Answering the special education challenge

"When we were asked what special education was in our first class at a normal university, 40 of us gave more than 20 answers", said Zhao Changhong, now a teacher at a special school in Beijing's Xicheng district.

Zhao, 44, had no idea what kind of students she would face when she was allocated to the special education class of a normal university in Beijing's Fengtai district in 1991.

"Careers like teacher, doctor and accountant were steady for graduates in our generation," she said. "That was my only concern for choosing a major."