Dr. Ceniza imparted her clinical knowledge about the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) emphasizing on discovering strengths in these children as the role of the future SNEd Educators. “They also grow and they also thrive if we allow them to,” she shared, implying that the future of inclusive education hinges on the ability of these aspiring educators to not just accommodate differences, but to actively cultivate the unique capabilities inherent in each child with ASD.

On the other hand, Dr. Culaba shared about the current status of inclusive education in the Schools Division of Davao Oriental, the challenges faced, and the tactical ways to move forward. One of the challenges he stressed was the ratio of SNEd teachers to students with special needs with only 94 SNEd and 2,782 Receiving Teachers to the 405 formally diagnosed and 7,541 informally diagnosed students. He then urged the students to become a part of the positive change in the inclusive education sector to ensure that no child will be left behind.

Ms. Pahid was the last to speak, and she engaged the students by sharing her firsthand experiences working with children who have various special needs at the Thera-able Occupational Therapy Centre and as a teacher at RRMCSS. She highlighted communication, structured environment, sensory-friendly adjustment, social skills development, behavioral support, and collaboration with specialists as ways to effectively support these children.

Wrapping up the morning program was Mrs. Noreen Bansag, SNEd Faculty, encouraging the students to advocate for inclusive education. The event continued in the afternoon with fun games relevant to the vision of awareness and inclusivity along with raffle draws.

The World Autism Month celebration served as a powerful reminder of the commitment to "Celebrate Differences," igniting a spark of advocacy and equipping future educators with the knowledge and passion to champion inclusive education for individuals with autism and beyond in the Davao Oriental landscape.