For youth with disabilities, traditional employment is not always a good fit. For some, they must tread their unique path towards economic empowerment and financial literacy.
This is the spirit behind the Autism Society Philippines' AutisMALL. What started as a virtual marketplace, ASP AutisMALL has opened doors for Filipinos on the autism spectrum to explore product creation, development, and online selling. ASP members are welcome to consign their products to ASP's online stores, which can be found on Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok under @autismphils.
Purposeful Passion
When a person on the spectrum is not cut out for employment, that’s not a limitation. It’s merely a consideration we need to understand and leverage. Some individuals thrive in structured environments with consistent routines. Others are more productive in familiar, quiet spaces, such as the home. Still others have passions and talents that simply don’t fit into a standard job description.
Instead of forcing a square peg into a round hole, ASP AutisMALL offers another path. We encourage creativity, autonomy, and entrepreneurship. It’s a virtual space where people on the spectrum can sell their own handmade goods, art pieces, and more. But beyond just being a shop, it’s a laboratory for learning -- where they can experiment, grow, and even fail, until they are ready to branch out and take risks on their own.
ASP AutisMALL also offers ASP-branded merchandise, such as shirts, bags, and pins, that speak the language of autism inclusion and support. These products promote acceptance, accommodation, and inclusion in a society that is eager to inspire action, not simply “awareness”. One of the most popular items in the store is the ASP Angels Walk for Autism icon shirts, which have become an annual collectible for participants.
Economic Empowerment
Behind every successful entrepreneur on the autism spectrum is a village — a family, a therapist, a teacher, an ASP chapter. For many of our entrepreneurs, especially those who are nonverbal or require extra guidance, family members often take on the roles of business partner, mentor, and cheerleader. When families collaborate and co-create opportunities, they model what inclusion truly looks like. They teach budgeting, inventory management, and customer service — but also resilience, confidence, and pride.
Financial inclusion isn’t just about having money. It’s about knowing how to use it, manage it, and grow it. ASP AutisMALL is a gentle yet firm introduction to financial literacy, encouraging sellers to consider pricing, budgeting, and saving. It also exposes them to e-commerce concepts, like packaging, delivery logistics, and online marketing. These are survival skills in the 21st-century economy. We are raising entrepreneurs and autism self-advocates. Sellers begin to see the value in their work, and eventually, the value in themselves.
ASP AutisMALL is not just about selling products; it’s about changing narratives. It tells the world that people on the autism spectrum can participate, produce, and prosper beyond sheltered workshops or government programs -- but in the real, competitive marketplace.
The public also gets a powerful opportunity to practice “conscious consumerism”. When you buy from ASP AutisMALL, you are recognizing talent, affirming dignity, and investing in inclusion.
Powerful Possibilities
Are you ready to start your journey? Gusto niyo rin bang SUMAKSES?
Join the FREE FREE FREE seminar SUMAKSES SAGABAL-FREE, TikTok Shop Basics on 18 July 2025 at the Quezon City MICE Center. Sign up today!
Join the FREE FREE FREE seminar SUMAKSES SAGABAL-FREE, TikTok Shop Basics on 18 July 2025 at the Quezon City MICE Center. Sign up today!
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