Autistic boy may return to school

The parents of a 15-year-old autistic boy, who has since May been asked to leave his school four times in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, are hoping their son will be allowed to return to class, after a charity foundation said it would help, according to the Guangzhou-based News Express Monday.

Li Meng was expelled from the Baocheng Elementary School earlier this month after parents of 19 of his classmates signed a letter complaining that he disturbs the class with inappropriate behavior.

Chen Hongle, a program director of the Shenzhen-based One Foundation, said they held a meeting with the Baocheng school and the district's officials on Friday.

The boy will undergo a professional assessment and will be allowed to return to school if he meets enrollment standards.

The foundation has said it will help fund the training of teachers who work with special-needs students and pay for school facilities that may be required to help autistic children.

During a support group meeting held Saturday, parents of autistic children called on education officials to tackle the enrollment challenges facing their children.

The State education authorities' regulation in 1994 stipulates that schools cannot refuse to accept children with disabilities who meet the enrollment requirements.