A passionate group of parents came together to attend the third and final sessions of the Parenting Pathway Workshop on 09 November 2024 at the SLU Sunflower Child and Youth Wellness Center’s Pedagogical Developmental Center (PDC).
During the culminating activity, Professor Raflyn M. Guillermo spoke about her personal experience raising a child with special needs and the advocacy work she takes part in around Benguet. Professor Guillermo teaches math and statistics courses at Saint Louis University, and in her free time, volunteers in far-flung communities to change the narrative about people with special needs. Through information dissemination within communities, Professor Guillermo helps create a societal shift in which there is acceptance, understanding, and appropriate care of individuals with special needs.
Professor Guillermo shared some best practices to calm a child who has special needs, including a discussion of how foods can trigger behavioral outbursts. She also gave tips and tricks for teaching life skills to individuals with special needs. These skills and teachings can be spread through the community by the participants present, which will help provide quality education and reduce inequalities for people with special needs (SDG 3 & 10). Participants were also engaged in conversations about the path to acceptance, how to help others along this path, and coping mechanisms for struggling parents.
Throughout this three-month program, 30 participants from Baguio and La Trinidad gained information about SPED Education, Autism and ADHD, and life hacks to continue being the best parents and advocates for their children. PDC extends its appreciation to all participants, speakers, and supporters from SLU and SCYWC.
Sunflower PDC is the place to visit for information about future Parenting Pathway workshops or how to get involved in advocacy work within your community. (Article by Lauren Weber, Peace Corps Volunteer.)
