“Autism spectrum disorder” (ASD) in children is becoming a sore point of the family and society, the pain of the mother, the father, the anxiety about the future of a generation. For many years working in preschool education, with many years of experience in detecting, supporting and educating children with many developmental disorders, including children “Autism spectrum disorder”, Director Thuy Dung has established the Institute of Psychological Research, Training and Application to accompany educational managers, teachers, and especially parents whose children are children with “Autism Spectrum Disorder” in order to detect and accept early to help their children integrate into life and be able to live independently.
Recently, Marketing & Family Magazine had the opportunity to meet and listen to the sharing of founder Thuy Dung about this meaningful project.
Reporter: Why did Thuy Dung decide to open the Institute of Psychological Research, Training and Application?
Founder – Director Thuy Dung: Before the decision to establish the Research Institute, I had many years working in the field of early childhood education, learning and intensive psychological research for children, including children “Autism Spectrum Disorder” (ASD). I noticed that children with “Autism Spectrum Disorder” have many difficulties in social communication, behavioral, language and emotional disorders, in addition to many other disorders that cause difficulties in daily life that make it difficult for children to integrate with their peers in class. With the desire to support children in the prevention of developmental disorders, children “Autism Spectrum Disorder” (ASD). I founded the “Mother’s Dream” Psychotherapy Counseling and Education Center System.
At the “Mother’s Dream” Psychotherapy Counseling Center, we put our children’s emotions and joy as the top priority, so the Center has built trust and position for parents and neighboring kindergartens in Thu Duc City – Ho Chi Minh City. However, due to the limited size of a Center, it is difficult for me to reconcile treatment and psychological education for children, join hands to support school teachers in raising awareness and education methods for children with special needs, At the same time, working with parents. With advice from industry experts, I decided to establish a Psychological Research, Training and Application Institute.
When deciding to establish the Institute of Psychological Research, Training and Application, how did you orient the development? Is it a social organization or business model-oriented?
I have spent many years doing early childhood education, intensive learning and research as well as accompanying children with “Autism Spectrum Disorder”. There, I understood, empathized, and loved my children as my own. That’s what motivated me to get to where I am today. For me, the establishment of the Institute is not aimed at business, I consider it a mission. Everything came as a pre-arranged itinerary and I embraced that.
With the establishment of the Research Institute, I hope to gather colleagues working in Psychology, be a bridge to connect with leading experts at home and abroad to take care of mental health for Vietnamese people, because of a healthy generation of Vietnamese children, I want to build the best support network for Children with “Autism Spectrum Disorder” and developmental disorders have the opportunity to be integrated into life.
In addition to studying the psychology of children with autism, can you share about other activities of the Institute of Psychological Research, Training and Application?
The institute will work on key arrays. One is to study psychological issues of Vietnamese people within organizations, schools and social communities, contributing to building Vietnamese psychology. The second is training and fostering in Psychology and human resources. The third is the application of psychological achievements to the practice of psychological education for children, human spiritual life, foreign affairs activities and international cooperation. In particular, children are the main target of the Institute, the “Mother’s Dream” Charity Project with the desire to connect with businesses and existing human resources to build a nationwide system of Psychotherapy Counseling Center to support children in many provinces and cities with difficulties when accessing psychological therapy support.
With the orientation of your role as a professional administrator, can you share your upcoming plans in educating and training children?
As a manager, I will link and connect with leading experts at home and abroad, businesses that want to invest and develop education to participate in research, training and application of scientific achievements in life, especially research of child development, adolescents, career orientation and entrepreneurship in the younger generation. Currently, in Vietnam, there are many good Psychology experts, many experts are very enthusiastic about the profession, I want to connect and join hands with teachers to build and develop Vietnamese Psychology. In addition, I will focus on research to find new solutions to improve the quality and efficiency of training.
During the operation of the center or the upcoming research institute, can you share the differences in operation?
Unlike the system of Psychotherapy Counseling Center “Mother’s Dream”, the Institute is a place to research, train staff, train knowledge for parents to raise children, take care of and detect early cases of children with language difficulties, intellectual development disorders to promptly support their children, cognitive training for preschool teachers about children “Autism Spectrum Disorder”, instructions on how to educate children, understand and reduce self-pressure when receiving children “Autism Spectrum Disorder”. In addition, the Institute connects skills training programs for students from kindergarten to high school, career orientation, etc.
The difference in the audience will make a difference in the operating process. With the Institute of Psychological Research, Training and Application having a human resource of psychologists, psychiatrists, educators and Psychology experts with extensive experience at home and abroad participating in the founding board and professional advisory board, this is an advantage for the Institute in the process of operation.
What are your wishes for parents when establishing the Research Institute?
According to incomplete statistics of the Ministry of Health, currently in our country the number of children diagnosed with autism is increasing sharply. On average, 1 in 100 children is found to have signs of “Autism Spectrum Disorder” every year, this number is sure to increase further due to various causes (environmental and genetic factors). Through this, Thuy Dung also wants parents to spend more time interacting with their children, limiting electronic devices, sending their children to the preschool environment to integrate early to interact with friends, early detection and acceptance to support timely treatment of children in the golden period of language development (0-6 years old) so that their children develop at the right age of child.
With the establishment of the Institute of Psychological Research, Training and Application and psychologists, businesses and social organizations will become an extension arm in the journey to find solutions to support children with “Autism Spectrum Disorder” to integrate into the community, join hands for a healthy generation of Vietnamese children to reduce the burden on their families and society assemble.
Thank you!
