For Tiffany Tan, several nights of crying followed the revelation. "My world seemed to have crashed down," she says in a testimonial.
Tiffany’s son, JR, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder shortly before his fourth birthday. And it was the beginning of a long struggle and search for answers and meaning.
"He was hyperactive, didn’t care if he bumped into others, had uncontrollable fits of crying, kicking and screaming," Tiffany writes. "He covered his ears to loud sounds and flapped his hands when excited or agitated. He repeated last words and phrases of our sentences. He had no sense of danger."
Autism is not easily understood or accepted in our society. Children with autism are often hidden away by family members, do not go to school or have the opportunity to socialize, and most never learn to read, write or even take care of themselves.
Fortunately, this is changing. Educa-tional opportunities now abound for children with special needs. And this is not only true for autistic children but also for children with cerebral palsy, down syndrome and other physical, mental or emotional impairment.
Today, JR goes to a regular school just like every other kid in the neighborhood. "He now attends classes with other peers and is very happy. He looks forward to going to school," his mother attests.
Thanks to an early intervention program and long years of guidance in a special school, JR, just like everyone else, can now look forward to living a normal life.
The process of "mainstreaming" took many years, Tiffany shares, including one-on-one classes and speech and movement therapy in a special education school, supplement tutorials three times a week at home, Kumon English and Math, music therapy, computer classes and tutorials.
For JR and his family, one school really made it all possible–Bridges Foundation, Inc.
This little school located at #22 Scout Limbaga St. in Quezon City now has 65 special students under its care and is on its 11th year of operation.
Founded in June 1992, Bridges Foundation is a special school for children with special needs. It caters to the educational needs of children as young as one year to as old as 26.
"Our curriculum is tailored according to a child’s specific needs," says Barbara Dans Paguia, director of Bridges. "We assess each child as he or she comes to us and we create an educational plan specifically for him or her."
The goal of special education, according to Paguia, fondly called Teacher Baba in school, is not really to integrate special children into regular schools but to develop his or her maximum potential for growth.
"There are kids who will never be able to join a regular school but they can be taught to take care of themselves or do simple house-work. So, there is a set goal for each child," she explains.
In whatever stage of social, physical or emotional develop-ment the child is in when he or she comes to Bridges, the school comes up with interventions and strategies to help the child in his or her journey towards self-development.
Unlike a regular school, the bond and collaboration between the family and the school is very strong.
When JR was given the go signal by Bridges to attend a regular school, Tiffany attests that it was both a happy and sad occasion. "How can we leave the school we love so dearly? I will miss the crying sessions with my parent confidants. I will miss the parenting seminars, Valentine’s Day and most specially the Sportsfest. I will miss the encouraging words ‘Kaya mo yan, tiyaga lang, huwag tayong mawalan ng pag-asa.’ I will miss the hugs and kisses they give my son as well as the encouraging words ‘Wow’, ‘Good Job’ and the glances that seem to say ‘You’re on the right track, don’t give up.’"
Every special school though needs adequate funding. Teacher Baba explains that in a
special education set up like Bridges, tuition fees are only enough to pay for the salaries of the teachers and the staff. And it is a reality in the Philippines that not every family can afford to send special children to quality schools.
But though it is still striving to complete its four-storey building in Quezon City–on a lot rented to it by the owners for a very modest amount– Bridges has opened its doors to special children from less privileged backgrounds through its socialized tuition fee and scholarship programs.
Bridges has endeavored to show that families with limited financial means can gain access to quality education.
Fortunately, though, since the school started operating in 1992, Bridges has never run out of benefactors–generous individuals and organi-zations that have taken up the cudgels for the cause of special education in the Philippines.
One such benefactor is Regine Velasquez, who has done concerts to benefit the Bridges Foundation twice already–the first time in 1996 in a concert entitled "Pure Love" held at the UP Theater and another one last month dubbed "Bridges of Love" at the Makati Shangri-La.
Through charitable endeavors like this, Bridges was able to build its facilities literally from the ground up and continues to take in scholars.
Jonjing, a Bridges student with Down’s Syndrome, has been with the school since 1997. However, since he has 10 other siblings, his stay in Bridges is only possible through sponsorship. And his parents are very grateful that Jonjing can continue staying in the school he loves most.
"Since we cannot afford special tutors and therapists, all our questions about behavior, development and other health concerns are addressed through parent education seminars that Bridges holds regularly," his parents share in a testimonial.
On the day Starweek visited Bridges, it is in the middle of a building renovation project that aims to widen its areas for learning and improve the general building condition. However, since funds are coming in trickles, renovation is proceeding on a staggered basis.
But like the children that the school patiently and lovingly helps develop to become self-actualized individuals, Bridges has elevated their needs to God’s hands, believing that people will not tire of giving to a good cause.
And just as their growth was guided through the years by people who believe in their educational mission, they trust that more generous souls will help them continue to build more "bridges of hope and love".
In the meantime, the school will continue striving to help build a compassionate society that is open to the inclusion of people with special needs as functional members of a community...one day at a time.