PhP 100K for a year of therapy sessions

I have been receiving curious questions (wrapped in love, in the words of Ms. A) about TLO's therapy expenses. Coincidentally, our therapy center just sent our Statement of Account from May 2014 up to the first week of June. To summarize, we paid a little over PhP 100,000 for a year of therapy sessions.

I've added notes below for mothers and everyone who need the same type of developmental intervention for their loved ones.

Notes:

• This is not a complaint. We love our therapy center. We are big fans of TLO's therapist. Their rates are reasonable. We have paid for more expensive therapy sessions from a center here in Makati - no progress in TLO, for double the price.
• These amounts are for three ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) therapy sessions per week.
• The spikes in payments due are for when the case manager visits. This is a component of the center's service that we truly appreciate. A case manager is like a therapist's "school principal" checking on the performance of the therapist and TLO's progress against developmental programs
• The amounts exclude the therapist's transportation expense. The center is far from Makati so we opted for Home Based sessions.

Sayang Ang SARSA

A dear friend gave me two SARSA Kitchen+Bar DealGrocer vouchers for my birthday. I did not pay so much attention to the redemption period so I ended up missing the deadline. That was kinda painful. I called over the weekend and tried to appeal to the kind heart of whoever was in charge. I made sure that I injected "my birthday" in the plea. But business is business, I guess. No excuses.

So this post is here as a painful reminder that:

1). I really need to put EVERYTHING in my calendar

2). Commercial establishments only care about your birthday if you are accompanied by at least one paying customer

3). Deal Sites are always wishing you harm. They want you to miss their tiny redemption periods.

SARSA Kitchen+Bar

109 Rada St., Legaspi Village

(02) 754 9943 | (0917) 528 0115

TLO's Special Adventure Fundraising - 2nd Update

Today is the first week TLO's Special Adventure Fundraising. We continue to be overwhelmed with the shower of love and blessings. Thank you!

Please know that your support - big or small, tangible or not, now or later - means so much to our little family. May you be blessed, always.

P.S. We heard from some of our friends that Paypal Link is not working. We are not sure if this is a system error...in the meantime, you may also send your donations to the BPI account below:

BPI Express Savings Account# 1739164997
Account Name: Maria Rominda R Baniqued

Free Online Tarot Reading

In times of need, I turn to the stars and the occult for comfort. Just because. I typically turn to the warm shoulders of astrology but I also love readings from Tarot cards. It was ZephyrInTheSky who introduced me to the wonders and powers of these cards. Not related to this post but I'm sharing because you might be looking for comfort too: she also does FREE auracle reading (click here if you're interested).

I didn't know until a few minutes ago that you can actually receive free tarot readings online. Of course, I am not confident that the readings will be as accurate compared to when you have the cards in front of you. I doubt that our energy can penetrate computer monitors to "touch" the cards' images. But since ZephyrInTheSky  has been refusing my requests for a free aura reading, I really have no choice. Here are my cards for today. My career hopes and dreams were accurately captured. I just don't know if they mean positive news too. I have faith and diligence, I am ok.



Daily CAREER Tarot Reading

And for the lovesick and romantics, they also offer FREE DAILY TRUE LOVE Tarot Reading. I am 1,000,000% sure that I have found my true love. My cards agree.

Amazing huh? A friendly reminder. As per Zenaida Zeva (who probably damaged her own career with her signature line): "Hindi hawak ng mga bituin ang ating kapalaran - gabay lamang sila, meron tayong free will gamitin natin ito."

"The stars do not own our fate - they are mere guides, we have free will, let's use it."

Enjoy!!!

All images ares from Horoscope.Com but digital magic is mine.

Doughnut,Sinaksak ng Kitkat

Bumabaha ng ka-sweetan at literal na sweets sa trabaho. Sa gitna ng kasiyahan at mga kaganapan, isang karumal dumal na krimen ang nasaksihan. Doughnut, sinaksak ng Kitkat. Nasan ang katarungan? Nasa kanang pangil ko. Ayun, nangingilo. Hindi talaga ako fan ng shyalang donut-an na yan. Galit sila sa asukal.

Ok, photos from the crime scene.

Chooks To Go

Noong bagong agent ako sa call center (at hindi nawala ever), nalulungkot ako ng slight kapag ang pakain sa sangkatauhan ay pizza. Laging pizza. Gusto ko Andok's saka kanin. Kapag walang Andok's may mga alternative na puwede na rin. Gaya ng Sr. Pedro saka Chooks To Go.

