Emilio està Escondido [Spn/Eng]

Saludos Comunidad

El Foro un panel de expertos integrado por psicólogos, psiquiatras, terapistas ocupacionales y otros, que hacen vida en la ciudad. Hubo participación del público donde se sintió el interés por el tema que se trató y dieron orientaciones de cómo llegar a esos padres que requieren orientación porque dicho por ellos mismos es fuerte a la hora de dar un diagnóstico de este tipo.

english version (click here)

Greetings, Community!

Happy week! May it begin filled with health, energy, wonderful ideas, and magic. May it be a time for connection with your inner self and great enthusiasm in every activity you undertake.

Where did "Emilio is Hidden" come from? This activity, presented as a Forum-Theater performance, was promoted by Punto Teatro Producciones in the city of El Tigre, Anzoátegui, Venezuela, on Saturday, April 11th, as part of the Blue Movement during the month of April. April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day.

Activities are held in different states of Venezuela with this goal of raising awareness. In Anzoátegui, there are the so-called "Little Blue Houses," which are comprehensive care centers.

The play consisted of a family scene, one that I think is very common in the homes of children, where family members don't know why the child behaves a certain way or differently from others in the activities they do. The actions of the boy's mother were heavily criticized by his own mother (the boy's grandmother), who said that something was wrong with the child, but that his mother refused to see it. The boy's sister, whom he hugged and communicated with, told her that his teacher had sent a message to his mother, and the boy told her not to tell his mother anything. He confessed that it was true his teacher spoke to him, but he didn't respond. This scene, brief in time but significant in meaning and message, unfolded like this.

At one point, Emilio hid, and no one could find him. Everyone searched, but no one could locate him. They began talking about the places he had previously hidden, causing him to laugh—in the refrigerator, the washing machine, and other places. Upon hearing this, his mother burst into tears because she knew something was wrong with Emilio. She cried, saying she truly didn't know who could help her.

So, that's how the story unfolded, until someone showed them what could be done. They were satisfied, and as a family, they decided to seek the much-needed help that Emilio needed, and that they needed as well.

During the course of the story, I remembered Rafael, a boy who was enrolled in my classroom after the registration period had ended when I was a classroom teacher. Of course, I accepted him, but his parents were never honest with me. Later, I observed the boy during the school day; he played with his hands, and when I explained something to the children who were trying to answer, Rafael was always absent. I remembered him and apologized to myself because at that time, my mind couldn't come up with solutions for how to support this boy's academic performance, especially since I was also teaching more than 30 children in the classroom, each with their own individual needs.

I felt so conflicted when it came to evaluations and writing the report cards. It was so difficult. During that year, the parents were never honest with me, and amidst so many school activities, I managed to cope without confiding in anyone. Talking about it with colleagues meant hearing so many negative things that I preferred to handle it according to my conscience. In those years, information wasn't as readily available as it is today, so I wondered: Where is Rafael now, how has he developed, what skills does he have? Because, honestly, I never heard from him again.

The Forum was a panel of experts comprised of psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, and others who work in the city. There was audience participation, and the interest in the topic was evident. They offered guidance on how to reach parents who need support because, as they themselves stated, it's difficult to make a diagnosis.

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