John Robert Canivel is an Occupational Therapist from the Philippines. Although he has only been working with students diagnosed with autism for 2 years, his experience dates back to when he was around 10-12 years old. Robert grew up with a brother with ADHD and a cousin with ASD. Robert is eager to learn how to help clients improve their social-emotional skills, play skills, and independence in self-care. Additionally, he wants to learn how to effectively coach their parents and family members to help facilitate learning at home. It is Robert’s desire to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to help these kids, their families and other teachers/therapists in the crucial early years of the child’s life and as they transition to different stages of their lives. “Because I was around 10-12 years old during that time, I had no idea about ADHD, autism or OT but I wanted to know how they can get “cured” from the behaviors that limited them and that attracted negative attention from other people. And this started my journey to knowing more about differently-abled children, the conditions that cause these limitations and becoming an Occupational Therapist.“ – John Robert Canivel