Special Needs Education in Vietnam

For 11 years, Khang has attended the Kianh Foundation, a Holt-supported school for children with special needs in Vietnam. Despite his physical challenges due to cerebral palsy, Khang is growing and learning more than he ever dreamed possible because of this special place — and the sponsors and donors who support it.

Walking through the open-air halls and classrooms of the Kianh Foundation, we see children overcoming all kinds of challenges.

Some have Down syndrome or cerebral palsy. Many have learning disabilities or autism. Children use wheelchairs or walkers, and many have a one-on-one teacher who doesn’t leave their side. Some 4-year-olds may stay on the playground all day, with gentle coaxing from their teachers that will someday help them step foot in the classroom. Older children are happy and comfortable in their classrooms, where they learn life skills and do daily occupational and physical therapy.

11 Years at Kianh Foundation

Khang has attended Kianh Foundation for over 11 years, and has made incredible progress.

One boy we meet is Khang. He’s 16 years old and sits in a wheelchair. His arms are tense and lifted up to his sides, and his torso sways with involuntary movements. He has a severe case of cerebral palsy (CP) — a brain condition that affects his physical mobility, but has no effect on his mind. And Khang’s mind is exceptionally brilliant.

Many children at Kianh Foundation are nonverbal, and it’s safe to assume that if they do speak, it’s in Vietnamese. But this isn’t the case for Khang.

Although his words sound elongated and strained as a result of his CP, once your ears adjust to his manner of speaking, you realize you can understand him — because he’s speaking English.

“I have learned everything here,” Khang says. “For example, I learned how to do all kinds of the daily work to serve myself independently. And some subjects I’ve also learned — history, geography and I do physical therapy.” One of his teachers, a devoted mentor who has worked with him the past 11 years, even taught him English.

Khang was just 5 years old when he first came to Kianh Foundation. Before Kianh, his mom sent him to a daycare that claimed to provide rehabilitation for children with special needs. But Khang says he just sat, all day, every day, treated like an inanimate object. As he struggled with speech, and had never received speech therapy, he sat silently — afraid to talk. Khang craved connection and interaction. He cried every day that he had to go back to daycare.

“I have learned everything here.”

No one recognized that locked inside Khang’s body was a bright and funny little boy with a mind still malleable and eager to learn.

Thankfully, because of the generosity of sponsors and donors, a spot opened for Khang at the Holt-supported Kianh Foundation.

Dream-Worthy Potential

At Kianh, his teachers saw who he could be — the potential he didn’t even know to dream of before.

One teacher, the one who taught him English, has worked with Khang since the very beginning. She has mobility issues herself, walking with a slight limp, so she understands just how important it is for the children here to have the opportunity to grow and develop.

Khang’s newest, most difficult, pursuit is practicing with a walking frame. It requires an extraordinary amount of effort. In the purple shirt is the teacher who has worked with him for 11 years, even teaching him English.

“I’m so proud of his progress,” she says. “His first days and months here, he hardly moved. He couldn’t do anything. But with the support and the physical therapy and the daily activities, his abilities have improved a lot.”

Not only has she helped him grow and develop physically, but it’s with her tutoring that Khang has learned English, too.

Steady, Life-Changing Progress

Every day at the Kianh Foundation, Khang learns typical school subjects such as math, reading and geography. The classes also emphasize learning daily life skills, and every day Khang does intensive physical therapy to grow and stretch his muscles and work towards becoming as independent as possible. His progress has been steady, and life changing.

Khang enjoys using the computer to look up new subjects while at school.

He can transfer himself from his wheelchair to another chair or his bed. He can go to the bathroom by himself. And he can use a computer to learn more about any subject he wishes. Khang is smart and understanding. He loves his family and talks about them often. He is friends with everyone and always takes on the role of class leader. He’s very good at math, and can do complex calculations in his head. Despite his physical challenges, Khang is very passionate about soccer, and always takes the lead as goalkeeper for the team.

“He doesn’t give up despite his physical difficulties. Instead, he increasingly strives to practice more.”

Khang’s newest skill is something he’s always dreamed of doing… walking. With a teacher standing protectively behind him, Khang can hoist himself out of his wheelchair and move to a walking frame. Every day, he practices walking on this frame around the covered walkway at the school. With slow and painstaking steps, he moves the frame — and his body — forward. For someone with cerebral palsy like Khang, this requires an incredible amount of strength and concentration. But he is doing it!

“He doesn’t give up despite his physical difficulties,” his teacher says, with a proud smile on her face. “Instead, he increasingly strives to practice more.”

Khang’s biggest dream is that he can do his daily activities by himself. Someday, he even hopes to live independently — saying he doesn’t want his parents to have to worry about him when they’re old.

Khang (far right) and his classmates do adaptive yoga as part of their physical therapy at school.

Everything Khang has achieved in the past 11 years is thanks to the therapy, support and education he’s received here at the Kianh Foundation. And with this help, he’ll continue toward the goals and dreams he still has.

Proud of His Skills

While Khang’s physical challenges appear more severe than many of the children here, he is proud of his skills, and encourages the other students to develop their own skills too.

At Kianh Foundation, children are grouped into classes not based on age, but by ability. These are Khang’s classmates, who are in the more advanced class.

“I think they are going to be successful, and even more successful than me,” Khang says about his friends and fellow students, “but the success depends on the skills that each of us has. They may be successful in different skills, and I am successful in my own skills. I love all the students here because they support me a lot.”

A boy in a wheelchair with cerebral palsy smiles at the camera — Khang is such a bright light, and he has hope for his future because of all he’s learned at this special school.

The progress every one of these students makes is only possible because of the generous support of Holt sponsors and donors across the world. Khang’s life changed because there was a spot for him here at this special school. As was the case for every student here. There’s currently a waitlist of about 200 other children waiting, hoping to come here.

“I’m very happy to be a student at Kianh Foundation,” Khang says. “This is my second family.”