The Autism Society Philippines (ASP) is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to the well-being of persons with autism spectrum disorder. The ASP has been in the forefront of providing services and training to families living with autism.
The Autism Society Philippines (ASP) has grown from the 11 mothers who bonded together for the causes of their children in 1989, to nearly 10,000 members, with 63 chapters all over the country.
Leading in Autism Advocacy
The ASP increases public awareness about challenges faced by Filipinos on the spectrum, advocating for appropriate services, and providing the latest information regarding intervention, education and advocacy. It is comprised of PWAs, families, teachers and educators whose lives have been touched by autism.
Speaking In Unison
The ASP reaches out to the many communities across the islands to organize and help make available services and support to persons with autism and their families, in close coordination with government agencies , local government units and community builders. Our chapters remain to be driving force behind the organization's meteoric growth.
For four years, Autism Society Philippines Cavite Chapters have held their annual Siblings Camp Philippines (SibsCamP), a two-day support-group activity where siblings of persons with autism come and meet together for a series of activities that will equip them with knowledge and understanding autism, as well as share their experiences with their brothers’ and sisters’ journey with autism.
During the camp, the siblings engage in different group activities, and in the process, their relationships grow stronger, not only with their siblings with autism, but also with each other.
This year, as a way to end this year’s summer season, ASP Cavite Chapters will be having their 5th SibsCamP on 1-2 June 2013, and will be facilitated by Teacher My Sorongon.
Venue will be announced soon. For inquiries and reservations, contact Chie Marquez at 09175406727 or Gerard Atienza at 09212010004, or e-mail ASP Bacoor Chapter at asp.bacoor@gmail.com
This seminar will discuss how schools can effectively adjust their curricular framework to accept students with disabilities, including children with autism. The seminar will also present ways of accessing the general education curriculum and how students, with and without disabilities are evaluated. Participants will learn different approaches on how to make ALL students function in an inclusive classroom environment.
Dr. Mercedes P. Adorio obtained her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Educational Sociology from the University of the Philippines, Diliman. She studied at Indiana University on a Fulbright scholarship and majored in Developmental Disabilities. She was a professor at the UP, Diliman until her retirement in 2008. She also served as College Secretary and as Faculty-in-Charge of the Special Education area of the Division of Curriculum and Instruction of the said university. She founded Fairfield, a school that applies inclusion. Dr. Adorio is currently teaching Early Childhood Education subject at Roosevelt College in Cainta..
SpedDance Movement Therapy
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
The seminar-workshop aims to equip participants with knowledge and understanding of SpedDance Movement Therapy. It is designed to help parents, guardians, and caregivers understand the program goals for persons with disabilities. The seminar will also explain the uniqueness of the program approach to addressing the developmental disability of the special needs person, the application of Applied Behavioral Analysis Principles (ABA) with the creative use of unique and innovative intervention/assessment tools, and a hands-on demonstration of the program. Likewise, it will help participants understand, come to terms with, and get a feeling about “joining a special needs person’s world”.
Ms. Ana Rivera is a special education teacher, choreographer, dance therapy specialist and co-owner of SpedDance Movement Therapy Services. She is the founder of The Heart At Play (THP), an advocacy program that promotes Dance Movement Therapy to special needs children from the marginalized sector of society. She also engages in creating and developing intervention and assessment tools to supplement the Dance Movement Therapy program. T. Ana completed an intensive course program with the American Dance Therapy in New York City led by Dr. Miriam Roskin Berger, former Director of the educational program at New York University and current Director of Dance Therapy Program at the Harkness Dance Center, New York, USA. T. Ana holds her dance sessions at Bridges Foundation and Sacred Heart Parish in Quezon City. She also gives home based services.
Venue: Bridges Foundation, Inc. #22 Scout Limbaga Street, Brgy. Laging Handa, Quezon City
SEMINAR FEE is inclusive of certificate, handouts and snacks
Pre-registered participants may pay to Autism Society Philippines, Metro Bank, Kamias Branch Account # 047-3-04751874-2. Please fax the deposit slip with the name/s of participant/s to ASP office and bring it on the day of the seminar. On-site registrants will be accepted depending on the availability of slots. There will only be 70 slots available. No refund will be given to participants who did not show up on the date of the seminar. For more details, please call ASP at 9266941/9298447
The ASP Seminar Series serves as a platform to educate Filipino parents and professionals on the various interventions, modalities and theories surrounding Autism Spectrum Disorder. Their application and implementation are left at your discretion. The views and personal experiences of the speakers are of their own and don’t necessarily reflect that of the views of the organization.
Share your HOPES and DREAMS with us. We will listen
Our facilitator for the May 18 Family Support Group session is Dr. Nida Juat-Valeriano. Dr. Nida obtained her Doctor of Education from Trinity University of Asia, and her Masters in Special Education from the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City. She is the owner, administrator and director of N. Valeriano Tutorial and Training Center for Special Children and Adults in Valenzuela City. A faculty member teaching MAED SPED and PhD Subjects at Our Lady of Fatima University Graduate School, Dr. Valeriano is the founding President of Autism Society Philippines Valenzuela City Chapter. Jeffrey, her 30 year old son with autism, is currently her assistant at their tutorial center. Dr. Nida’s valuable experiences as a parent and educator will surely help parents in their journey with autism.
In response to the growing needs of siblings of persons with autism, Autism Society Philippines (ASP) chapters have been conducting sibling support group activities in the form of SibsCamP or Siblings Camp Philippines for the past five years.
