Program review

Cheers to the Manila Bulletin for a review of a television program promoting awareness of the condition of children with special needs.

In a Jan. 16 article which appeared in its Students and Campuses section, the Bulletin reviewed the misinformation and the wrong signals the ABS-CBN drama series “Budoy” on a boy with Angelman Syndrome (AS) is propagating (“Is Budoy sending the wrong signals?“).

AS, said the article, is a “rare neuro-genetic disorder… A genetic condition, AS is characterized by severe intellectual disability, speech impediment, sleep disturbance, unstable jerky gait, seizures and usually a happy demeanor.”

Experts and advocates hailed the show for informing the public about the condition of children with special needs and their families. However, a twist in the program was said to have created a problem.

Budoy showed signs of “normal episodes” and became smart after an accidental head injury. Dr. Tippy Tanchanco, a developmental pediatrician, said that the families of children with special needs have been asking her if the same things could happen to their wards.

Though the program is fictional, the experts interviewed said that for a show labeled as an advocacy program, there should be a certain level of research and consistency with reality. Among the inconsistencies they cited were: the acquisition of the disorder, the characteristics of the person with the disorder, and how the character with AS in the program was supposedly cured.

“People watching the show are very impressionable, that is why it is easy for them to believe that what is happening in the show can happen in real life,” said Yolanda Bautista, a special education teacher.