Behind the Screen: Lived Experiences of Filipino Teletherapists Caring for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Proponent/s Name/s (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)

• France C. King, De La Salle UniversityFollow
• Aliyah Louise C. Lianko, De La Salle UniversityFollow
• Unica Ricci A. Macaspac, De La Salle UniversityFollow
• Maynelle Vienne S. Pasahol, De La Salle UniversityFollow
• Vermont Rei M. Ticao, De La Salle UniversityFollow

Document Types

Paper Presentation

Research Theme (for Paper Presentation and Poster Presentation submissions only)

Gender, Human Development, and the Individual (GHI)

School Name

De La Salle University

Track or Strand

Humanities and Social Science (HUMSS)

Research Advisor (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)

Villanueva, Chrizelle, M.

Start Date

25-6-2026 10:30 AM

End Date

25-6-2026 12:00 PM

Zoom Link/ Room Assignment

Online - https://zoom.us/j/95274188371?pwd=bXhb7DQU3HQbLltdMsVaoT4A5iwGBr.1 Meeting ID: 952 7418 8371 | Passcode: research

Abstract/Executive Summary

Teletherapy has increasingly become a fundamental component of modern healthcare delivery due to its accessibility and ability to provide remote support. However, its development in the Philippines has progressed slowly, with limited attention to the lived experiences of Filipino teletherapists working with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This paper aims to explore the lived experiences of Filipino teletherapists providing online services to children with ASD. In this qualitative narrative inquiry study, semi-structured interviews were conducted online to understand the experiences of the participants. Five Filipino teletherapists were selected for the study using purposive chain referral sampling. Through the lens of Clandinin and Connelly narrative inquiry framework, the narrative threads that emerged from the participants’ shared experiences highlighted the challenges and opportunities of practicing teletherapy, the influence of the mode on their professional roles and identities, and how they navigate cultural beliefs within their practice. These experiences continuously shaped the teletherapists’ professional identities through flexibility, caregiver collaboration, and culturally sensitive care within digital therapeutic spaces. Teletherapy also offered several opportunities to practitioners in terms of enhancing access to services, caregiver participation, and sustained services for the children with ASD. These findings contribute to the growing Philippine literature on teletherapy by highlighting the experiences of Filipino teletherapists working with children with ASD in online therapeutic settings. They also emphasize the importance of supporting practitioners as teletherapy continues to grow as a long-term form of mental health care.

Keywords

teletherapy; autism spectrum disorder; Filipino teletherapists; narrative inquiry; modern healthcare

Initial Consent for Publication

yes

Statement of Originality

yes