Bleachers' Brew #135 Dacki's World

(This appears in my column in the December 1, 2008 edition of Business Mirror)

Bleachers' Brew #135 Dacki's World
by rick olivares

If you ask Dacki Sandiego what it was like to join the parade of 164 nations in the 80,000-seater Shanghai Stadium, he’ll tell you that it was his first time to march in front of a lot of people.

If you ask him… how he exactly felt, he’ll look you in the eye and say he was proud to represent the Philippines and that he befriended Germans, Belgians, Japanese, and Americans among others.

Prod a little more and he will tell you that he competed in the badminton event where he brought home a bronze medal and finished fourth twice. The bronze medal was in mixed doubles while the fourth place finishes were in men’s singles and men’s doubles.

Perish the thought that he is not interested in engaging you in conversation.

You see Dacki Sandiego has Attention-Deficiency Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Asperger’s Syndrome (AS).

The former is a neurobehavioral disorder characterized by impulsiveness and a short attention span while the latter is a social disorder that delays a person’s cognitive development. In layman’s speak, they exhibit marked deficiencies in communication and social skills yet a certain percentage exhibit a wide-range of skills and abilities.

Say if you don’t want to talk to a person, chances are you turn your back to them and they get the hint. To a person with Asperger’s Syndrome, he’ll follow you and engage you further in conversation or continue to ask questions.

It is estimated that only 20% of people diagnosed with this disability have been able to somewhat beat their deficiency or to become highly-functionable.

When Atty. Jorge Sandiego was informed that his eldest child was diagnosed with AS, he felt crushed. “After all,” says the lawyer who specializes in intellectual property rights, “parents of children diagnosed with AS are often told that, ‘you should be happy if he could tie his shoes.’”

Yet early on, Dacki offered glimpses of his gifts. During one class in his elementary years, he stood up and began walking around the classroom that irked his teacher. “You are not paying attention,” she chided the student.

Dacki floored her when he recited almost verbatim what she was teaching in the last few minutes.

The ADHD was somewhat solved with Divine Intervention. During one Mass, Dacki found himself in the altar mimicking the priest’s every motion much to the amusement of the congregation. After the celebration, the priest asked Dacki’s parents if their son would like to be a sacristan. They agreed and much to their surprise, he was not only well-behaved but it corrected his attention disorder.

He was soon moved to The Community of Learners Foundation (COLF) in New Manila, a non-traditional private school that is a working model of progressive, developmentally-appropriate and culturally-relevant educational approaches that take into consideration the needs and characteristics of children as learners.

Twenty percent of COLF’s student population of 800 are special children who find the relaxed environment not only conducive to learning but an opportunity to exhibit their talents and skills without fear of teasing or bullying.

“It’s a mainstreaming school,” describes Ruth Katalbas who has been with the school for almost two decades now. “Special children like Dacki are given Individual Education Programs to go with the regular curriculum. We adjust to the needs of the children because of the social emotional learning disability.”

Dacki found himself on a voyage of discovery where he quickly flourished. He did well in his tasks and in the arts. After repeated attempts to be a part of a school production of The Sound of Music, he was finally accommodated albeit in an added role of a priest who intermingled with the Von Trapp family. “He nailed all his parts perfectly,” gushes Katalbas of the 15 year-old second year high school student.

Interestingly, he isn’t interested in Playstation or computer gaming but in cooking, baking, and badminton. The sport was something he got into because of his parents who regularly played. But baking and cooking?

“I learned on my own because I got hungry,” admits Dacki as if learning how to cook was immediately downloadable and as easy as connect the dots.

His father winks and without modesty says he flat out cooks the best kaldereta, sinigang na baboy, and sisig. “And to think that Dacki’s mom cooks very well while I can contribute my own,” beams the lawyer with tears of pride in his eyes. “My son is not stopping there.”

Several months ago, the Sandiegos launched Dacki’s Pastries where he has built a steady clientele because of his carrot, cheese, and blueberry cheesecakes.

“But I like badminton,” interjects the child prodigy who at a still growing 5’9” and 220 pounds has found good use for his bundle of energy. “It’s a sport where I want to accomplish more.”

That’s two hours of almost daily training of badminton before heading off to school which is just a few minutes away. When he arrives home, he takes a rest, does his homework then heads to the kitchen to appease the gastronomic whiles of his highly-expectant family.

So what is his secret?

“Nothing. I just do my tasks. That’s a typical day for me.”

But there was nothing typical that 1st of October 2007 in Shanghai when Dacki joined more than 7,000 athletes in the parade of nations. “I felt proud,” recalls Jorge as he unabashedly fought back his tears as he sat in the stands with his wife. “Seeing him interact with others and to be able to compete and achieve something… it’s a blessing.”

When I ask him what it was like to represent the Philippines in the 2007 Special Olympics in China, he allows the briefest of smiles and extrapolates, “It was a great experience. It made me proud to represent my country. And I want to do it again.”

Asperger’s Syndrome facts:

• One out of every 100 children are afflicted with AS.
• The exact cause is still being investigated. Research however suggests that a combination of factors - genetic and environmental - may account for changes in brain development.
• Asperger Syndrome is not caused by a person's upbringing, their social circumstances and is not the fault of the individual with the condition.
• There is currently no cure and no specific treatment for AS.