BLOG - Page 5 of 23 - LIH Olivia's Place

LIH Olivia’s Place Beijing March Photo Gallery

Olivia's Place Comments Off

Early spring is a good season for sowing hope and spreading thoughts! On this occasion, LIH Olivia’s Place Beijing also launched a series of training and activities on pediatric development rehabilitation. We hope that by providing training to parents, teachers, and clinicians, each child has opportunity to get comprehensive and professional care and attention, to grow healthily and happily.

 

Parent Training at Huijia Kids: A Series Lecture on Child Development

On March 4, an interdisciplinary team from LIH Olivia’s Place Beijing provided a lecture on Children’s Challenges to teachers and parents at Huijia Kids. In the lecture, our clinicians analyzed the root causes for problems and challenges children encounter in learning and in life, shared coping strategies and suggestions, introduced a case study about an inattentive child, and explained misunderstandings about sensory integration. At the end of the lecture, clinicians showed the importance of developing and training good postures and answered all kinds of questions raised by parents. The atmosphere was very lively!

Huijia 4

 

Huijia 3

Rare Disease Day – Never Rare, Parent Training on SMA Basic Care and Rehabilitation

For many families with children with a rare disease, parents take good care of their child and frequently seek training and therapeutic interventions. However, during daily activities with their children, parents may not know how to use their strength appropriately. They may get hurt or even have functional problems due to the long-term care they provide. In this context, Eva K. Ma, Senior Occupational Therapist at LIH Olivia’s Place, was invited to introduce basic care and therapy knowledge, including guidance on handling and transfers. Nikola Milosevic and Liu Ping, physical therapists, also provided support and suggestions from the point of view of physical therapy.

 SMA1 SMA2

  Read more


Carrying a Backpack: Do It Right!

Olivia's Place Comments Off ,
Melina Pordeus De Paul Goedert, Senior Physical Therapist, LIH Olivia's Place Beijing

Melina Pordeus De Paula Goedert, Senior Physical Therapist, LIH Olivia’s Place Beijing

Students all over the world use backpacks every day for about 14 years. These backpacks routinely contain books, laptop computers, personal and other items used on a daily basis. Studies have shown potential for injury if the backpack is carried incorrectly is too heavy for a child to carry.

Injury can occur when a child tries to overcompensate for the extra weight by leaning forward, arching his or her back, or leaning to the side. Carrying a backpack can promote significant forward lean of the head and trunk compared with athletic bags or strapless bags. This type of compensation leads to improper spine alignment, causing fatigue and strain that may result in further injury. In addition, daily physical stress associated with carrying a backpack on one shoulder can significantly alter a child’s posture and gait pattern during the formative years.

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) recommends limiting a backpack’s weight to 15 percent of a child’s weight. The APTA further recommend that no one, including adults, should carry more than 11kg (25lb) in a backpack.

Person’s Weight Maximum Backpack Weight
Pounds Kilograms Pounds Kilograms
60 27 5  2.5
60-75 27-34 10  4.5
100 45 15  6.8
125 56 18  8
150 68 20  9
200 90 or more 25*  11

 

In addition to weight, consider these recommended instructions for proper use of a backpack:

 

Wear both straps.

Using only one strap causes one side of the body to bear the weight of the backpack. This can be true even with one-strap backpacks that cross the body.

 

Remove and put on backpacks carefully.

Keep your trunk stable and avoid excessive twisting.

 

Wear the backpack over the strongest mid-back muscles.

Pay close attention to the way the backpack is positioned on the back. It should rest evenly in the middle of the back. Shoulder straps should be adjusted to allow the child to put on and take off the backpack without difficulty and permit free movement of the arms.

 

Lighten the load.

Keep the load at 10-15 percent or less of the student’s bodyweight. Carry only those items that are required for the day. Each night remove articles that can be left at home. Organize the contents of the backpack by placing the heaviest items closest to the back to reduce kinetic forces that cause postural misalignment and overwork muscles.

 

Parents and children can avoid injury by recognizing the following warning signs that the backpack is too heavy:

  • change in posture when wearing the backpack;
  • struggling when putting on or taking off the backpack;
  • pain when wearing the backpack;
  • tingling or numbness in arms and legs, mostly arms; or
  • red marks on the shoulders.

 

The perfect backpack has:

A padded back: Use a padded back to reduce pressure on the back, shoulders, and underarm regions, and also enhance comfort and safety.

Hip and chest belts: The belts transfer some of the backpack weight from the back and shoulders to the hips and torso;

Multiple compartments: Backpacks with multiple compartments allow for better distribution of weight, keep items secure, and ease access to the contents.


