HARBIN－Wang Min repeated the same sentences to a computer screen－patiently and tenderly－dozens of times that day.

The special needs teacher was giving an online class to an autistic child due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, which makes face-to-face teaching problematic.

On the other side of the screen sat Haorui and his mother. Holding a card showing an apple, the mother repeated the word over and over again, trying to draw her child's attention and get him to identify the fruit.

Haorui, however, quickly grew impatient, ignored her instructions and even tore the card in two. After several further attempts, the anxious parent lost her patience and contemplated giving up.

Wang calmed the mother down before guiding her to the next step. "Despite some obstacles in communication, Haorui has his interests and emotions," she explained. "We should respect that and help him improve on the basis of respect. Timing is also important in our training."

The 34-year-old teacher has worked voluntarily in four autism institutions in Suihua, Heilongjiang province, for the past decade. She has brought hope to more than 200 families who have members with autism, a developmental disorder causing impediments in social, emotional and communication skills.

"Kids with autism are often called 'children of the stars' in China, who, like stars, twinkle alone in a distant and dark sky," Wang said. "Learning such seemingly simple concepts as fruit may take them a year, even in professional rehabilitation centers."

The virus outbreak, which has shut down schools and confined children in their homes, causes Wang to worry that her students might "regress without proper, timely training".

Fortunately, the internet has brought hope as it links "the children of the stars" with their teacher in the cloud.

More than 20 students have participated in Wang's online classes, but their situations vary, and so do the teaching abilities of different parents. On Jan 30, Wang started to provide one-on-one online training, which she believes is more effective.

Mobile phones and laptops are now Wang's daily teaching tools. She handles more than 1,000 messages every day, solving parents' problems such as how to issue instructions and how to control eye contact.

She devotes almost all of her time to the remote classes and often uses her 7-year-old daughter to help demonstrate how to conduct proper training.

"Every child is an angel. As a parent myself, it's pleasing and meaningful to help autistic children with my professional knowledge," Wang said.

Xinhua