2010 World Autism Awareness Day

By: ASAP News Team

On April 2, 2010, the world celebrates the 3rd World Autism Awareness Day. ASP celebrates WAAD on April 9 to give way to the Holy Week Holidays.

Yesterday, UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon sends this video message on the WAAD occasion. Click here to watch the video.

History

On December 18, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 62/139, tabled by the State of Qatar, which declares April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) in perpetuity. Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, Consort of His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar, supported the campaign for a World Autism Awareness Day through the current 62nd UN General Assembly Session, garnering consensus support from all United Nations Member States.

This UN resolution is one of only three official disease-specific United Nations Days and will bring the world's attention to autism, a pervasive disorder that affects tens of millions. The World Autism Awareness Day resolution encourages all Member States to take measures to raise awareness about autism throughout society and to encourage early diagnosis and early intervention. It further expresses deep concern at the prevalence and high rate of autism in children in all regions of the world and the consequent developmental challenges. (Sorce WAAD Website)

WAAD Celebration in the Philippines

2008 WAAD Concert

WAAD 2008 Group Photo

ASP spearheaded the first WAAD Celebrations on April 2, with Thristan "Tumtum" Mendoza, world-class marimba prodigy is joined by Autism Diva, Thara Marie Santiago in a free concert held at a free concert at SM The Block, North EDSA, Quezon City.

Click here and here to watch.

2009 WAAD an Ordinance

Members of the ASP National, ASP Diliman and ASP Lagro Chapter, officers, members and children with autism attended the milestone event: the official signing of Quezon City Ordinance No. 1915.

Batas Pambansa 232 or the Special Education Act of 1972 recognizes the State’s responsibility to provide special education services within the formal school system and emphasizes the right of every individual to relevant quality education regardless of one’s physical or mental conditions.

The ordinance will provide for the necessary facilities for the special children and hiring of additional technically skilled teachers and trained workers who can comprehensively effectuate the subject of this measure. (Currently there are about 120 SPED teachers employed by the QC government.)

Other provisions include free educational intervention with rehabilitation and counseling services, establishment of special coordinating day care centers for all special children in the four districts, mainstreaming pre-school CWD for integration into regular classes.

Family members will be motivated to actively participate in the rehab activities of their children or siblings by providing them opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills in assisting PWDs. This will be made possible through close collaboration with SPED workers and caregivers.

Public awareness through advocacy and networking; support in mainstreaming into the community life activities will also be supervised by the administrative agency who shall oversee the proper implementation of the provisions of this ordinance.

Quezon City Ordinance No. 1915 is also known as the Ordinance Establishing a Sustainable Program for Children with Special Needs in Quezon City, for the Purpose of Appropriating the Necessary Funds Therefore.

“This is a breakthrough ordinance. This is the first time that a measure of this importance has been approved in the country,” said QC Mayor Sonny Belmonte. Councilor Jesus “Bong” Suntay of District 4 and co-authored Councilor Jorge “Bolet” Banal of District 3 specifically chose the date April 2, 2009 for the ordinance to be signed with members of ASP as witnesses.

2009 AutisMusical

The WAAD celebrations continued with a concert entitled “AutisMusical” at The Block, SM North, Quezon City. This concert celebrated the unique talents and skills of persons with autism.

PWA Participants of AutisMusical

Among the other PWAs who participated were Vell Barria, Remo Sanchez, Kit Faller Yana Aragon, Patrick So and Thara Marie Santiago. Gabby Atienza, an adult with Asperger’s Syndrome wowed the mall goers with his artistic abilities drawing caricatures of the AutisMusical talents.

Marimba prodigy TumTum Mendoza amazed his audience with his marimba, piano and different percussion instruments like timpani, snare drum and bongo. The University of the Philippines President’s Committee on Culture and the Arts named him the first and only gifted child prodigy and only special child among the recipients. Tum Tum has earned the Millennium Dreamer’s Award from Walt Disney Company, McDonald’s and UNESCO.

AutisMusical was covered in international websites: Diario de Yucatan, Starphoenix (2nd picture), Autism Society Canada (our blogsite is mentioned in their webpage also the AutisMusical data), Washington Post (photo #8), Impreso Milenio, Noticias Br MSN (slide 8), Townhall and WAAD.

March to April 2009, ASP gave lectures on “Understanding the Special Shoppers (with Autism)” to security guards, housekeepers and other frontliners in the different branches. (Special thanks to SM Supermalls ans SM Committee on Disability Affairs)

2010 WAAD Celebrations Line-up

April 9 ASP will hold the WAAD celebrations on The Block SM North EDSA.

April 9 ASP Marikina Valley Chapter’s First Family Day Celebrations with potluck, games for children and an informal fellowship with parents. Click here to contact chapter.

Keep checking the blog for more updates on the WAAD celebrations! Visit our community website at http://community.autismsocietyph.org to contact ASP Chapters in your area.