an individual with ASD for homicide, we published a guide in 2016 to help law enforcement officers understand how to communicate with people with ASD.

Our public education efforts are not just focused on solving problems in the here and now. We are also laying the groundwork for a more diverse and inclusive society in the future. That’s why we have stepped up our engagement with the next generation through our social media platforms and the Equal Opportunity Youth Ambassador Scheme. These initiatives allow us to instil in young people the values of empathy, inclusion, and respect, preparing them to be our allies and champions of equality for today and tomorrow.

People with ASD are valuable members of our community and the EOC is committed to challenging the discrimination they face in everyday life and removing the barriers standing in their way so that they can fully realise their potential. In bringing allies and advocates of the ASD community together, I believe that this summit will supercharge the efforts and contributions of every single person here to advance diversity, equality, and inclusion.

Thank you once again for inviting me here today. I look forward to working with all of you to create a Hong Kong free of discrimination. I hope you will all have a fruitful day and I wish the summit a great success.

Thank you.