Getting to know Larissa Downes

Name

Larissa Downes

Chairperson, Special Needs Network Hong Kong (SNNHK)

Place of Birth

Hong Kong

I lived in Hong Kong as a child for around 6 years and returned as an adult.

Year of your return to Hong Kong

1992

What brought you back to Hong Kong?

After graduating in the UK, I took a year out to travel in Australia.  I planned a stopover on my way home, and arrived in Hong Kong for a two-week holiday to take a look at the place where I’d lived as a child. And then I stayed. It’s now been 30 years and counting!

How did you get involved with the special needs community?

I met Kim Anderson, SNNHK’s founder, after my son who had developmental disabilities was around one year old. She encouraged me to join a small group that she had formed.

How are you currently involved with the special needs community?

I have been part of SNNHK for around 20 years. In those days it was a small group of parents, meeting up for drinks occasionally on a social basis. The common connection for attendees was having a child with special needs or disabilities, and we were seeking support and a break from the pressures of parenting.

I stayed part of the network and then became more involved as SNNHK began to grow and formalize. In 2015, I joined the volunteer committee to help as we kick-started events and set up as a Society, and I took over as Chairperson from Kim Anderson in 2020.

Please tell us about SNNHK. 

SNNHK is a peer support network for families of children with neurodiversity, special educational needs and disabilities. Our motto is: Connect, Support, Empower and Share. We celebrated our 20-year anniversary in 2023 and we are currently applying for Charity status for SNNHK.

Who is eligible to join?

We welcome all parents and caregivers of children with special needs in Hong Kong to join SNNHK. We are primarily an English-speaking network, and our members are from diverse backgrounds. Many, like me, have raised their families in Hong Kong and call it home.

If access to information is challenging for non-Chinese speakers facing a new diagnosis, for example, we help bridge the gap and guide parents to relevant resources.

How many members do you currently have?

We have more than 700 members, a committee of seven, and we ran 40 activities last year.

What kinds of activities do you organise?

SNNHK runs events and social get-togethers for parents and families, including movie showings, family days, talks and seminars, drinks evenings, and monthly coffee mornings.

We provide information on special needs resources in Hong Kong on our website, and we share experience and answer questions in our social media groups.

A great way to get to know us is by joining a coffee morning, or coming along to our “Splice the Mainbrace” social, held on the third Thursday of the month at Museum Café 8 in collaboration with Talos Foundation, where students of Jockey Club Sarah Roe School work as servers.

As a parent yourself, how important was SNNHK for you?

Joining the SNNHK community when my son was an infant was incredibly helpful. I made friends, found a safe space to talk (and cry!), and learn about the new world I would be navigating. We often hear from members in our community how important SNNHK has been for them, first in helping them find a group of like-minded people that understand the challenges they are facing.

Parenting a child with additional needs can be difficult, both practically and emotionally, and quite isolating. A parent of a child with a new (or suspected) diagnosis may not know where to turn for information on a range of issues, from medical resources, to schooling options, therapy choices, social welfare support, and self-care, among others. The SNNHK network aims to help fill that information gap.

Are you able to offer support for parents of children with different types of special needs? 

Yes, the children in the families in our network have a wide range of additional needs. Many in the group are parents of children with neurodiversity – diagnosed with autism or ADHD, for example – or they may have dyslexia, other specific learning difficulties, physical disabilities, intellectual disabilities, or complex medical needs.

Were you able to find the appropriate support for your own child in Hong Kong?

Yes, absolutely. We were quickly referred to Queen Mary Hospital and the Duchess of Kent Children’s Hospital when my son was around 4 months old, and we have been lucky to have amazing care from their paediatric teams until recently, when my son transitioned to adult care, all in the local public health system. He has also attended a local special needs school since he was around 8 years old.

What are some of the more common questions and concerns that you hear from new parents joining the group?

The number one question we are asked about is schooling. Options for a child with special educational needs may be limited, especially for non-Chinese speakers. Other questions that come up frequently are where to get a child assessed, how to find the right therapy support and, what kind of activities such as sports can be accessed by kids with additional needs.

Through the SNNHK website and active discussions in our social media groups, we help point families in the right direction. Parents of older children who have walked the path before are an excellent resource, ready to help advise and guide new joiners to the network.

Do you collaborate with any other professionals or groups?

Yes, we frequently invite professionals to speak at our workshops and seminars, including educators, doctors, therapists and others, both from Hong Kong and overseas, as we help expand knowledge around issues relevant for parents of children with additional needs.

We are building our connections with other NGOs in Hong Kong and have offered events in collaboration with YAMA Foundation, Talos Foundation, Sovereign Art Foundation and ProBonoHK, and we are currently developing a series on Schooling in Hong Kong with SENIA-HK.

Do you think there is adequate support for individuals with special needs and their families in Hong Kong?

The support available for individuals with additional needs and their families is undoubtedly growing. We see increasing efforts to raise awareness around issues relating to neurodiversity and accessibility in particular.  While there is still some way to go, I see considerable progress having been made in recent years.

What are some areas that need improvement? 

Acceptance: only through education will society become more accepting of individuals with visible and invisible differences.

Access: too many buildings, streets and transport facilities pose challenges for those with mobility issues.

Education: finding the right school for our children with special educational needs remains a challenge.

Work: the level of awareness is growing around employment for PWDs and there are some hard-working NGOs and corporations making meaningful steps in this area, but the path to employment is filled with obstacles for many young adults.

There are many NGOs advocating for people with neurodiversity and disabilities, and we encourage them in making strides to promote a more equal society in Hong Kong in the years ahead.

Do you know of any other useful resources in Hong Kong for parents?

A good starting point is the Resources section of SNNHK’s website, where you can find information on plenty of organisations offering resources to families in Hong Kong.

What have been some of the rewards of running SNNHK?

The rewards are seen in every connection we make with parents walking a similar path, finding a shared understanding, and helping in some small way with the challenges they are facing.

It is always wonderful hearing feedback from parents attending our events who are grateful to have come away with a new connection, an idea, or a parenting tip they can take home.

Where can parents find more information about SNNHK and how to get in touch? 

SNNHK has a website: www.snnhk.org

You may subscribe to our Newsletter to stay informed about upcoming events, or if you are a parent of a child with special needs, please join SNNHK as a member, to gain access to our social media groups and Members Resources.

Parents and caregivers are welcome to contact us at: connect@snnhk.org

DISCLAIMER: This content is provided for general information only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, nor is it a substitute for medical examination, diagnosis, treatment, advice or care. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content. The views expressed are those of the individuals profiled and do not necessarily reflect the views of Transformative Movement Limited. Although we make reasonable efforts to update the information on our site, we make no representations, warranties, promises or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the content is accurate, complete or up to date. Further, we make no representations, warranties, promises or guarantees concerning any particular outcome, result or improvement as a result of any method, programme, treatment or practice mentioned. If you have any concerns regarding your/your child's particular condition, please consult a medical doctor. Where links are provided to other websites and resources provided by third parties, these links are provided for your general information only. Such links should not be interpreted as a recommendation, endorsement or approval by us of those linked websites or information you may obtain from them. We have no control over the nature, content, accuracy or availability of those websites or resources.