Hanen More Than Words Program: Empowering Parents

Olivia's Place Comments Off , , , , , ,

Between October 2016 and February 2017, three families dedicated 12 Saturdays with Hanen-certified speech-language pathologists Yi Lien and Chihui Yong at LIH Olivia’s Place to complete the More Than Words ®: Hanen program for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and other social communication problems.

Hanen’s More Than Words® is a program developed by speech therapists with expertise in the field of communication disorders and backed by extensive research. It empowers parents to help their child with social-communication difficulty or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) reach three goals:

1 Improved social communication and back-and-forth interactions
2 Improved play skills
3 Improved imitation skills

Through the program, parents reported the following improvements in their child:

 Increased joint-attention skills
 Improved response (to parents), increased interaction and imitation skills (verbal/actions)
 Improvement in play skills

With regards to the program’s approach, one Shanghai parent reported:

“训练者帮助我们分析、找出达到沟通、游戏目标的方法。他们提出反思的方式帮助我们思考。和其他项目的不同之处在于,他们不是给我们一个模板来复制,而是让我们能具备更好的设定策略能力,以帮助我们和孩子之间有更好的互动、沟通。”
“The trainers guide us to analyze and think of other ways to achieve the (communication/play) goals targeted. They used reflective questions to help us think. Unlike other programs, we were not given a template to copy, but were equipped with the strategies to help us interact/communicate better with our children.”

It was truly an exciting journey witnessing parents applying Hanen strategies to facilitate more back-and-forth interaction with their child, and hearing them generating their own creative ideas to communicate better with their child.

Due to the success of our workshop, we have decided to offer another it again. The workshop will be held in Mandarin Chinese. We would like to invite parents or teachers of children with social-communication difficulty or autism spectrum disorder to a free orientation session to learn more about the program.

Date : March 25th (Saturday)
Time : 2.30- 4.30pm
Venue : 41 YongJia Road, Office # 503
Contact Number : 021-5405-0058/59

For more information, please call LIH Olivia’s Place Shanghai or email us.


Care Providers Come Together for Better Postparum Mental Health

Olivia's Place Comments Off

On 7 March, LIH Olivia’s Place Psychologist Dr. Beth Rutkowski presented to the team at Ferguson Women’s Health on postpartum mental health. Dr. Rutkowski reviewed five conditions that women may experience following pregnancy. These include depression, mania, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and psychosis. The presentation included information on the presentation of these disorders as well as specific risk factors that make them more likely to occur. The goal of the presentation was to increase awareness and detection of these common conditions, as they occur in approximately 25% of new mothers. Dr. Rutkowski also discussed treatment techniques that are helpful for these conditions, including psychotherapy, social interventions, and the possibility of medication. Following the presentation, clinicians from LIH Olivia’s Place spoke with care providers at Ferguson Women’s Health about ways they could work more closely together to provide the best care possible for new mothers.


LIH Olivia’s Place Presents at Beijing Huijia Kindergarten

Olivia's Place Comments Off

Huijia 1aHuijia 3On 3 January 2017, the interdisciplinary team from LIH Olivia’s Place brought parents and teachers from Beijing Huijia Kindergarten into the very fascinating world of child development with a lecture titled “Insights into the Challenges in Children’s Life.” Focusing on topics such as lack of concentration, stuttering, and poor sitting posture, our interdisciplinary team analyzed possible causes and provided strategies and approaches from a professional perspective. From the lecture, the audience gained new ideas about children’s behavior.

“The lecture was very approachable,” one teacher said, “the speakers did a great job making complicated subjects understandable to us all, who have little knowledge in pediatric therapy and developmental and rehabilitative medicine.” During the Q&A session, the speakers received a warm response from the audiences, who actively asked questions including queries about picky eaters and procrastination. To this, our team, including occupational, physical, speech, and ABA therapists, worked together to analyze the “problematic behaviors” and give professional and practical guidance and advice from their respective areas.


Cooperative Project Provides Training For Chuntong Center

Olivia's Place Comments Off , , ,

Chuntong 1A four-month cooperative project between LIH Olivia’s Place Beijing and Beijing Changyu Chuntong Rehabilitation Center (“Chuntong”) came to a successful end on 9 December 2016. This project aimed at providing relevant clinical training to the teaching team at Chuntong and enhancing their capacity. The training focused on the treatments of students from two families. On the basis of students’ assessments, LIH Olivia’s Place Beijing made plans, guided teachers and therapists at Chuntong to implement the treatments, and trained parents.

In biweekly communications, Kristi Troutman, Occupational Therapist and Clinical Manager and Evelyn Cao, Learning & Behavior Support Specialist, were the lead training specialists, while a multidisciplinary team from LIH Olivia’s Place Beijing included language therapists, physical therapists, and psychologists to provide multidimensional technical support.

