On a sunny autumn day, teenagers and their parents were busy harvesting corn and sweet potatoes in Tianjin.

Yunyao is a 17-year-old autistic (自闭症的) boy. He smiled shyly while shucking corn. “We ate the corn we grew ourselves. It’s very delicious,” he said.

This farm is called Hui’ai Farm. It means “a farm that collects love”. Eight families set it up. All these families have autistic or intellectually disabled children. Yunyao’s father, Zhu Xijun, is one of the founders (创建者). He was a lawyer before, but now he works on the farm every day. “I don’t need the farm to make money. The children are beyond the age for going to school. They need something to do,” he said.

Guan Xiaoyan is another founder. Her 17-year-old son is also autistic. The boy used to be quiet. But now he is outgoing because of the farm work. “He learned teamwork. He has healthy habits now. He is willing to play with others,” Guan said.