Paper on Support Services for Special Needs Children

* Prologue *
What is Support Service?
Support Services is a system of networks working to make a program effective
and efficient. It consists of a wide range of professional-paraprofessional services
encompassing various fields, from medicine to social work to special education.
What are the different forms of social services?
Most people would say that there is no specific list of support services common to
all. The kinds of support services available for one organization may not be available, or
even necessary for another. It is safest, then, to say that the network of support is
deendent upon the needs of an organization and the availability of supporters present.
In the field of Special Education, support services may include different linkages
and partnerships with local and international organizations, as well as government and
non-government institutions.
How did Support Services come about?
The history of support services is very complex. Historically, families were
viewed as the ones responsible for the care and support for their family members with
disabilities. There were no government-funded programs to help PWDs, nor were there
much NGOs yet. It was only in the 1960s when some organizations composed of the
families and relatives began to campaign for more support and better services. And
through the years, our system and network of support services have become what they are
now.
Many people have moved to acquire better, more efficient and effective
services for special needs children. For this paper, I will be discussing more on the
support services extended towards SNCs parents, family and society; the Parent and
Family Support Program and the Adovacy Services, both provided by the Rainbow
Intervention Center For Autism Foundation, Inc. (RICAFI).

Rainbow Intervention Center For Autism Foundation, Inc. (RICAFI)

Davo City, Philippines, 1996
RICAFI is an intervention center designed to help children with Autism1. It is recognized
as the 1st Autism Center in Davao city and in Mindanao, owned and operated by parents
of children with autism. It is a non-stock, non-profit organization led by a nine-person
Board of Trustees and managed by ten school officers and three teachers.
History of RICAFI

As early as 1994, several children in Davao City were diagnosed with Autism by Dr.
lexis Reyes, a Manila-based Developmental Pediatrician. Howerever, there were no
school or centers with intervention programs for autistic children, nor were there teachers
trained to handle autism. It was only in 1995 that Ms. Carissa Mackay, a special
education teacher from Manila, came toDavao and handled on-on-one sessionsfor
children with autism. Howver, she could not accommodate the number of children who
wanted to be in her class. In August and September 1995, she conducted a series f Parent
Modules to teach on behavior modification and teaching strategies for autism. Due to
rules on attendance and parent involvement, only nine parents finished the course. After a
few months, they again underwent another series of training, this time on more
techniques for teaching and on managing an autistic child using a home program.
These nine prents, then, decided to organize themselves and establish the first
intervention center for autism in Davao City. Thus, the Rainbow Intervention Center For
Autism Foundation, Inc. (RICAFI) was born. It was on September 8, 1996 that RCAFI
was inaugurated at Padre Gomez St., D.C. and the day after, classes started with nine
children.
Vision
Children with autism whoa re able to achieve a alevel of independence ad self-reliance so
they can become productive and socially accepted members of the society.
Comitted and empowered families of children with autism who are able to prvide
proper support, values, and skills to enable the children to achieve their fullest
potentials2.
Mission
To provide appropriate and affordable educational and behavioral programs and lifespan
services for persons with disability and their families in Davao City and in Mindanao.
Support Services
Parent and Family Support Program
RICAFI aims to empower the parents, siblings and relatives of children with
autism by educating families and assisting them in addressing specific behaviors and
setting effectives routines in the home. RICAFI takes care of new families by
providing moral support and guidance counseling through sharing of experiences
among parents and siblings.
What is Counseling?
Counselling, the skills of helping people cope with personal difficulties
through interviews and other procedures, with the aim of allowing them to reach
solutions to those difficulties themselves. The term covers a wide spectrum of
therapeutic activity, from practical advice given during one or two meetings to
sympathetic attention over months or years. Counsellors may specialize in
particular areas, such as bereavement, trauma after battle or disaster, or living with
serious illness. Other counsellors help particular groups, such as teenagers, the

unemployed, or refugees. Married couples in difficulties or troubled families may

seek counselling together.
For RICAFI, they provide counseling to help parents adjust to the strain and
demands of having children with autism. It is undeniable that having a child with a
special need may cause fears and doubt to parents, and some may even blame
themselves for their childrens condition. The siblings may also feel qualms and
uncertainties about their sister/brother. In some cases, sibling tend to be jealous of
their parents attention, desiring to be given as much as the sibling with autism.
Counseling helps resolve these issues through talks and discussion. Sometimes,
parents also seek to hear the experiences of other people who also have children
with autism. Relating to their experiences provide new parents with essential
insights on how and how not to handle their own children.