The camp is an alternative way for the siblings to get to know each other and establish support outside their respective families. It is also a venue to acquire knowledge and understanding about autism as well as to share their experiences, concerns, worries and triumphs of having a sibling with autism.
ASP Laguna Chapter leads with 4 SibsCamPs conducted followed by Cavite with 3, Diliman with 2, and Marikina with 1. Approximately, 160 siblings have experienced this unique camp ever since it started in 2009. The camp is made possible through the efforts of the chapters and their officers, a resource person/lead facilitator and more importantly, the adult siblings acting as co-facilitators. The adult siblings immense contribution to the camp is their sharing of their life experiences in relation to the condition of their brother or sister. This becomes an immediate connection to the participants of the camp which encourages them to face, accept and deal with the autism challenges within their families. Often, the overnight camp experience is not enough for the siblings once they become comfortable with each other, and they realize that they are not alone in their unique journey as siblings of persons with autism!
For summer 2013, ASP Laguna Chapter will conduct their 5th SibsCamp on May 17 and 18 at a private resort in Laguna to be facilitated by Teacher My Sorongon
Interested parties may contact Ms. Cathy Lopez at +63905 376 2373 or asplagunachapter98@gmail.com
As the nation prepares for the upcoming midterm elections, the autism community is reminded that our priceless votes determine the future society our children with autism will grow old in. The individuals with autism who suffer most from the lack of basic services or opportunities to be contributing members of society are very likely the ones who will not be participating in the political discourse. They are counting on the rest of us to select leaders who are cognizant of the national crisis that is autism.
This week’s Angel Talker Mona Magno-Veluz, Autism Society Philippines’ national secretary tackles election-related concerns of our community. Find her on Twitter: @mightymagulang.
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Autism advocates at last year’s US national elections, boldly recognized that autism is a far-reaching crisis that needs federal attention. The organization Autism Speaks (http://www.autismspeaks.org) called for the “Autism Vote,” which urged candidates running for seats in the White House and the Senate to commit to three principles which can be the germ of a national autism policy:
• “The autism crisis demands a focused, coordinated and accountable response from public health agencies.”
• Federal research funding should cover “a broader initiative to unlock the secrets of the human brain that would produce dramatic results.”
• Health care and insurance reform should include affordable access to effective, “evidence-based autism treatments and applied behavior analysis” to benefit families with autism.
While we have not yet managed to gather families living with autism as a unified voting block in this country, our community has participated in many initiatives that leveraged the power of legislation to make positive change. Philippine Republic Act No. 7277 or the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons is an example of how a law can open doors for the executive branch to make benefits and services available to families and individuals living with disabilities. This piece of legislation paved the way for many new programs like the creation of Persons with Disability Affairs Office in every local government unit, and the provision of discounts on basic commodities, among other PWD benefits.
This development, strangely, runs inverse to the decrease in number of PWDs who vote in national elections. According to a 2012 Social Weather Station survey, the figure had gone down from 60 percent in 2007 to 54 percent in 2010. The Commission on Elections had to launch an aggressive drive for PWD registration and empowerment over the last year. Private non-profits like the Fully Abled Nation campaigned for PWD education and enablement, which included an assessment of the situation of PWDs, focus group discussions and dedicated surveys nationwide. These activities piloted electoral reform in Bohol, and development and application of disability-inclusive volunteer management systems in Cebu, among others.
Family members of individuals with autism should share in the responsibility of promoting voting this May 13. It is important that we ensure our PWAs exercise their right to suffrage and help them through the process. And like everything else in our lives, that trip to the voting booth should be an affair planned weeks ahead. Below are some tips to make voting easier for them and their campanions.
* UNDERSTAND. Discuss with your PWA the duties and responsibilities of the positions. Discuss the candidates objectively and highlight their strengths. Use language and tools matched to what your PWA can appreciate.
* RESEARCH. Support candidates with a strong history of accomplishments that benefitted the PWD community. Look for new candidates with platforms that support the concerns of the disabled.
* PREPARE. Download a sample ballot from the Comelec website or make a simple list of names for your PWA to copy when he gets to the voting booth.
* CONDITION. Try to visit the voting precinct days ahead and have a discussion with your PWA on the possible conditions/scenarios that can happen on election day that can distress him or her such as heat, noise, and long lines. Anticipate likely problems.
* MONITOR. Keeping abreast with the developments of the elections, and involving your PWA, can be an exercise in improving his or her understanding of what it means to be an active citizen.
* ADAPT. If the voting experience did not go smoothly, make mental notes and plan for the next one. Individuals with disabilities may apply for absentee voting so you need not make that trip to the crowded voting precincts.
Government can play a big role in improving the lives of individuals with autism. Children with autism need to get into publicly funded therapy and public SPED programs. Adults with autism need training and jobs. All individuals with autism need to be treated with dignity. They need to develop to become productive members of society. Let us keep the welfare of our PWAs in mind when we cast our ballots on May 13.
(Autism Society Philippines is holding for the first time a seminar on Dance Therapy on May 25 at the Bridges Foundation in Quezon City. Teacher Anna Rivera will demonstrate how ABA principles/structured teaching can be applied even in learning hip-hop dancing to CWAs. Meanwhile, ASP’s regular family support group meeting is on May18. For details, follow ASP on Facebook, Twitter and its blogspot.)
This article appeared in print and online by Manila Bulletin on 6 May 2013.
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