Nothing beats a determined person’s will, not even disability.
Take the case of athletes on the autism spectrum. Aside from being outstanding in their chosen sport, they have broken stereotypes and motivated a bunch of people.
One such inspiring story belongs to 12-year-old Palmer Taliño Taray from Carmen, Province of Cotabato, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and was the first child with autism to join and finish the iconic Davao-Samal Cross Channel on December 8, 2024.
The 1.2-kilometer open water swim started in Davao City and ended in Samal Island.
Nonetheless, the course proved difficult not just for Palmer but for the other participants as well, due to the water current that made the distance nearly exceed 3 kilometers.
Palmer earned a ‘Special Swimmer Award’ in recognition for his incredible feat.
Completing the cross channel swim, Palmer not only displayed his unwavering determination and remarkable journey but also showed what resiliency is all about.
He began training in 2023 and his perseverance and resolve were challenged as he engaged in training sessions four times a week under Master Coach Kirt Loven Murcia and Coach Kevin Palabao.
“Palmer was a great student, kind and very hardworking. As his coach, it was a bit challenging for me to create our training workouts because we weren’t able to communicate verbally. It was a challenge to bring out Palmer’s full potential,” Murcia told Edge Davao.
Murcia said coaching someone with autism requires a lot of patience, a broader understanding and the willingness to try different approaches.
If anyone is happiest with this achievement of Palmer, it’s his mother, Jocelyn.
She said Palmer’s active lifestyle has been able to help him improve and cope with the disorder as he needs to release all his energy.
She said aside from swim training in the morning, Palmer currently does biking or walking for an hour every night.
“While he took up his swimming practice, we discovered that swimming helps him a lot. It started as water therapy, then physical exercise. However, over the past year we have seen his improvement, especially his focus and improved behavior at school and social interactions,” she said.
According to Jocelyn, the key elements in Palmer’s development included unconditional love, early acceptance, a proper diet, and training, along with being around the right individuals.
Jocelyn admitted to Edge Davao that her initial reaction after finding out that her son has ASD was guilt.
“My initial reaction was guilt. I questioned myself and backtracked asking myself “what went wrong? Were there any solutions or ways to address this spectrum disorder? Because this was something new to me and I was not ready for this challenge. When my son got his diagnosis, just like many families, you are never prepared. There will always be the shock factor,” she said.
Parents of children with autism are heroes. They serve as the support system and facilitators for gifted individuals possessing exceptional skills.
For Jocelyn, every day is fresh and presents challenges and chances for the family.
“One, Palmer is already 12 years old. As he grows older and depending on his progress, the environment around him continues to change and there are always new challenges in terms of his behavior. Two, challenges in terms of education and therapeutic requirements to progress his cognitive learning. Although he has improved and is now able to communicate and interact, we always worry that he might lose all this progress and regress back,” she said.
Jocelyn said Palmer is an active kid and now that he is in swimming, the family wants him to be more focused on proper training so that he is equipped and ready if ever he’ll join another cross channel event and some competitions.
Other than swimming, she added that Palmer also loves to travel and have many funny moments with the family.
“We want to make him feel like there’s nothing to worry about and as much as possible treat him normally,” she said.
If there’s one thing that Jocelyn is eager to advocate, it is to spread awareness to correct misconceptions about ASD. Specifically the belief that the disorder has no solution and it’s for life. She added that there are many things you can do about it.
“I hope that this type of thinking will fade over time and that people will be more informed as well as be more understanding of those who have ASD,” she said.
For parents with children with ASD, Jocelyn said acceptance is the first key thing that parents and families need to overcome.
She advised that the moment they find out that their kid has ASD, it is best to prepare the family and find the right therapist and developmental doctors, review the diet and nutrition intake, and surround themselves with people who can also give love to their children who have ASD.
“The good thing now is that all the information can be looked up online. Look for communities that can offer support and information that will benefit your kids’ progress. Also, don’t compare your kids’ progress is their own. Each kid will have their own time to shine and improve steadily. Lastly, Pasensiya and pagsalig that they can make it, each small step towards progress is progress for improvement,” Jocelyn said.
Nothing but respect to the people on the spectrum, they maybe “different but not less.”
