Basketball lessons help autistic kids learn to interact with others

Two years after establishing the country's first basketball team for autistic kids, the Children's Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai announced the start of free basketball classes on Sunday, ahead of World Autism Awareness Day on Tuesday.

Autistic people under 14 years old, especially younger ones, can sign up for the classes, which will be held once every two weeks and last an hour. Basketball is one approach to helping them boost their interpersonal skills and become more integrated with society.

Early intervention will produce better results in the behavioral development of autistic children, doctors said.