Wollongong's Big Fat Smile team is heading to China to roll out a training package it has developed for the families of the 13 million children with autism in that country.
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Until now, children with autism in China have missed out on early detection and education.
The Wollongong not-for-profit organisation is about to help those children in a partnership with the University of Wollongong.
Big Fat Smile runs more than 40 preschools, long day-care centres and school age clubs and has a wealth of experience which is being tapped into in Beijing.
Chief executive Bill Feld told an Illawarra Business Chamber Export Growth China event that Big Fat Smile had made many inroads since directors of a Chinese early education group visited last March.
But he said it was two visits to Beijing last year that allowed Big Fat Smile to help Australia's major trading partner pursue an important social outcome.
Until five years ago China did not have a system for, or expertise in, the diagnosis of autism.
"In a country with 1.3 billion, there are at least 13 million people with autism but less than 100 doctors in China that can reliably diagnose it," Mr Feld said.
"There are also only a handful of treatment centres typically relying on massage and herbal remedies.
"I met with senior representatives of the Capital Institute of Paediatrics to discuss a collaboration to bring relief to families whose children have autism. Effective early intervention for children with autism requires many hours of one-on-one time.
"The pitch was simple. Harness the most motivated people, the parents and families, and train them in early intervention techniques and let them shape better futures for their children."
Mr Feld said Big Fat Smile signed a memorandum of understanding to share the best in Western research on autism and develop a training package for families.
It has since partnered with the University of Wollongong and representatives travelled to Beijing on April 7 to present the research and training framework.
"From there we will submit our application to the Chinese Disabled Persons Federation for the funding of a city pilot," he said.
"The federation is the funding body for everything on disabilities in China. We beat off competition from four other international groups to put in a bid, one of which waved $25 million in cash to seed fund a pilot."
Mr Feld believed Big Fat Smile was chosen because it looked at what the decision makers thought was most important - "family solutions", not instant commercial gain.
Mr Feld said after the Beijing visit in April, some important Chinese government officials would be coming to Wollongong in May for a special conference coinciding with the 25th annual China Autism Day.
"If it all goes to plan, tens of millions of dollars will be allocated to the city pilot," he said.
"If the training package is embraced, it will be rolled out across China. These are the government's words, not mine. So for a small insignificant not-for-profit from little old Wollongong we have the opportunity to shape social policy and make a life-changing impact for millions of people."