Mothers' Voices on Autism Spectrum Disorder: Leaning towards Sustainable Inclusive Education in Maragusan, Philippines

The birth of a child is the beginning of a woman's motherhood. It is genuinely illuminated in her raising and rearing responsibilities. This study explores the understanding and experiences of Mansaka mothers about autism before and after diagnosis. This qualitative phenomenological inquiry employed face-to-face semi-structured interviews with five Mansaka mothers in the countryside of Maragusan having a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Colaizzi's method was applied to analyze the data through transcribing, coding, and theming. The result of the study revealed that mothers have personal observations about their children's behavior and share their rearing issues, retrospection, and standpoint of their children's condition before diagnosis. It was highlighted in the result that parents had different reactions, realizations, and responses about their children's condition after the diagnosis. The implication of the study infers development of sustainable inclusive practices and reviews of policy.