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| (Photo from blogcadre.com) |
Although some of the ideas are quite familiar (having worked in the same field and discipline for quite a while), there are really great ideas which came up during the first part of the plenary.
Dr. Stephen Shore, an expert and someone living in the autism spectrum himself, graced the event with ideas from research and his own experience. I've come to know of him earlier in an online course sponsored by "Moms fighting autism" and it's really exciting to meet him in person. Other speakers were equally great and interesting. Soon, I'll be featuring their talks in here.
Equally interesting are the delegates, especially, moms who have children with autism.
Over coffee, I talked to a couple of mothers whose children are living with autism. They've conveyed disappointment as to how school--mainstream school--handles and manages their children. They also expressed sadness of the fact that there are only a few educators who actually attended the activity.
Children with autism may not be able to connect, interact and communicate effectively to us, educators and professionals, but through their parents, especially mothers, these children begin to have a voice. We begin to understand the challenges they are facing and see a glimpse of hopes that they have. We begin to appreciate the strengths that may soar high amidst the enduring struggles.
I'll be posting in this blog all the ideas I gain from this conference and my reflections on such.
Looking forward to a more exciting session tomorrow.
Ciao!
