Pinatunayan ni Jared Maniago na hindi hadlang ang kapansanan para makamit ang inaasam na tagumpay.
Si Jared ay may autism spectrum disorder, na siyang dahilan kaya nahuli ang kanyang speech development.
Pero hindi hinayaan ni Jared na magpatalo sa kanyang kundisyon.
Nagpursige siya, at nakapagtapos sa kolehiyo.
Si Jared ay kabilang sa Gen Z o Generation Z (born between 1996-2010). Ipinanganak siya ng inang si Jocelyn Maniago noong 1999.
May nakakatandang kapatid na lalaki si Jared, ng siyang bunso sa pamilya.
Seaman ang kanyang ama na si Arman, habang physical therapist ang kanyang ina.
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MOMMY’S GREAT LOVE
Malaking bahagi si Mommy Jocelyn sa tagumpay ni Jared.
Ibinahagi ni Jocelyn sa The Philippine Star ang mga pinagdaanan nila ng anak nung growing-up years ni Jared.
“Not even once na naisip ko noon, nung time na na-diagnose siya, na makakatapos siya ng kolehiyo.
“As a physical therapist, I knew it would be very difficult, but he did!
“He’s proven me wrong. We didn’t plan on him finishing school, we took it day by day kung ano ang kaya niya,” sabi ni Jocelyn.
Sa mga ganitong kaso, mainam na bata pa lamang ay naagapan na.
Malaking tulong sa kaso ni Jared ang propesiyon ni Mommy Jocelyn.
As early as two years old, na-detect na agad ng ina na something’s not normal sa anak.
“Hindi siya nagdi-develop ng language. Hindi rin coordinated ang kanyang motor skills. He speaks gibberish. He has no eye contact, and we cannot hug him because he will really hurt you, he will punch you. Even though there is no official diagnosis, I already knew that he is special.”
Jared Maniago (third from left) during his guest apperance at E.A.T. Also in photo: Hosts (L-R) Miles Ocampo, Atasha Muhlach, and Allan K.
EXTRAORDINARY AND SPECIAL
Dahil sa mga ipinakitang sintomas ni Jared, nakumbinsi si Jocelyn na dalhin ang anak sa isang espesyalista.
Ito ay para na rin mabigyan ng sagot ang kanyang mga katanungan.
Na-diagnose si Jared ng Pervasive Development Disorder (PDD) o mas kilala ngayon bilang autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
“Immediately, we enrolled him to a special school and in therapy like speech therapy and occupational therapy.
Nakumpirmang may autism si Jared nung siya’y apat na taong gulang.
Eight years old naman si Jared nung sinimulan ang therapy para sa kanyang autism.
Magastos at mahaba ang proseso.
Pero hindi sumuko si Mommy Jocelyn, na matiyagang sinubaybayan ang progreso ni Jared.
Unti-unti, nakita niyang may saysay ang lahat ng pagtitiyaga, at nagbunga ang pagsisikap ng anak para ma-improve ang sarili.
“Continous yung kanyang therapy ng speech. He was in Grade 1 when his developmental child specialist parang recommended that we enroll him in a normal school,” tuluy-tuloy pang kuwento ni Mommy Jocelyn.
“It was really expensive…” sambit naman ni Jared na nasa tabi ng ina.
“Pero hindi namin binibilang [yung gastos] to be honest,” sagot ng mapagmahal na si Mommy Jocelyn.
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PROGRESS ONGOING
Sa payo ng developmental child specialist ni Jared, nailipat ito sa regular school.
Dito agad napansin ang mga pagbabago sa noo’y bata pang si Jared na agad naka-cope sa normalcy ng regular school schedule.
“Eventually because of the intensive therapy, not only that he learned to talk, he also managed to control his autism.
“‘Yung pananakit niya, nawala. Even yung tantrums niya rin nawala,” kuwento ni Mommy Jocelyn tungkol sa everyday progress ni Jared.
THE EFFORTS PAID OFF
Noong September 1, 2023, gumradweyt si Jared sa National College of Science and Technology.
At kahit binata na si Jared, hindi pa rin maalis kay Mommy Jocelyn na mangamba para sa kondisyon ng anak.
“As a mother, siyempre meron konting hindi naman denial, but nag-iisip ka, how could it happen?
“When it became official, slowly we were able to accept it and embrace it. And right now, we continue embracing it and loving it.”
Ipinagmamalaki naman ng ama ni Jared ang mga efforts ng kabiyak para sa kanilang anak.
Ngayong tapos na sa pag-aaral si Jared, talaga namang nag-pay off ang lahat ng hirap nilang pamilya para mapabuti ang lagay ni Jared.
Kitang-kita rin sa binata ang determinasyong makatapos sa pag-aaral at mamuhay nang normal.
PROUD GRADUATE
Recently, isa si Jared sa mga contestants sa isang segment ng E.A.T.
Namangha naman sina Atasha Muhlach at Allan K. sa ipinakitang stage presence at galing sa pagsagot ni Jared.
Tinanong siya ni Atasha kung ano ang kursong natapos?
“BSIT (BS Information Technology),” sagot ni Jared.
What was the most challenging part of BSIT as a fresh graduate, from what you experienced?
“Pretty much the difficult in IT is programming and coding,” sagot ng binata.
Ano ang naging inspirasyon ni Jared sa kanyang kinuhang kurso?
“Pretty much it’s the video games and the graphics that were made. The way it’s made. Of course, story development. I feel that I also want to create that, too.
“But I never thought it’ll be much harder than I think it is. That’s why I want to learn more.”
Plano ni Jared na magtrabaho sa isang kumpanya, pero sa ngayon, tutulong muna siya sa pagpapatakbo ng family business.
“Yes, I plan to also work, but the important part I like is to help our family business. That’s pretty much that I want.” sabi ni Jared.
Acceptance and early intervention
May payo si Mommy Jocelyn sa mga magulang na ganito rin ang pinagdadaanan.
“Una po talaga ay acceptance. Dapat po na matanggap nila na ang anak nila ay may special needs.
“Kasi po yung early intervention will really help them na ma-develop, kung hindi siguro kami nagkaroon ng early intervention, I doubt na makakatapos po siya ng college.
“So, yun po ang importante. Acceptance and early intervention.”