on alyana

Moving. Inspiring. Informative. These are just a few words to describe this documentary film.

Going back, when we were told to attend a film showing on autism on a Saturday night of October 4 night I asked why that topic when it’s not related to any of our topics this sem. So for the sake of the incentives, we seniors lined up and suited ourselves unto seats available inside the COE amphitheater together with the sophomores from our department. Then we waited and waited. Finally, came in the film showers and the film maker herself, Ms. Mirana Medina! It was a leap which lift up a bit of our spirits and I thought that it was really something because the film maker herself graced the show and even entertained us and provided us a few details of her film while their putting up and fixing stuffs for the show.

She was once asked if Alyana is real. She said yes and that Alyana is her niece, the only one in the family with autism. In search for answers and understanding, bear fruit Alyana.

Lights off. Show reeling in five. Four. Three. Two. One…

The child in a glass ball.
A child of silience.
An empty fortress.
A child in a dream world.

The autistic child.

What a beautiful introductory poem by the film maker herself. I like it so much, so much that I hurriedly key it into my phone and saved it! As I was in awe of the film maker’s way of writing, slowly the admiration to the script in between the gaps has shifted to the unfolding of autism.

They gave definitions of autisms which in the simplest of it, it is a disorder where the person has a world of his own and that they say it is a disorder that chooses no one and strikes anyone. They also provided possible causes of it. Unfortunately, it has no known cause up to these times but there’s one which could be attributed to or a resulting cause of autism which is tuberous sclerosis, a nuerocutaneous problem, as it was mentioned in the film. One thing I remembered was the use of the term “atypical” in relation to the disorder when the physician was breaking the news to Mrs. Macapagal during the check up of her son in consultation for the odd actions displayed by his son together with the delay of his learning or growth. The term sounded less harsh yet comprehensible.

Echolalic behavior, lack of eye contact, inability to point to objects being pertained, repetitive body movements, sustained odd play, lack of pretend play, no fear of danger, indifference, throwing tantrums for no reason, inappropriate laughing or giggling and resistance to change. These are the different symptoms displayed by the atypcals Alyana, Gio, Andrei and other atyppicals which are explained by experts interviewed in the film and no less than the patient, loving mothers whose children have the disorder as well. Such are the likes of Mrs. Koe, whose concern doesn’t only cover her own son’s welfare but for the rest of the atypical child in the country. She is the president of Autism Society which is now spreading awareness across the nation regarding the said disorder through this film with the theme as their flagship which I believe is this: With learning comes deeper understanding.

So much has been tackled in the film like the related disorders or syndrome of Autism with examples such as Mr. Admirable (forgot his name but he really is admirable) with an Asperger syndrome. Part of it also, which is a breakthrough, was the passing of an executive order I think with regards to autism in the country, providing programs or institutions specific for them and the like disorders (e.g. Mental retardation). Programs and institutions that foster and teach them were also shown together with the problems encountered and the joy they’ve come to nourish even with the simplest learning or achievement a child or the group makes. I even caught myself watching with tears in my eyes not just for the atypical ones but more to the family, to the mothers who are primarily affected, for the patience, strength, courage, faith, hope and most especially the love they give them. I don’t know if I could equal what they have done if I am to have one autistic child.

It was also an enlightening when they’ve covered as well the myths that go with the disorder like the belief that there’s cure of it which is none, while others e.g. parents put the blame on their selves thinking that it’s because of their genes and the like which is unanswerable up to now, and thinking like it’s a bad karma to them or that their child is a child of evil which is only mental and again nothing to attribute to. This somehow opened up not only the minds of those in the family with an atypical but to all of us people being part of this society, for us to understand them and make things easy for them.

Lastly, for the management, they’ve shown there that there are actually institutions for the atypical and therapies provided for them e.g. art and music focusing on learning first the skills before scholastics so that these skills would come as a habit to them making them less dependent to others. They’ve also emphasized strong participation of parents with the child’s therapy thereby promoting bonding and understanding and appreciation to the child’s development. It’s good to know that those with minor autism could actually attend to the usual classes and see them participating and enjoying school.

I didn’t quite remember how the film ended, but I’m sure that I’ve wiped my tears right in time the lights were up. The showing up of the president Mrs. Koe, heightened so many of us that it felt like seeing a celebrity in personal. Well in truth, she was actually in the film.

I think the film entails not only to aware but also calls for support as in funding for in every 100 children around the globe one is atypical. And for a country with a population of more or less 80 M, do the math and the result is they wouldn’t just fit for a barangay but could even pass for a city! Given the fact that many is under the poverty threshold; just imagine the unimaginable for those kids and I don’t think you could sulk into it. Well, lucky are the ones like Alyana, Gio and Andrei whose family could afford to send them to therapies or to specific institutions.

It was a night of wonder and missing my bestfriend’s birthday party that night somehow made me feel less guilty.

So let me just sum it up with a little logic below:
AWARENESS EQUATES LEARNING.
LEARNING EQUATES UNDERSTANDING.
AND UNDERSTANDING EQUATES ACCEPTANCE.
THEREFORE, AWARENESS IS TO ACCEPT.