For many families affected by autism, life is often a long and lonely “marathon.” Autism occurs in early childhood; its causes are currently unknown, and there are no effective therapeutic drugs, so intervention mainly relies on long-term rehabilitation training. Data from the National Health Commission show that the prevalence of autism among children in China is about 7 per 1,000—behind this figure are countless families bearing enormous psychological and economic pressure.

On August 31, 2026, these families received exciting news. At the 50th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Seventh Shenzhen Municipal People’s Congress, the Several Provisions of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone on Care Services for People with Autism (Draft) (hereinafter referred to as the “Draft”) was formally submitted for deliberation.

This is not only China’s first local regulation covering full life-cycle care services for people with autism, but also Shenzhen’s attempt to use its special economic zone legislative power to weave a warm safety net for this special group and their families.

As the national Plan for the Protection and Development of Persons with Disabilities During the 15th Five-Year Plan Period lists the “Autism Full Life-Cycle Care Promotion Action” as a standalone section for the first time, Shenzhen’s legislation this time is an active response to the national strategy and to urgent difficulties and pressing concerns in people’s livelihoods. Since March 2025, the Standing Committee of the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Congress has conducted in-depth frontline research and truly touched the pain points of families affected by autism: unclear baseline numbers make it difficult for services to reach them precisely, support for teaching assistants and accompanying study in ordinary schools is insufficient, older autistic people face employment difficulties, and parents bear the heavy burden of almost year-round, uninterrupted care. Faced with these problems, the Draft breaks free from traditional official-document-style constraints and proposes a series of breakthrough institutional innovations.

Breaking Information Silos to Make Care Precisely “Navigated”

To help accurately, one must first be able to find them. In the past, relevant data on autistic people was often scattered across different departments, forming “information silos.” To break this situation, the Draft proposes establishing a statistical survey system for autistic people and, led by the municipal health department, joining with education, civil affairs, and other departments to build a full life-cycle information sharing platform. This cross-departmental coordination mechanism means that in the future Shenzhen will be able to carry out precise grading and classification of autistic people, so that assistance policies and resources can be accurately delivered to the families who truly need them, as if equipped with navigation.

Breaking Through Education and Employment: First Promoting a “Dual Employment” Model

Education and employment are two mountains that autistic people must cross to integrate into society. In terms of inclusive education, many families suffer because ordinary schools lack special education resources and can only pay out of pocket for someone to accompany their child in class, creating a heavy financial burden. The Draft specifically proposes that municipal and district education departments should improve the teaching assistant and accompanying-study system and gradually establish corresponding funding support mechanisms to effectively ease the burden on parents.

And when these children grow up, how can they live independently with dignity? The Draft offers a highly forward-looking “Shenzhen Plan”: it encourages the development of dual employment positions for autistic people and their parents, promoting synchronized employment for school-age autistic people and their parents. In addition, the regulation encourages public venues to develop public welfare positions, supports enterprises in providing employment and entrepreneurship sites with discounted rent, and in government procurement, under equal conditions, gives priority to purchasing products and services from supportive employment for autistic people. This shift from “mere relief” to “development empowerment” opens a door truly leading to society for older autistic individuals.

Building “doorstep” stations to give parents space to breathe

“If I grow old, what will happen to my child?” This is the sword of Damocles hanging over the heart of every parent of an autistic child. Long-term care not only drains parents’ physical strength but also tests the limits of their psychological endurance. The Draft keenly captures the core need of “family support” and elevates the “Star Station” model explored at the grassroots level into a regulatory system.

According to the Draft, district governments will rely on public resources such as community Party-mass service centers to widely build care service stations for people with autism. These “doorstep” stations can not only provide daytime care, communication, and rehabilitation training for people with autism, but more importantly, they can provide exhausted parents with temporary, inclusive, and affordable “respite services.” Combined with the gradually established government purchase of services mechanism, diverse forms of assistance such as psychological counseling and home visits will be carried out on a regular basis, so that parents no longer fight alone on the long road of caregiving.

Legal Safeguards and Financial Vitality: Building a Solid Baseline for Long-Term Protection

A truly effective regulation cannot do without strong financial support and legal constraints. The Draft clearly proposes incorporating care service funding into the fiscal budget and establishing a stable and sustainable guarantee mechanism. At the same time, it innovatively encourages the establishment of financial tools such as autism charitable trusts, special needs trusts, and commercial insurance, hoping to use the vitality of the market to address families’ long-term worries about who will care for their children after they are gone.

In terms of rights protection, the Draft has also unsheathed the “sword” of the rule of law—establishing a public interest litigation system. If infringement of the lawful rights and interests of people with autism damages the public interest, or if relevant administrative organs fail to perform their duties in accordance with the law, the People’s Procuratorate may file public interest litigation with the People’s Court. This powerful legal backing gives the regulation an inviolable, rigid bottom line.

According to the arrangements, the Draft is expected to officially take effect in 2027, and the municipal government will issue supporting implementation plans within six months from the date the regulation takes effect. This city, known for “Shenzhen Speed,” is working hard to show the whole of society its inclusive and friendly “Shenzhen warmth,” so that every life can share the fruits of the era’s development equally, fully, and with dignity.

Reporting by: Xie Yuye, journalist at Aoyi News.