ASP Cebu Chapter 2nd Regional Autism Conference

"The Spinning Truth Behind the Spectrum"

Teaming Up with Families, Professionals and Society

Conference Proper

October 23-24, 2010, 8:00 am - 6:00 pm

SM City Cebu Trade Hall

Discounts and More... Claim it! UNCRPD and RA 9442
By Mr. Lauro Purcil Jr.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) is the latest UN Human Rights Instrument. It was the fastest human rights instrument approved by the UN General Assembly on December 13, 2006. Signed by the Philippine Government on Sept 25, 2007 and ratified on April 15, 2008. The lecture will tackle the salient principles of the convention and will focus more on the provisions that involve the rights of children with disabilities and the role of parents as representatives of their children. The second part will deal with the basics of RA 9442, the updates and the challenges it pose for persons with disabilities and parents of children with disability to truly claim the rights and privileges as provided by the said law. The speaker will also share his recent participation in the Conference of State Parties and some side events with the International Disability Alliance (IDA) during his latest representation in UN.

Mr. Lauro L. Purcil, Jr. is a person with multiple disabilities. He is blind with hearing and speech impairment. Mr. Purcil has a bachelor degree in English and a masters degree in Public Administration both from the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City. A living proof, that disability is not a hindrance to pursue higher education. He is currently connected with the Department of Education, Special Education Division as Special Education Program Specialist I. He is the Chairman of the National Committee on the UN Conventions of the Katipunan ng May Kapansanan sa Pilipinas (KAMPI). He was the official delegate of the Philippines to the Conference of State Parties and the Philippine candidate to the “International Committee of Experts” on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities held on September 1-3, 2010 at the UN Headquarters, New York City, USA.

Ms. Jacqueline Jabonera - Espina, MD is a developmental pediatrician. She is also the current head of the Pediatrics Department at Chong Hua Hospital. Her professional career spans both academia and medical area. At present, she is an associate professor of the Pediatrics Department at Cebu Institute of Medicine and Cebu Doctors’ University. She was awarded the Fellow of the Philippine Society for Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics (2000) and the Fellow of the Philippine Pediatric Society (2002) from the University of the Philippines.

Ms. Barbra Charina V. Cavan, MD is a pediatrician and a geneticist. Currently, she is the assistant secretary of the Philippine Pediatric Society Cebu and Central Eastern Visayas Chapter and the Regional Coordinator of the Philippine Birth Defects Registry and Campaign for the Reduction of Deaths or Complications of Preterm Births Project, Institute of Human Genetics, UP-Manila. In 1999, she was the chief resident physician at Cebu Doctor’s Hospital. She is also a full time faculty of Cebu Doctors’ Hospital and Cebu Institute of Medicine. She has been affiliated with several hospitals both as an active and as a visiting staff in the pediatrics department. Dr. Cavan obtained her medical degree at UP Manila. Moreover, she was trained in genetics at Sydney Australia.

Sensing Your Child’s Senses
By Ms. Christianne Marie C. Andigan, MHlthSc, OTRP

A child eats pancit canton and only pancit canton for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A grade schooler seems to be like a tornado—spinning, running around, and toppling down everything that gets in his way. A toddler throws a tantrum when having her teeth brushed, her nails cut, and her hair cut.

Do these behaviors seem familiar? They may point to a sensory processing disorder (SPD), which is the brain putting together sensations such as touch, sound, sight, smell, taste, body position, and movement in a different way. As a result, children with autism (and even typically developing children) affected with it may experience typical daily activities such as eating, dressing, playing, and handwriting as struggles rather than successes.

Family members, caregivers, and teachers are often at a loss as to where such behaviors are coming from. This talk will help you sense your child’s senses—understand how important sensations are in our daily lives and what happens when the brain does not process them well. More specifically, it will describe different types of SPD’s and how these interfere with children’s participation in the home, school, and community settings. It will also explain some behaviors in children with autism from a sensory processing perspective. Finally, participants will be given principles and practical strategies that they can employ at home and/or in school to help their children cope with the challenges of SPD’s.

Ms. Christianne Marie C. Andigan, MHlthSc, OTRP is currently the Program Coordinator and occupational therapist of Emmanuel Foundation for Children with Special Needs, Inc. in Iloilo City. Prior to moving there, she was assistant professor and chairperson of the Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Allied Medical Professions, University of the Philippines Manila. She also engages in private practice where she works with mostly children with developmental disabilities and their families. She has been a resource person for seminars related to the application of sensory integration and behavior management principles at home and in school. She completed her post - professional master’s degree in OT in the University of Sydney in 2004 and her bachelor’s degree in OT from UP Manila in 2000.

Dr. Mercedes Adorio obtained her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology & Educational Sociology in UP and has served as College Secretary (1992-1995) and as Faculty-in-Charge of the Special Education area of the Division of Curriculum and Instruction. She is often invited as resource person in national and regional school divisions and has presented papers in international conferences. She is the author of Special Education in the Philippines: Trends and Issues. Dr. Adorio was a former professor of Special Education of UP, Diliman. She is currently teaching SPED at the Philippine Women’s University.