Ms. Troutman is a US-licensed occupational therapist with more than 20 years of experience. She utilizes neurodevelopmental, sensory integrative, and psychosocial frames of reference in treatment and has experience with a variety of specialized programs. During the Chuntong training project, she made presentations on “how to make evidence-based, reasonable treatment objectives” and “how to play with children.” Kristi also provided suggestions on the design and use of functional areas and teaching equipment at Chuntong,

Chuntong 2Evelyn Cao has completed supervised practicum training in the US focused on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). She has experience in conducting assessments for behavioral interventions, as well as designing, implementing, and monitoring skill acquisition and behavior reduction programs. In this project, Evelyn provided training and family behavioral intervention strategies for the parents participating in the project.

During the project, the teachers and the two participating families from Chuntong also visited LIH Olivia’s Place Beijing to have field-based learning. Our multidisciplinary team provided specific rehabilitation suggestions and answered questions put forward by teachers. All the teachers and parents gave positive feedback on this training and expressed that they would apply what they’ve learned. Good communication and cooperation between LIH Olivia’s Place and Beijing Changyu Chuntong Rehabilitation Center was encouraging to both organizations.


Autism a Focus of Professional Meetings in Beijing

Olivia's Place Comments Off , , , , ,

It iTervo BJ 2s the mission of LIH Olivia’s Place to improve the quality and prevalence of pediatric rehabilitation services in China and to help all children with special needs receive professional and effective rehabilitation service. In addition to providing high quality of service, LIH Olivia’s Place is also committed to promoting communication and interaction among professionals in this field. In November, Dr. Raymond Tervo, Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician, participated in several professional development events in Beijing.With abundant research and clinical experience, Dr. Tervo has previously practiced at the Mayo Clinic and as a professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota.

On 23 November, Dr. Tervo shared his knowledge on the theory and practice of autism intervention with experts and clinicians from Beijing United Family Healthcare and Oasis International Hospital. In the workshop, Dr. Tervo also shared his clinical experiences and enthusiastically discussed problems in research and diagnosis.
BJ Tervo 4On 29 November, Xicheng Disabled Person’s Federation of Beijing and LIH Olivia’s Place Beijing jointly organized a lecture where Dr. Tervo again introduced theory and practice of autism interventions. More than seventy people participated in this lecture, including special education teachers from Xicheng District, doctors from the Mental Disease Prevention Institute at Pingan Hospital, pediatricians from Xicheng District Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital, and staff from the the federation. Dr. Tervo introduced the historical background, definition, prevalence, cause, diagnostic process, and interventions for autism. He answered questions and provided detailed explanations to particpants. In the Q & A session, a teacher from Peizhi School discussed and exchanged views on behavioral causes and training of autistic children she found in her teaching experience with Dr. Tervo.


LIH Olivia’s Place Beijing Lead Psychologist Speaks at Beijing Pediatric Forum

Olivia's Place Comments Off
Dr. Lynn Turner, Educational Psychologist and Psychology Lead, LIH Olivia's Place Beijing

Dr. Lynn Turner, Educational Psychologist and Psychology Lead, LIH Olivia’s Place Beijing

The Beijing Developmental Behavioral Pediatric Group Forum was held on 17 December 2016 at Peking University People’s Hospital. This forum is hosted by the Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics Group, Pediatric Branch, Beijing Medical Association (BMA), and organized by LIH Olivia’s Place Beijing, discussing current issues in the field of developmental behavioral pediatrics. Prof. Qin Jiong, group leader of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics Group, Pediatric Branch, BMA, and professor at Peking University People’s Hospital, acted as the chairman of the forum; vice group leader Prof. Jin Chunhua and Prof. Han Tongli also hosted academic lectures.

Dr. Lynn Turner, a Senior Educational Psychologist from the UK and Lead Psychologist at LIH Olivia’s Place Beijing, was invited to give a lecture entitled “Behavioral Difficulties in Children-Common Causes and Management.” In her lecture, Dr. Turner presented topics including “why children behave in different ways,” “when behavior is an issue,” “causes of problematic behavior” and “advices for parents and caregivers.” She also brought forward ideas and suggestions on parenting situations in China. Her lecture led to animated discussion, interaction, and reflection among the participants and also provided new references to further interventions of behavioral disorders.

Lynn Tuner 1


A New Year, A New Space

Olivia's Place Comments Off

Any families visiting our Shanghai clinic over recent weeks may have noticed how quiet the clinic is and have visited their clinician in new rooms…. Please do not be alarmed we have not all disappeared – we have just moved next door for all non-clinical work.

