When my son was first diagnosed, I remember sitting in the doctor's office, nodding my head like I understood everything. But inside? I was completely lost. Autism. Autism Spectrum Disorder. ASD. The words floated around me like they were in another language. And honestly, in many ways, they were. If you're a Filipino mom who's just starting this journey, or maybe you've been on it for a while but still feel like you're piecing things together, this one's for you. Let's break

I remember the first time I almost posted a video of my child crying. My hands were shaking. The morning had been brutal — shoes that felt wrong, a routine that got disrupted, sounds that were too loud. By the time we both came down from it, I was exhausted, emotional, and desperate to feel less alone. I opened Instagram. I started typing a caption. "This is what autism really looks like…" And then I stopped. Not because I was afraid of judgment. Not because I didn't think aw