To see and be seen: Embracing the autism spectrum

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MANILA, Philippines — A mother was almost offloaded with her daughter, mother and husband from a flight back home to the United States because of the special needs of her child with autism.

A week later, she posted a grievance letter on social media where she received a very heart-warming response from an airline personnel who also happened to have a family member on the autism spectrum.

Irene Laturnas Velasco's book "Read More, Post Less" — with the second title "A Filipino father who had no words for empathy, and the daughter who didn’t need one" — starts by asking "Mommy, are you crying?" and attempts to answer it with each page.

Velasco is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in identity, life transitions, mood disorders and imposter syndrome. She is a marathoner, mental health and neurodiversity advocate, and the mother of 10-year-old Maddie.

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"Being a mom to a child with special needs has been the best thing that has ever happened to me," Velasco shared. "Maddie's autism diagnosis left me with no choice but to change my way of relating with the world. Maddie has taught me the beauty of letting go; embracing life for what it is, and making the most out of it."

Raised in La Libertad, Negros Oriental and now based in Vallejo, California, Velasco writes with honesty & heart about family, migration and the power of presence.

Her debut memoir is a tribute to the unsung influences and small gestures that shape our lives in lasting ways.

"Read More, Post Less" is about seeing and being seen — sometimes for the first time; sometimes, after years of being missed.

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