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Shaping the Future of Autism Support: Contrasting Perspectives and Inspiring Initiatives in the Philippines and Singapore

by Mia Roa | Oct 27, 2023

SG Enable is an autism and disability organization in Singapore.In the Philippines, we have this belief that if a special child is born into a family, then the family will be blessed in the future. It’s a belief that’s been shared from generation to generation, even though there’s no scientific or even traditional basis to this. It says a lot about the Philippines’ culture to endure hardships in the hopes that better times will come in the future. During a recent visit to Singapore, we encountered a contrasting perspective that underscored the diversity of Asian cultures. It became evident that the treatment of individuals with special needs in Singapore differs significantly from our own beliefs. However, what makes this city-state amazing is how they’ve readily provided for the special needs community, not just through advanced technologies or job opportunities but through mediums of expression. Our experience during our visit to the Lion City for the LKYGBC was a poignant...

Filipino Start-Up Named Top 50 Finalist at the Prestigious LKYGBPC: Transforming AAC Communication

Pic-A-Talk is the only Filipino start-up to have made it to the LKYGBPC held in Singapore this year!The Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition is an internationally recognized competition that focuses on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the field of...

Echoes of Empowerment: Giving Voice to the Voiceless

🌟 Unlocking Voices and Changing Lives: Pic-A-Talk, an innovative Filipino-made app, is revolutionizing communication for non-verbal children with special needs by harnessing the power of images and text-to-speech technology. Founded by Ms. Uma Roa, this groundbreaking...

Young Philippine Entrepreneurs Shine at Major Startup Competition

Manila: Winners from the second cohort of the ARISE Plus Philippines Young Entrepreneurs (YE) Boost Accelerator were announced at the grand finale in Manila with an in-person Demo Day and pitching competition, marking the culmination of the programme.

Pic-A-Talk Celebrates Autism Month with Medbay

Ausome parents with their ausome kids at the Autism Spectrum Celebration at Plaza Alemania HotelLast April 30, 2023, we had the pleasure of teaming up with one of the most respectable therapy centers in Iligan City, Medbay Therapy and Learning Center, to celebrate the final day of Autism Awareness...

Beacon Demo Day 2023: Showcasing the Power of Entrepreneurship

Uma Roa had the privilege to pitch during the networking session and introduced Pic-A-Talk, a picture exchange communication system in a mobile application. The system consists of images of words that are easily identifiable by any user, which helps children with communication disabilities express...

All Aboard the Pic-A-Talk Train!

Alps Tutorial House is a tutorial center that caters to elementary school students and children with special needs. It is owned by Teacher Lodi, an occupational therapist based in Iligan City. She aims to not just to educate children academically but also provide an inclusive classroom setup where...

Pic-A-Talk Ends 2022 With Laughter: SPED Center Gift Giving at Iligan City

Christmas is the time for giving. A wonderful occasion, usually spent with family and friends. Nothing beats the joy of seeing somebody’s face light up when given a present. But it’s more enjoyable when that person is someone who we’ve wanted to give back to for being an inspiration. Last December...

Embrace Uniqueness: Pic-A-Talk Celebrates Christmas with Kids at Aragon SKILLS Therapy Center

Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year! And what better way to celebrate it than by sharing a smile with everyone? On December 23, 2022, Pic-A-Talk brought joy and gifts to children with disabilities at Aragon SKILLS Therapy Center in Marikina City along with their co-hosts, WENURTURIO and...

Pic-A-Talk at Iligan City’s First Ever Campus Devcon

Pic-A-Talk was invited both as a participant and a speaker in MSU-IIT’s first Campus DEVCON, an event made possible with the collaboration between Iligan City ICT Council, Devcon CD and MSU-IIT’s own CCS Executive Council. Unable to attend the said event, our CEO Uma Roa entrusted the presentation to Shealtiel Cañon, fellow Co-Founder of Pic-A-Talk. It was, in our opinion, no better choice than him to share the experiences and struggles of start-up life. After all, it’s not an easy journey. And many start-ups fail before they even start.

Pic-A-Talk Launches Virtually!

The Official Launch of Pic-A-Talk was a milestone we had worked tirelessly for.

It was an event that would mark our success, the product of our sleepless nights and tired days and an accomplishment that we were proud to have reached. The progress leading up to the launch was difficult, especially since we encountered a few hiccups every now and then.

Autism Awareness Day: Celebrating Lea

Lea was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and speech apraxia at the age of 3, which explained her developmental delay in verbal communication. But she is more than her disabilities Lea is a very affectionate girl. She hugs her family and friends whenever she sees them, no...

Young STAR Feature

Two award-winning apps that empower people—one for PWDs, and another for children with special needs