PARENTS and siblings who wish to effectively engage with children on the autism spectrum are welcome to join the Homepowerment program organized by the Autism Society of the Philippines (ASP).
Established in 1987, ASP is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to the well-being of persons on the autism spectrum disorder. The members envision a society where Filipinos on the spectrum become the best of their potential — self-reliant, independent, productive, and socially accepted citizens of an Autism-OK Philippines.
The Homepowerment program aims to equip family members and caregivers with the proper knowledge and skills so they can provide quality care to children on the autism spectrum. The program started in 2018, “out of necessity’ according to special education teacher Cecilia Sicam, one of the founders of ASP. Back then, there were no learning tools and very few practitioners who could guide family members.
“We wanted to help families by training parents on proper intervention, something they could do at home,” she said. The strategies and tools that are taught in the program are very practical and ideal for those who care for children aged eight years old and below.”
The training is for six months and includes online occupational, speech assessment, and therapy sessions. The program rides on the influential role of the family as the initial agent of socialization. From birth, foundational learning and development are from parents and siblings. The program further strengthens this bond, with tools specifically created for family members. “It is contextualized for the home, ”shares ASP Spokesperson Mona Magno-Velez, who was also part of the ideation team. Children on the autism spectrum spend more time at home, and therefore, it is important that everyone in the household is aware of basic intervention strategies. And while the internet can offer several learning apps for this purpose, Mona emphasized that the tools need to be properly administered by a professional educator.
In 2018, the pilot program was done onsite and was held on weekends with trainers conducting actual home visits to monitor the progress. When the pandemic happened, the training shifted online. A blessing in disguise, according to the organizers because now they can reach families as far as Tuguegarao, Zamboanga, Malaybalay and other faraway places, where professional help may not be readily available. The program is open to all ASL members and are held every Saturday.
As with all the activities with ASP, participants have access to support groups that can guide them throughout their journey.
“We know that each case is unique. We have an active group chat where parents can ask for help from those who may have encountered the same problem in the past. What’s nice about this group, is that we have parents who have been part of the 2018 program and they are just as happy to share their experiences,” Cecilia Sicam said.
The program is free-of-charge and is open to all ASL members. Interested parties can visit the official website. Aside from Homepowerment ASL also has several programs and activities like Autism Works which provides employment and AutisMall a virtual marketplace that sells items created and developed by individuals with autism. Support Group sessions are held monthly for parents, siblings, and other family members. Participants are encouraged to share their experiences as they can draw strength and insight from others facing similar challenges.
