Long-term Care Project for the Disabled People

At the age of 24, A-Chen, who has moderate autism, joined Eden Foundation’s Jiale Workshop after graduating from a special education vocational high school in Taoyuan. His mother hoped that he would enjoy learning and eventually be able to live independently within the community.

Due to limited verbal communication skills, A-Chen primarily interacts with others through actions and with verbal guidance from the instructors. To help him communicate more effectively, the instructors introduced assistive tools such as communication picture cards and communication pens, enabling him to express his thoughts and needs. Through art classes, he has also been encouraged to explore different ways of self-expression, helping him make himself understood and overcome communication barriers.

Through art activities, A-Chen has been able to express himself in different ways and be understood by others.

According to the instructors, A-Chen always approaches daily training activities with a smile and a positive attitude toward new challenges. At first, he was only able to assist with packaging finished travel-sized soaps. Today, with encouragement from his teachers, he can independently complete more complex tasks such as adding essential oils, mixing pigments, and stirring ingredients, demonstrating significant progress. He now responds immediately by nodding and saying “yes” when spoken to by his teachers. When he feels proud of his performance, he happily gives a big thumbs-up to show his achievement. His instructors hope that A-Chen will continue to carry his smile forward and keep striving toward new accomplishments.