Alam ito ng mga kasama ko sa trabaho. Noong mga unang araw pagkatapos ng balitang ito, hindi ko kayang mag-kuwento pero halatang hatala na ako'y wasak. Dahil customary ang sabay na pagkain ng hapunan, nagpaliwanag ako na kailangan ko munang mapag-isa. Inunawa naman nila kahit excited na excited ang aming mother figure sa panlilibre ng Chooks. Tinirhan nila ako ng manok at binilugan ang dalawang simpleng salita sa balot ng litsong manok.

Masarap ang manok (may forever diyan) at nakakabusog. Pero itong statement na ito, mas nakakabusog ng kaluluwa.

More About Makati SPED Center

Mga dagdag kaalaman mula kay Teacher Lou. Tungkol ito sa mga sistema at proseso ng eskuwelahan, kasama na rin ang brief expectations setting session (meron pa sa pasukan, sinagot niya lang muna ang mga tanong ko).

1. Children are grouped by their condition to ensure proper care and attention. Napanood mo ba ang FAME? Ganun ko nai-imagine ang set-up. Ang bawat klase ay binubuo base sa specialty ng special needs ng mga bata. May sections for children with autism, down syndrome at intellectual disability (duon sasali si TLO).

2. Hindi basta bastang nilalagay ni Teacher Lou ang mga bata in sections. Inoobserbahan niya muna ng isang linggo bago mag-conclude kung sino ang gustong kasama ng bawat estudyante at kung ano ang tamang mix. Madalas daw kasing mag-walk out ang mga batang ito pag ayaw sa mga nagaganap o mga kasama. Nirerespeto ni Teacher ang choice at preference ng mga estudyante. I love her for that. Very humanist and progressive.

3. Ang mga magulang ng estudyante ay nagiging support group at community. Highly encouraged ang mingling ng estudyate AT parents. May mga binanggit na siyang pangalan ng mga magulang na feeling niya ay makakasundo ko. Dahil raw pare-pareho ang condition ng mga bata sa isang klase, malaking tulong sa parents na malaman kung ano ang mga nangyayari sa buhay ng bata at pamilya isa't isa. Bet ko yan.

4. It takes a minimum of 3 years bago maka-graduate ang mga bata sa SPED. Ibig sabihin, puwede na silang sumali sa regular school. May assessment na ginagawa taun-taon para makita kung handa na ba ang bata. May mga gradudates na sila na nasa regular school na ngayon.

5. Pending Teacher Lou's assessment pa ito pero mukhang Grade 1 na si TLO pagpasok niya sa June 13. Napatili yata ako rito. Sabi ko, Teacher, Grade 1? Hindi pa po siya nakakabasa. Pinakalma naman ako ni Teacher. To simplify, ang grade level ng SPED kids ay three levels lower ng sa regular kids. For example, ang Grade 6 na SPED student ay may faculties ng isang Grade 3 student.

6. Base sa malawak na karanasan ng mga teachers sa Makati SPED Center, ang batang may ID (Intellectual Disability) ay:

• natututong magsalita
• natututong mag-alaga ng sarili
• likas na malambing at hindi marunong mag-sinungaling
• likas na performer
• matinik sa pagbabasa ng tao (hindi raw sila madaling lokohin)
• hindi nakakabasa (pero libre ang umasa)

Ang bawat dagdag kaalaman sa kondisyon ni TLO ay either nakakadurog o nakakabuo ng pag-asa. Iniyakan ko ang posibilidad na hindi makakabasa si TLO. Ang mommy at daddy mahilig magbasa tapos siya hindi makakabasa? Kanino ako puwedeng makipag-away para diyan sa law of nature na yan? Pero hindi ko ito susukuan. Sa lahat ng nilatag na mga posibilidad kay TLO all these years, ito yata ang hindi ko kayang isuko at tanggapin. Idadasal ko ito ng non-stop.


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Gen. Pio del Pilar Elementary School (SPED Center)

Address: Santuico St., Brgy. Pio Del Pilar, Makati Phone Number: (02) 659 8963

Nemesio I. Yabut Elementary School

Address: Escuela Street, Guadalupe Nuevo, Makati City

Phone Number: (02)882 2058

For more public and private SPED school options, please click here.