The Undiscovered Lonely
In the first issue of this column, I mentioned our upcoming training program for high-functioning bilingual autistic individuals. A reader contacted us after reading about it. I arranged a meeting. He came with his wife and their 16-year-old daughter, S. We introduced the program’s goals and details.
P has three children. The older two are married; S, the youngest, is 16. She has always been quiet, reserved, and obedient, being the “good child” of the family. At home, they speak Cantonese. S understands it but rarely speaks Chinese, communicating mostly in English. Her academic performance is average. She has no major learning difficulties but rarely collaborates with classmates and is often overlooked.
As she grew older, P noticed she became increasingly withdrawn, reluctant to socialize, and immersed in her own world, with few friends and diminishing confidence in life. After seeking psychological evaluation, she was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum.
After completing Year 11 with modest results, she chose to pursue vocational training to acquire practical work skills. Her parents understand that in Australia, having work skills generally ensures livelihood. What concerns them more is whether S can communicate and connect with others, whether she will live in isolation. When she was diagnosed with autism, they felt even more uncertain about how to help her.
In the past, autism was often associated only with nonverbal individuals who struggled severely with communication or emotional regulation. S did not fit that stereotype as a child.
Among current NDIS participants, boys aged 5–7 account for around 13–14%, while girls account for about 6.4%. More than half are autistic. Boys are more frequently identified, likely because girls develop language earlier and may be more compliant, drawing less attention to social differences. Thus, many girls with autism remain undiagnosed, seen merely as “a bit different.” S’s situation fits this pattern.
Broadening Social Exposure
S communicates little with her parents. As she has grown more independent, they find it harder to understand her thoughts. Although I had just met her, she openly shared her situation. We discussed how the media training program might help. She has little interest in current affairs and limited social interaction, leading to minimal awareness of broader society. Through participation, she would engage with news reporting and develop awareness of the world around her.
S reads only simple Chinese and speaks Cantonese but is fully fluent in English. She enjoys art, video creation, and online content production. I asked whether she had heard of NotebookLM, an AI information management tool developed by Google. She had briefly encountered it but was not very familiar. That told me she was not disconnected from the digital world.
Today’s youth can access vast information online. Autistic individuals can connect with the world digitally without constant face-to-face interaction. Our training program focuses on using computers and technology to process information and publish content across media platforms. For example, S could convert spoken current affairs broadcasts into bilingual written articles using AI tools for our English website, Blessingcald.com.au, or transform them into audio or video content for YouTube. In doing so, she would become more socially engaged.
Professional editors would guide her step by step, ensuring accuracy and professional standards. This process would build her skills and improve her capacity to collaborate in future workplaces.
Autistic Individuals Need Training
Society lacks systematic support for autistic individuals. Identification must come first. Boys are often diagnosed earlier due to behavioral challenges, while girls may remain unnoticed. After adolescence, both boys and girls often gain better emotional regulation. If they voluntarily join training programs, their chances of success increase significantly.
If autistic individuals possess adequate language ability and no intellectual barriers, appropriate training methods can yield strong results. Yet once young people become independent, parents may withdraw expectations due to communication gaps and frustration. These individuals then face the workforce alone. Employers rarely offer special tolerance simply because someone is autistic, making employment difficult to secure.
Government policy often channels them into disability-focused workplaces involving repetitive, simple tasks. For high-functioning autistic individuals with normal intelligence and physical ability, such roles may feel unstimulating, leading many to withdraw from the workforce entirely and become socially isolated.
We believe that with proper training and foundational collaboration skills, high-functioning autistic individuals can thrive in ordinary work environments. Our program bridges the gap between learning and employment. The NDIS can provide funding for eligible participants.
To begin, interested individuals must apply to the National Disability Insurance Agency to become NDIS participants, undergo assessment, develop a plan, and secure funding before enrolling. Otherwise, fees must be self-funded.
If readers are interested in this program or wish to learn more, please contact raymond@sameway.com.au. Australia’s support for autistic individuals is generous, but many people — especially within migrant communities — remain unaware of available assistance or how to navigate the application process.
No matter when autism is identified, as long as a person is willing to receive training, there remains opportunity to connect with society and build the capacity to work alongside others.
For those interested in the program, contact raymond@sameway.com.au or 0422 871 799 for more details.
Mr. Raymond Chow