ASP Chair Emeritus Message on the 2nd Asia-Pacific CBR Congress

The 2nd Asia Pacific CBR Congress was held recently at Sofitel Philippine Plaza from November 28-December 1, 2011, with approximately 600 delegates from 65 countries participating.

Ms. Dang Koe

It takes a community to raise a child… more so when he has special needs. This we found out first hand as our family started dealing with autism. Even for families who have enough resources to take care of their children‘s special needs, the larger community can help or hurt our best efforts to raise our children. Needless to say, the economically-challenged families will find even more barriers to overcome.

Based on “15 for every 100”, there must be almost ten million Filipino families who have to look disability in the eye every day of their lives. There are not enough public and private schools offering special education; good private special schools are beyond the reach of ordinary folks. Good teachers and therapists are migrating, leaving the schools with their hands full training new teachers and coping with new students.

Affected families in some areas are still considered as “cursed”, and even high-functioning individuals with disability are still being discriminated as they valiantly mainstream themselves in the society.

As per experience of family members of Autism Society Philippines, through its 56 chapters scattered in the country, community-based interventions build on available resources and services, and it empowers families and communities.

The Laguna chapter of ASP is a good example of families’ partnership with the local community resulting to income generation for our children with autism. It is with great pride that families like ours, and those of an almost one million Filipino families being represented by Autism Society Philippines, are considered as partners in the 2nd Asia-Pacific CBR Congress. After all, every child deserves to be loved, respected, included, involved, enjoy life, and be what they can be. “Neither this (blind) man nor his parents sinned, said Jesus, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him,” John 9:3