More support needed for ethnic minority children with special needs, charity says

A non-profit children’s education organisation in Hong Kong has urged the government to expand support services for preschool-aged ethnic minority children with special needs to more districts, after a pilot project found that 95 per cent of participants showed improvement.

Heep Hong Society said on Sunday that many ethnic minority families faced multiple barriers when seeking support for children with special educational needs (SEN), including language difficulties, financial constraints and cultural stigma.

According to the Education Bureau, early identification of special educational needs is vital to ensuring children receive timely intervention and support.

Children must have a diagnosis to attend government-funded Early Education and Training Centres or Special Child Care Centres, which provide preschool rehabilitation services for children with special needs.