奇速英语

十年逐浪：让“星星的孩子”重归人间

Li Liyong was born in 1983. He learnt yachting(帆船运动) when he was eight years old. He was a national yachting team sportsman. Nine years ago, he visited a special education school and understood autistic(患孤独症的) children for the first time.

Li thought that the ocean and yachting gave him power, and he wanted them to help take autistic children out of a closed spiritual world. However, at first, nobody supported his idea because the sport has risks. But Li didn’t give up. He visited several schools and read some information about how to deal with autistic children.

In May 2013, the first group including 20 children and their parents began their adventure. Many children refused to board the yacht or were very afraid. However, when sailing on the ocean, they slowly calmed down. And when they sat and tried to put their feet into the water, they smiled. Li knew it had worked.

A child called Xiaoyu was one of the first to take a part. His mother said he became more outgoing and began to shake hands with other children. He also shared his happiness with his family. The mother of another child, Xiaoxin, said he looked very happy on the sea. “Seeing the happiness on his face gives me hope. He would answer my questions, which he wouldn’t do at home,” she said.

For Li, the biggest change for these children was that they had learnt to play and communicate with others. Li hopes that more people can know, understand, and accept autistic children and learn to treat(对待) them like everyone else.