By Zeus Legaspi
A Recognized Special Education (SPED) teacher warns those who would like to teach at SPED to not enter the profession without the knowledge, skills, and focus to help students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
“‘Wag mo pasukin ‘to kung hindi mo alam ang ginagawa mo at wala kang focus to help them,” SPED teacher Josephine Asuncion said.
In the College of Liberal Arts and Communication Student Government’s (CLACSG) “Let’s talk about the A-team” webinar, Asuncion shared the challenges of teaching children with ASD.
“Nasabunutan ako, na-kick ako, na-push. Talagang sinabi ko, hindi ako tatagal. Ang hirap,” the SPED teacher said as she shared her experience with students showing aggressive behavior when she was new at the program.
But Asuncion told the audience what made her stay with her students.
“The time na magpapaalam na ako, there was this one student – he was non-verbal. But when I bid goodbye to him, he said ‘stay’. That one particular word, para akong tumama sa lotto. [So] I preferred to stay in the SPED center. When I heard that word, It became my choice to be with them. Until now, I stay with them,” she said.
The SPED teacher explained that children with ASD require more time, attention, and a certain degree of expertise.
“Kung hindi mo ibibigay ang buong sarili mo, it would be impossible for you to impart knowledge, to impart your very self,” Asuncion explained.
“When we teach these ASD kids, there should be your heart. Without your heart, it would be impossible for you to reach out (to) these kids; it would be impossible for you to understand them; it would be impossible for you to communicate with them,” she added.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data revealed that about one percent of the world’s population or over 75 million, has ASD.
