Facility Opens To Help Ethnic Minority SEN Children

Hong Kong on Tuesday saw the opening of the first facility specifically designed to offer support and counselling for ethnic minority children with special educational needs.

The Zubin's Family Centre in Austin works with government primary schools to offer therapy to pupils who have ADHD and autism.

"For the most part the children we have seen so far require speech, occupational, and behavioural therapy. We are really excited that the public schools have been excited about working with us," said the centre’s founder and CEO, Shalini Mahtani.

"They also see challenges working with ethnic minority families particularly because of language and so they have been referring children with SEN (special educational needs) in their schools to us."

A clinical psychologist with the centre, Dr Ravina Lalvani, said the facility has been able to offer a great deal of support for Lowelyn Manzanillo and her son.

"He comes in very regularly and we work on his social, emotional development, intergeneration trauma, and any kinds of anxiety,” Lalvani said.

Aside from supporting students with special educational needs, the Zubin's Family Centre also works with children who are suffering from mental health issues, and offers support to ethnic minority women.