MANILA, Philippines — At age three, Tommy Lazo would be observed by his parents reading books and magazines that were far complicated for his age. He would browse the pages of magazines such as National Geographic and Reader’s Digest, or even his elder sister’s textbooks.

In grade school, he was already reading George Orwell’s dystopian allegorical novella “Animal Farm’’!

It was something that pleased Tommy’s parents who imagined that their son could be a genius! “We’d catch him asleep on top of books. He learned how to read first before he could spell,” his dad Gabby recalls.

But surprisingly, amid his love for reading, Tommy remained a very quiet boy. He would speak gibberish, and would occasionally throw tantrums. He was always uneasy and could not keep still.

Their relatives would dismiss this as part of growing up. Tommy would come around, family and friends assured Gabby and his wife Gilyn. But the Lazos were not satisfied. They wanted answers to their numerous questions.

Early intervention is key
At first, it was difficult to pinpoint what Tommy’s condition was. The doctors were even considering autism, Asperger’s syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Speciied (PDDNOS).

It was only when he was five years old when it was finally confirmed by doctors that Tommy indeed has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD), a neurological developmental disorder characterized by impulsivity, lack of focus, and excessive energy.

Tommy underwent early intervention such as behavioral modification, speech and occupational therapies. Fortunately, these worked for Tommy and he started to speak more clearly while his tantrums lessened. His therapies continued until he started schooling.

“All the denying will not help because it’s better to think right away even if it’s going to cost you. In the end, the interest of the child, not the interest of the parents or the public, becomes the priority. Early intervention is very important,” Gabby explains.

Tommy initially entered a special school where his AD/HD strongly manifested. But this school told Tommy’s parents that there was nothing to teach Tommy anymore!

Challenged, the Lazos decided to mainstream Tommy in a bigger school.

“That special school even told us, ‘Goodluck, this guy’s going to come back anyway.’ They figured out that we won’t be able to mainstream him. Indeed, we kept on changing schools every year until finally we found that school,’’ Gabby says.

The linear approach
It was a shaky grade school for Tommy mainly because of his behavioral problems. He was often the target of bullies, to which he responded violently. These incidences often landed him in the principal’s and guidance counselor’s offices. But his parents tried to control this by working closely with his teachers and guidance counselor.

Despite this behavior, Tommy excelled in school. “He always did excel in school, and that’s the part we knew we should unlock. It’s here and he just had to learn to extract it and make use it,’’ his father proudly says.

What probably worked for Tommy's significant development was the support he got from his family, doctors, and the school. This is something the Lazo family is now advocating.

“There was constant support from the doctor, school, and the family — a linear approach — all watching each other. We’re lucky enough that we had a good relationship with that school, they accommodated and I think it was also a learning experience for them and it worked out well. A lot of parents turn over their kids to the school and let the school take care of them, that should not be the case,’’ Gabby admonishes.

Going to college
Because of the continuous support from people around him, Tommy, now 18 years old, has successfully entered college and is now a sophomore at the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB), taking up Agriculture.

“I was aiming for a psychology course but there were complications. My mom said the course had nothing to do with the career I want in the future. So if I want to, I could go to another college and pick the course that I want,’’ Tommy shares. He plans to take up a literature-related course after finishing Agriculture.

Both of Tommy’s sisters are also studying at UPLB. They live on campus independently. “There's not much of a difference from home, my sisters act like my parents, they keep an eye on me, nag me to do homework for instance, or when to get off the
computer, asking me to help out with their homework. I cook lunch, I clean up, so there’s not really much of a change compared to home,’’ Tommy describes his life as a college student.

Walking around the campus, from class to class, also helps Tommy expel his extra energy. This has also helped him to lose weight.

His dad Gabby can only look back with pride, gratitude, and amazement at where Tommy is now.

“Now he is in UP. I know other people will say we are lucky but the point is we did what we had to do. One of his doctors said, okay lang kung sobra ang intervention, pero kung kulang, that’s a mortal sin. If it’s over, you can always scale down but if you didn’t give enough in the first place, for the parents that’s a mortal sin. We always try to give him and we haven’t determined
what the limits are up to know. It’s not like your IQ is only up to here. We haven’t seen the full potential yet at this point and we are all here for Tommy,’’ Gabby proudly says.