I understand how exhausting it is to find the resources that can help to cope with this diagnosis (Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD) and I hope somehow my personal blog will help families in the spectrum who are based in the Philippines.
Our Autism Story
It was 2015 when my son was diagnosed with ASD. Some family members encouraged us to have my son seen by a Pediatrician. At three (3) years old, he still doesn’t have his first words and he doesn’t respond when we call his name.
We don’t exactly know where to go so we initially went to a General Pediatrician and that’s the time we were referred to a Developmental Pediatrician.
If you are a parent like me at that time who’s 99% unaware of what to expect and what to do, please know that you are not alone. And that 99% of “special” families are once like you. So, I really hope my blog post will give you some guidance and inspiration on this journey.
Signs of Autism
According to the National Autism Association, a person with ASD might:
Not respond to their name (the child may appear deaf)
Not point at objects or things of interest
Not play “pretend” games
Avoid eye contact
Want to be alone
Have difficulty understanding, or showing understanding, or other people’s feelings or their own
Have no speech or delayed speech
Repeat words or phrases over and over (echolalia)
Give unrelated answers to questions
Get upset by minor changes
Have obsessive interests
Flap their hands, rock their body, or spin in circles
Have unusual reactions (over or under-sensitivity) to the way things sound, smell, taste, look or feel
Have low to no social skills
Avoid or resist physical contact
Demonstrate little safety or danger awareness
Reverse pronouns (e.g., says “you” instead of “I”)
If your child has these early signs, better to have them assessed by a Developmental Pediatrician. And once your child has been diagnosed, the next step is to find a Therapy Center nearest you.
Here are the Autism Resources in the Philippines
Support Groups:
Resources for Autism Philippines - Notes from the Spectrum Mommy
Most of the time, it takes 6 months of waiting time to have a schedule with a Developmental Pediatrician. So, I suggest that you browse through the resources and hopefully there is one that will give you an earlier slot.
The fee for a Developmental Pediatrician ranges from P3,000 to P4,500.
The fee for Therapy is at an average of P800 per one-hour session.
If your Developmental Pediatrician or your Therapy Center is not included in this list, I encourage you to send me a message here: CONTACT so I can update the list. This resources page is intended to be 100% free and available to all who need some guidance on where to go. Your support is very much appreciated!
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