More than 150 students with special needs at West Central Elementary School 1 in Dagupan City are getting support through early intervention programs to help manage their behavior and prepare them for regular classes.

Inside a special building at the school, students under the Special Needs Education (SNED) program are grouped into different classrooms based on their conditions: autism, intellectual disabilities, hearing and visual impairments, and physical handicaps.

Each group has a dedicated teacher trained to handle their unique needs.

Among the key interventions for children with autism is water therapy. Teachers say it helps students calm down, reduce tantrums, and improve focus.

“Relaxation. ‘Yung stress level nila, tantrums, mali-lessen pag may water therapy,” Dr. Lea Surot, SNED Coordinator at the school, said.

Aside from swimming sessions, students are also trained in gross and fine motor skills, and given behavior modification activities to prepare them for inclusive education or transition to regular classes.

Dr. Surot emphasized that autism has no cure, but it can be managed with early intervention and public support. She described some of the common traits observed in students.

“‘Yung autism, walang eye contact, social skills nila aligaga, walang focus, ganyan ka-hyper,” she said.

For parents like Maria Zhyra de Vera, whose child has mild autism, daily life can be both challenging and rewarding.

“Go with the flow. Kung hindi mo iintindihin, magta-tantrum siya. Kung ano ‘yung gusto, sinusunod na lang po namin,” she said.