Our original space on the 19th floor at 35 Yongjia Lu had become something of a challenge for our team and for our families and visitors. Our team has grown considerably, especially as we prepare to transition to a full medical facility. All non-clinical work is now being carried out in our new offices in the building next door (41 Yongjia Lu) where there is ample room for employees and visitors, meeting rooms, and a large conference room. This has also had the benefit of more space in the clinic to work with families and calmer hallways and waiting areas.

Attendees at the December twilight session hosted by Jamie Fanelli were the first to use the new conference room space and we were able to offer far more seats than during previous sessions in our clinic. We look forward to using the space in the future for parents and professional trainings.

We hope you have a chance to drop by to visit us in the clinic or at our new administrative offices in the near future!

A big shout out to Penny Fan for managing the renovations!

A big shout out to Penny Fan for managing the renovations!

We are dedicated to staff well-being at LIH Olivia's Place Shanghai! Physical Therapist Ilija encourages a post-lunch movement break.

We are dedicated to staff well-being at LIH Olivia’s Place Shanghai! Physical Therapist Ilija encourages a post-lunch movement break.

We take pride in being part of the LIH Olivia's Place family.

We take pride in being part of the LIH Olivia’s Place family.

 


LIH Olivia’s Place Shenzhen Hosts China-US DBP Summit of Guangdong Province

Olivia's Place Comments Off , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Key Attendees of the SummitLIH Olivia’s Place Shenzhen Pediatric Clinic successfully hosted the first China-US Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics Summit of Guangdong Province on December 4th. The summit was co-organized by the Guangdong Medical Association’s Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Society, the Shenzhen Medical Association’s Pediatrics Society, and LIH Olivia’s Place Shenzhen. The summit welcomed over 30 pediatric specialists from all over Guangdong province and promoted academic exchange on key issues of developmental behavioral pediatrics. Professor Zou Xiaobing, Director of the Developmental-Behavioral Center at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, and Mr. Li Yaopei, Executive Vice President and Secretary General of the Shenzhen Medical Association, addressed the group as keynote speakers. Also in attendance were Ms. Luo Xiaoqiong, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shenzhen Medical Association, and Mr. Sun Changsen, CEO of LIH Healthcare.

During his keynote speech, Professor Zou Xiaobing noted that with the development of society, culture, and economy, pediatric medicine has made remarkable advances in the past few decades thanks to the efforts of pediatric medical staff everywhere. At the same time, with the increasing pace of social development and daily life, comes changes to children’s living environment and increased awareness of mental health concerns. The result is that the medical model is increasingly one that connects the biological, the psychological, and the social. Although many health problems urgently need to be addressed in traditional pediatrics, there are now significant changes to our understanding of the spectrum of pediatric illnesses. Diagnoses of ADHD, learning disorders, and autism spectrum disorder have been increasing among children year by year, and child development and behavioral disorders have become important issues in pediatrics.

Mr. Li Yaopei, Executive Vice President of the Shenzhen Medical Association, addressed the public health implications of developmental and behavioral disorders during his keynote, and why it needed to be on the agendas of medical institutions, academic organizations, and governments at all levels, and to increase scientific and clinical research efforts. Moreover, he stressed that from a social perspective, regarding the families of children with autism as a vulnerable social group, we need to have “three hearts” for them: first is to have “the heart full of love”, from the social, medical, and health point of view, we should care for and love them; the second is to have ” perseverance”, that positive social outcomes are difficult to achieve without long-term sustained attention from society; and the third is “dedication” – dedicated responsibility towards individual rehabilitative treatment.

Dr. Yang Binrang, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, addresses the audience about learning disorders

Dr. Yang Binrang, Shenzhen Children’s Hospital, addresses the audience about learning disorders

After the keynotes, Professor Zou Xiaobing, and Dr. Raymond C. Tervo, Chief Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician of LIH Healthcare, and Dr. Yang Binrang Director of Child Healthcare Department at Shenzhen Children’s Hospital each made presentations. Professor Zou introduced the history of developmental behavioral pediatrics and emphasized the importance of early screening, diagnosis, and intervention in developmental-behavioral disorders. Dr. Tervo presented clinical research on the effects of medication in the treatment of children with developmental delay and ADHD. Dr. Yang gave a comprehensive presentation on the pathogenesis of learning disorders, its early manifestation, and the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of learning disorders.

The summit fostered an academic exchange of ideas between Chinese and American pediatric specialists and motivated attendees to promote the improvement and progress of early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of children with developmental and behavioral disorders in Guangdong Province and throughout China.


Top