Bring Hope to Kids with KannerSydrome
創造肯納症者的未來與希望
As a mother of a Kanner Syndrome individual, I staggered along as I accompanied my child. Looking back, I have experienced many unforgettable moments. As my child grew up, I realized that I still have a lot to do since the society is not aware and acceptive of those individuals with special needs. Yet, my biggest fear is whether those exceptional children can be treated with dignity and respect as the parents gradually age.
身為一名肯納症患者的母親，一路陪者孩子跌跌撞撞的長大，心中有太多的刻骨銘心的記憶和感觸；而在孩子長大成人後，看到他們在這個社會上仍未被普遍瞭解與接納，更深深覺得我們要做的事還有很多很多。最令人難以放心的是，這些孩子在父母逐漸老去後，是否仍能理直氣壯而有尊嚴的活下去，受到社會給予一個人所應有的尊重和對待更是父母心中最深的焦慮。
Since several mothers conceived that Kanner Syndrome adults hold the right to live with dignity, we collaborated to garner support from other parents and those who care about Kanner Syndrome individuals. We stepped out the hardest part and established Kanner Syndrome Support Group. Each one of us shared the same vision and goal and hoped that we could accumulate more participation, concern, and resources from our government and society. Thus, we could bring in powerful forces in helping those innocent Kanner Syndrome individuals to live with dignity eternally.
就因為我們體會到肯納症者成年後應擁有尊嚴的養護生活，於是在楊思根教授與詹和悅老師的帶領與幾位母親的努力奔走下我們得到更多家長和關心肯納症者的愛心人士的支持，我們走出了最困難的一步，創立了肯納基金會。大家都有共同的理念與目標，也更希望藉由這可貴的第一步，邀集更多熱心人士的參與和關懷，以及政府和社會資源的加入，讓我們能匯集成一股強大的力量，去幫助這些永遠純真、善良而可愛的肯納兒，讓他們能夠一路有尊嚴的生活下去。
People used to refer to Kanner Syndrome individuals as “children with autism”since we assumed that they are self-enclosed and uncomfortable in communicating with others; but this is not the case. We can see the eagerness in the eyes of the so-called autistic kids when they want to participate in a group. When those kids grow up, the more we can perceive that they are longing to engage in a peer relationship and they like the common qualities as getting along with people. However, our kids are not accepted because they lack the skills of socializing due to physiological lesions in their brains. In order to avoid misunderstanding in our country, we rectify “autism” as “KannerSyndromes”as how other foreign countries do. To commemorate Dr. Leo Kanner (1943), who published the first medical report on Kanner Syndrome, we named our support group after him and we hope that the society can have a better understanding of Kanner Syndrome individuals.
過去我們習慣以自閉症來稱呼這些孩子，覺得他們是自我封閉，不喜歡與外界溝通；但其實並非如此。在一群嬉戲遊玩的孩童身邊，我們可以看到在所謂的自閉兒眼中，仍有渴望加入群體的眼神。在孩子長大後，更能深深感覺他們也希望能擁有人際關係，並喜歡與人相處的共通特質。所不同的是，由於他們在腦部存有生理病變，因此始終缺乏與人交往的技巧，因而很難為一般人所接受。為了調整外界對他們的誤解，我們因此努力配合國外的趨勢，將自閉症正名為肯納症，以紀念第一次發表肯納症報告的美國醫生肯納（Leo Kanner，1943年），並以此替基金會命名，也期望社會大眾因此而能對他們有更正確的認識。
After the establishment of the support group, we will focus on the enhancement of Kanner Syndrome individuals, the integration of parents’ resources, and the advocacy of society. Concerning on Kanner Syndrome individuals, we not only will conduct a series of seminars to raise awareness for Kanner Syndrome, but we also will hold regular life skill training programs to assist those kids in each of their critical growing period. At the same time, youth fellowships will be held to aid Kanner Syndrome individuals with job employment and adaptation of community life.
基金會成立後，將從肯納症者本身、家長資源整合及社會宣導等三方面的服務齊步並進。就肯納症者方面，除將舉辦一系列與肯納症者相關的講座，讓所有的肯納兒及家庭與關心我們的社會大眾，共同來關心這個重要的問題；並定期舉辦分齡溝通、生活技能訓練班，在孩子成長的每個關鍵期，給予適當的協助；同時組織青年肯納症者聯誼會，並協助輔導肯納症者就業和適應社區生活等。
In regards to parents’ resources, other than holding parents’ mutual help groups and self-help groups, providing teaching-related counsel services, and conducting parent seminars, we will also supply professional information via our bi-monthly publications. Furthermore, the support group will combine professions of medical care, rehabilitation, special education, and psychological and social welfare to set up an unprecedented Kanner Syndrome sheltered employment site. We will also advocate basic privileges for Kanner Syndrome individuals and summon up the government to implement educational, medical, and residential policies.
在家長資源方面，除了辦理家長自我成長和相互支援團體，提供家長本身及教養相關諮詢服務之外，並定期舉辦親子教育研習營。同時基金會將透過雙月刊的出版，提供專業資訊內容與生活關懷。基金會也將結合醫療、復健、特教、心理及社會福利的專業，建立前所未有的肯納症者獨立養護模式，並倡導肯納症者的基本權利，督促政府落實在就學、就醫及養護三方面的政策。
The purposes of the establishment of the Kanner Syndrome Support Group are to restore the dignity and opportunities for Kanner Syndrome individuals and to give them the chances to seek out their dream land in this environment.
成立肯納基金會，只是為了回歸肯納兒應有的生存尊嚴與機會，讓這群孩子能在現有的社會環境中，尋覓出一塊生存之地。
We have seen too many negative examples of exceptional adults who are not being taken care of properly. If those unfortunate fates repeatedly occur, our society will be a failure and the existence of those children renders insignificant. As the number of kanner syndrome individuals increases, the issue becomes an inevitable long-term problem and it cannot be ignored. We have to put efforts in it because this is of our concern. Way to go and carry on!
我們已看到太多的大孩子，最終仍得不到妥善養護的例子。如果這些孩子的命運仍不斷重演，始終未能得到改善，那便是我們以及整個社會的失敗，而這些孩子的曾經存在也就失去其意義了。隨著肯納症者的人數逐漸增加，這已是一項不容忽視、且無可逃避的長期性社會問題。既存在於你我之間，也關乎你我的生活，因此當然需要大家的關心和努力。就讓我們一起加油、向前吧！