By Victoria Cabason, Marikina Chapter
Autism Society Philippines-Marikina Valley Chapter held a seminar on Understanding Autism last Saturday, 25 February, in the lobby of Marikina City Hall. Weeks before, as soon as the Mayor granted permission to use the City Hall lobby, invitations were sent to various schools, institutions and therapy centers in Marikina, Antipolo, Cainta and other municipalities of Rizal to promote the seminar. Personal invitations were also extended to other parents of CWAs. More than 150 people immediately confirmed their attendance. The participants were most fortunate that the chapter was able to invite Ms. Dang U. Koe, Chair Emeritus of Autism Society Philippines and the most sought-after speaker about autism, to give the presentation.
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| ASP Marikina Valley President Alex Cabason |
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| Participants of the seminar |
After a long registration process, with a lot of walk-in guests in addition to participants who pre-registered, about 200 people packed the venue. Who else but Ms. Koe could give her presentation about Understanding Autism in a most interesting way, drawing a lot from her experiences as a mother of 16-year-old Gio. The audience of teachers, therapists, students, and parents endured the heat of the afternoon to know more about this learning disability that affects more and more children today. A lot of them took notes as the presentation progressed, and Ms. Koe’s humor kept the hour-and-a-half seminar lively. The audience could hardly suppress their emotions as the speaker tearfully ended her presentation with a tribute to her loving and supportive husband who passed away in 2010.
Although Mayor Del de Guzman and Vice-Mayor Fabian Cadiz were unable to grace the event, the Vice-Mayor sent a representative in the person of Mr. Reginald Tamayo to communicate his continued support for the advocacy of ASP Marikina. In the past, VM Cadiz’s office has rendered valuable assistance to the chapter by providing venues for seminars, talks and meetings and a vehicle for other chapter activities.
Needless to say, the seminar was a great success. The participants went home with a certificate and a deeper knowledge about autism. Hopefully, they will also possess the willingness to spread this knowledge to others.
You can contact ASP Marikina Valley Chapter President Alex Cabason at (0939) 466-8665 or email alexcabason@yahoo.com.
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