Digital comic page documents family’s autism journey

Pilyong Inggo raises ASD awareness and promotes inclusivity.

A digital comic page is turning one Filipino family’s autism journey into stories of parenting, progress, and everyday life.

Behind Pilyong Inggo’s comics is his family, particularly his son Dan, a person with autism. The page features an ongoing comic diary, “Ako si Dan,” which documents their experiences as parents while also raising awareness about autism spectrum disorder.

In its second chapter, Inggo recalls noticing characteristics that led them to seek an assessment when Dan was around one year and 4 to 6 months old, including avoiding eye contact, walking on tiptoe, sensitivity to sound, and delayed speech.

Dan was eventually diagnosed with ASD, with accompanying language impairment and global developmental delay. Through the comics, Inggo also explains concepts surrounding the disorder, including the different levels of support that people with autism may need.

In a 2025 comic post, Inggo talked about the process and importance of parents’ acceptance. For him, it involves the capacity to give support, awareness about the condition, and patience in caring for the child.

“Lahat ng ito ay yayakapin mo bilang isang AUSOME PARENTS, di ito madali, kahit unti-unti, ang importante nag momove forward tayo.. at gagawa tayo ng MARAMING PARAAN! para maigapang ito..” he wrote.

His “Ausome Fam” series, meanwhile, offers glimpses into their everyday family life, including Dan’s playtime with friends. One recent comic celebrated a follow-up assessment in which Dan was assessed at Level 2, compared with his previous Level 3 classification.

Autism has three support levels: Level 1 means requiring support, Level 2 means requiring substantial support, and Level 3 means requiring very substantial support. These levels describe how much support a person may need in daily life, rather than the severity of autism itself.

“As parents ng isang batang may Autism, sobrang nakakatuwa ito 🥹🥹🥹❤️ sulit ang OT [occupational therapy], ST [speech-language therapy], follow up sa Bahay, lahat suliiiiiit…” Inggo said in the post’s caption.

In a July post, Inggo shared that he and other parents of children with autism share the hope that their children will grow up to be independent.

“Galingan mo Dan.. Galingan mo anak!” Inggo wrote. “We will do ever[y]thing for you.. Makuha mo lang lahat ng suportang kailangan mo.”

The American Psychiatric Association defines ASD as a lifelong “complex developmental condition” which involves persistent challenges with social communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behavior.

The Autism Society of the Philippines estimates that one in 100 Filipinos are on the autism spectrum, or approximately 1.2 million people.

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