Wanted: Jobs for PWA
By Prof. Abelardo Apollo I. David, Jr.

Essential principles and components of transition education and work training programs for youth with special needs will be discussed. Practical insights on how these programs can be implemented in educational settings will be provided. The work settings commonly considered for the differently-abled persons will be explained with emphasis on corresponding work placement procedures. Actual cases will be presented to illustrate the local applications of the theories discussed.

Prof. Abelardo Apollo I. David, Jr., MOccThy, OTRP is the Executive Director and founder of the Independent Living Learning Centre (ILLC) in Manila, Cebu and Davao. ILLC is recognized for its pioneering programs in transition education and work training of youth with special needs. Prof. David is a lecturer at the UP College of Allied Medical Professions. He obtained his Masters degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Queensland, Australia, where he also served as a lecturer. Prof. David is the founder and President of the Rehabilitation and Empowerment of Adults and Children (REACH) Foundation, Inc., a non-government organization that aims to empower persons with disabilities residing in depressed communities. For his extension activities, Prof. David received the prestigious Apolinario Mabini Presidential Award in 2008. His consultancy projects with government and non-organizations earned recognitions such as the 2008 Grand Prize winner for the World Bank: Panibangong Paraan, a Competition for Innovative Ideas; and the Top 3 most innovative health programs given by the Department of Health in 2009.

Dr. Myra Altonaga is a Neurodevelopmental Pediatrician. A graduate in medicine at Cebu Institute of Medicine; had her pediatric residency at Cebu Doctors' University Hospital (CDUH); fellowship training in neurodevelopmental pediatri cs at PHILIPPINE CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER (PCMC) in Quezon City, Manila. She is currently an associate staff of Cebu Doctors' University Hospital and practicing her specialty at JC Borromeo Bldg. (back of CDUH).

Language and Autism: A Spectrum of Possibilities and Choices
By Ms. Mae Sadicon

With the numerous and overwhelming concerns of individuals with Autism, it is imperative that key areas such as management, both short-term and long-term, be put into their proper perspectives. In "LANGUAGE AND AUTISM: A Spectrum of Possibilities and Choices", points of discussion will center on the language and communication problems that are common to people with Autism and how these affect virtually all aspects of their lives. Equal attention will likewise be placed on identifying good, realistic and effective autism practice in the Philippine setting.

Ms. Mae Sadicon is a BS Speech Pathology graduate of the UP Manila College of Allied Medical Professions (CAMP). Teacher Mae sees children with language and communication concerns for evaluation and therapy. She holds sessions at the SPEECH Clinic and also works at St. Luke’s Medical Center - Neurodevelopmental Center in Quezon City. She is also head of the Technical Panel for Speech Pathology Education in CHED.

Dr. Renato delos Santos received his BS in Biology from the University of San Carlos, Philippines where he graduated Cum Laude in addition to holding a degree in Medicine from the Cebu Institute of Medicine. He is currently serving as President of the medical staff at Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospitals in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Dr. De los Santos resides in Chicago and spends part of his time in the Philippines doing lectures and seminars to raise awareness of mental health.

Living with Autism in the Family: Live, Love and Laugh
By Ms. Erlinda U. Koe

It takes a KOEmmunity to raise a child with autism. It takes wisdom out of experience to learn from living with a child with autism.It takes love to embrace children with autism. It takes laughter to enjoy the ride and come out of it sane! Here’s a family’s journey of KOEping with autism. Learn, love and laugh with Mama Dang!

Ms. Erlinda U. Koe fondly known as Mama Dang, has been an indefatigable autism advocate. She served as ASP National President for an unprecedented 3 consecutive terms and continues the advocacy as the first appointed Chair Emeritus of the society. Her more than a decade of service to ASP is decorated with numerous accomplishments, including being accorded in 2009, The Outstanding Thomasian Alumni (TOTAL) Award for Humanitarian Service for her competence, commitment and compassion in leading Autism Society Philippines to share hopes & build dreams with at least half a million Filipino families dealing with autism. She juggles her time between her family, corporate training, and ASP–including provincial trips as a much sought-after seminar and conference speaker on autism; and writing Angels Talk in Manila Bulletin. In spite of which, she can still keep it together with humor, fair judgment and that rare mix of leadership qualities needed to hold a non-profit organization. Her eldest son, Gio, is now 16 years old, and she extends her advocacy throughout her entire family as they actively participate in ASP activities.

Friends, Puppets, Shades and Games: Developing Social Inclusion and Mutual Friendship Between Children with ASD and their Peers, Siblings and Classmates
By Mr. Anthony Grecia

This lecture will discuss and help participants understand the importance of peer play and friendships. It will also talk about the key features of the Friend to Friend model. Participants will also get to experience Autism Demystification (developed by F2F Social Learning Society and Heather McCracken) through a puppet show video. It will also discuss other activities (simulation game and story-telling) that can be done as part of demystification programs in school or community.

