As the country commemorates Autism Consciousness Week, Bacolod lone district Rep. Albee Benitez has called on his colleagues in Congress to pass a measure that would provide much-needed relief to families dealing with autism.
“Assessment and treatment for autism is, sadly, still out of reach for many families in the Philippines. I believe that the National Autism Program bill is a necessary intervention to ensure that persons with autism (POS) are able to access timely assessment and treatment,” Benitez said.
House Bill No. 3379, filed by Benitez, seeks to establish an Autism Support Allowance Program under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The program will provide a regular stipend amounting to Php4,000.00 to families with POS.
“This amount could go a long way in providing support to families, as initial consultations alone already cost around P4,000.00 to P5,000.00 a session. Then, for confirmed diagnoses for autism spectrum disorder, the recommended therapy of four to five times a week costs around P1,000 per session. Not many families have the capability to pay for such interventions,” said Benitez.
Benitez also urged the government to work to reduce barriers to early intervention for children with autism.
He also said that his proposal intends to provide support to around 1.2 million Filipinos, including almost 350,000 children, living with autism.
The measure would also provide other services, including free developmental assessment for all Filipino children until the age of five; free occupational, speech, and behavioral therapy in hospitals of the Department of Health; and free medicines for POS diagnosed with Level 3 Autism.
Benitez emphasized the need for the government to provide support to POS to help them become productive.
“As experts say, autism isn’t a disease that needs to be cured—rather, it is a difference in neurological development. Being diagnosed with autism should not be a death sentence, but the sad reality is that because of the lack of support, POS who could otherwise be productive members of society are excluded from public activity,” he lamented.
The lawmaker urged the government to work to reduce barriers to early intervention for children with autism, such as the low number of developmental pediatricians in the country that results in a long wait for a proper assessment, as well as the high cost for consultation and subsequent therapy.
Autism Consciousness Week in the Philippines is observed on the third week of January, following Proclamation No. 711 (1996), which institutionalized the observance to promote public awareness and social acceptance of persons with autism.
