Righting and brightening representation of autism

CEBU, Philippines — The Autism Society Philippines (ASP), the oldest autism advocacy organization in the country, reiterates the call for the tempering of the use of puzzle pieces to represent autism, as the world recently commemorated 16th World Autism Awareness Day.

This message was apparent in the Angels’ Walk of persons with autism (PWAs), their stakeholders, and advocates, held on April 2, 2023 at the SM Seaside, South Road Properties, in Cebu City. Participants were adorned instead with images of sunflowers.

ASP supports the Hidden Disability Sunflower campaign, which uses the spirited sunflower as a globally-recognized symbol for non-apparent or invisible disabilities, including autism. The group calls for positive, empowering symbols that will inspire acceptance, accommodation, and appreciation of those on the autism spectrum.

The use of the puzzle piece to symbolize autism traces back to 1963 when it was first used by the London-based National Autistic Society and was cemented in our collective memories when US-based Autism Speaks was founded in 2005.

Global self-advocates acknowledge that autism was once a “puzzling condition”. But according to ASP, the puzzle piece insinuates that autism makes those who have it appear “incomplete”. It said this imagery perpetuates the idea among the growing number of Filipinos on the autism spectrum that autism is a condition that makes them less than others.

Filipinos on the autism spectrum are not “mind-boggling” nor “incomplete”, according to Mona Magno-Veluz, National President of the Autism Society Philippines. “We have come to a point in our advocacy that we can go beyond “awareness” of autism and elevate the conversations to innovative, transformative action,” she said.

ASP national Chair Emerita Erlinda “Dang” Uy Koe who graced the occasion in Cebu, pointed out that the organization is working with various sectors of society in the national and local levels to get persons with autism actively involved in productive work through its social development programs.

One such program is the ASP Autism Works wherein PWAs who are qualified to work are given genuine, sustainable economic empowerment opportunities in compassionate workplaces nationwide. It helps guide employee-candidates and employers in the process of assimilating persons with autism into the workforce. This includes sensitivity training for employees, team members and leaders of companies to guide them through the PWA employee’s tenure.

Sensitivity trainings are also conducted by ASP in cooperation with government agencies and industry organizations to help educate persons and institutions that are in the service of customers. Such trainings are encouraged in the wake of incidents wherein PWAs are denied of service because of misunderstanding of their behavior.

Another ASP social development program called HOMEpowerment offers accessible training to parents of children under 8 years old from indigent families to address the high cost of therapy. This program’s highlight is the empowerment of parents on how to manage the behavior of their children, aside from suggesting simple, engaging and purposeful activities.

The ASP Angels Walk for Autism has grown to be the largest autism advocacy event in the country. This flagship activity has been in recent years held at the MOA Arena and hosted by the SM Program on Disability Affairs. It is echoed in 23 cities across the country – including Cebu. (FREEMAN)