Mr. Anthony S. Grecia obtained his undergraduate degree in Occupational Therapy at UP-Manila. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Ateneo De Manila University. He is the Program Director of the branches of GOALS Inc. (Alabang, Caloocan, & Bonifacio Global City,). He has been U.S.- NBCOT certified (2006) and had training in Autism Demystification (at Vancouver, Canada). His 10 years of practice focused on program development (vocational, staff evaluation, social skills training, home/school visit) and clinical assessment & management of children, adolescents, and adults with Autism, Asperger, AD/HD, ODD, Learning Disabilities, Giftedness, Intellectual Disabilities, personality disorders, & Bipolar Disorder. He is also a lecturer at UP-CAMP, Manila. He was the former Chairman, Committee on Membership of OT Assoc. of the Philippines.

Sibling’s Side of the Story
By Ms. Rosalyn Marie Gison Sorongon

Parents often receive an outpouring of different forms of support upon the diagnosis of their child in order to help them accept, understand and deal with autism in their lives. Therefore, they also become, aside from their child with autism, the focal point of programs and services to address the varying needs brought about by autism. Unfortunately, there are other family members whose seem to be often left out. These are the other children or the siblings of the persons with autism (PWA). Much has been studied, read, seen and heard about the plight of the parent of PWA but little yet has been learned, discussed and dealt with the siblings. Unraveling the situation of the siblings of PWA conveys a message that they are seen as equally important as that of their parent in the world of autism. Knowing their issues and/or concern, needs and desires, and their aspirations in life in relation to their brother or sister with autism encourages widening of perspective in viewing and understanding the unique circumstances they are in. This knowledge can pave the way for creating a gamut of support services in addressing the needs of the siblings. As a result, this will invite, encourage and inspire them to heed the call of the Autism challenge within and hopefully, beyond their families.

Ms. Rosalyn Marie Gison Sorongon earned her BS Psychology degree from the Assumption College, Makati and Master’s Degree in Education Major in Special Education from the University of the Philippines, Diliman. Equipped with 15 years of experience in teaching students with autism and helping their families cope with and manage this condition, she regularly conducts orientations and lectures, and gives trainings to parents, caregivers, teachers and other professionals on autism. Ms. Sorongon or Teacher My, as she is more popularly known, also develops and oversees home and employment programs for persons with autism. A former School Director of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) in Las Piñas City, Teacher My finds fulfillment in her new role as a regular facilitator of workshops for siblings of persons with autism as a result of her post graduate research entitled “The Concerns of Adult Siblings of Persons with Autism”.

Daddy’s Power
By Mr. Evert Malapad

Traditionally, mothers are the ones responsible for their children with disabilities while the fathers take on the role as breadwinners. But Ever Malapad and his wife Apple chose the road less travelled. Evert has taken upon himself the responsibility of taking care of Mae Mae, their daughter with autism for the past eight years. It has never been that easy yet the rewards have been immeasurable.

This talk shares Daddy Evert's journey from the moment his daughter was diagnosed with autism, his decision to forego his rising career as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), his struggles and triumphs as a "daddy-teacher" and his advocacies in championing the cause of persons with autism and other disabilities.

Be inspired and encouraged as you listen to his unique story!

Mr. Evert L. Malapad is the current president of Autism Society Philippines - Metro South Chapter and a Trustee of ASP National Office. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Technology. He is presently teaching adult program for individuals with special needs at Candent Learning Hauz in BF Homes Las Piñas City. Mr. Malapad is currently completing his Masters Degree Program in SPED and B S Secondary Education at the University of Perpetual Help – Las Piñas City. Evert is a father of a 16 year-old girl with autism.

Conference Registration Fees

Pre- Registration - until 30 Sept 2010
ASP Member - P 2, 000.00
Non-member - P 2,000.00
Students - P 1,000.00

On- Site Registration
ASP Member - P 2,500.00
Non-member - P 2,500.00
Students - P 1,500.00

Payment
Check or Cash Deposit
Account Name: Autism Society Philippines Inc.- Cebu Chapter
Bank: Banco de Oro
Branch: Gorodo Lahug Branch
SA Account No.: 609-0101-043

For any inquiries, please call the contact details below:
312 Juana Osmeña Ext. Cebu City
Tel # (032) 416-5505
Fax# (032) 416-5572
Email: socorro_deligero@yahoo.com

Autism Society Philippines and ASP Chapters work very hard for the future of children with autism and their families. We need your support. Take this opportunity to support and donate to ASP Cebu Chapter 2nd Regional Autism Conference.

The ASP Regional Conference Series serves as a platform to educate Filipino parents and professionals on the various interventions, modalities and theories surrounding Autism Spectrum Disorder. Their application and implementation are left at your discretion. The views and personal experiences of the speakers are of their own and don’t necessarily reflect that of the views of the organization.

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