Occupational Therapy forChildren with Developmental
Disabilities in Taiwan
Presented by :Lichen Huang, MS, OTR/L
Child Developmental Assessment and Intervention Center, Taipei City Hospital
2022.12.03

Important Milestones of Rights and Care ofChildren with Special Needs in Taiwan
Early 90s: advocacy by parent groups in establishing systematicreferral network and resources for children with special needs
Mid 90s: establishment of Child Assessment Centers and referral
systemAmendments of Regulations• The Special Education Act• People with Disabilities Protection Rights Act• The Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Right Act

Convention on the Rights of the Child( CRC)

Statistics
Approximately 26000 new reports of developmentally-delayed 0-6
yrs old children per year (2019-2121)
Approximately 40000 children received EI services per year (20192121)

 52143 children under 18yrs old received “disability card “.(2021)(Source : Ministry of Health and Welfare)Statistics• Numbers of students qualified for special education services
YearPre-school

Elementary

Junior High

Senior HighTotal

2021

23936

46100

27301

24022

121359

2020

21385

43645

26986

24038

116054

2019

19664

41722

26748

24893

113027(特殊教育年報, 2019-2021)

Statistics• Percentage of Related Service Provision in School System(特殊教育年報, 2021 )Areas of Pediatric OT Services in Taiwan
Includes• schools :regular schools and special schools• medical facilities: hospitals and local clinics• day care centers for children with special needs• NGOs• Private practice• Academic facilities

Occupation based intervention• Identify meaningful occupations with the child and his/ herfamily/teacher• Promote participation in meaningful occupations• Empower the caregiver/teachers to make decisions and carrythem out• Discover the strengths and acknowledge the weaknesses

The P-E-O modelLaw, M., Cooper, B., Strong, S., Stewart, D., Rigby, P., & Letts, L., The Person-EnvironmentOccupation Model: A Transactive Approach to Occupational Performance, Canadian Journal of
Occupational Therapy (Volume: 63 issue: 1) pp. 9-23

Experience Shared by OT Wu at Tainan
Special School• Many students study at the school from kindergarten until they are
18 yrs old.
• OT service content based on classroom teacher’s needs (lunch time,arts and craft time, PE class).
• “The teacher have faith in me and is willing to give me feedback
whether my ideas work or not, after working together for years, wehave become partners who know each other very well”.

Experience Shared by OT at Tainan SpecialSchool• “I have been constantly challenging myself to figure out ways for mykids to enjoy sports activities, like bike riding or ball games. I do allkinds of modification, but when you see the light in their eyes as theylearn to pedal and ride down the hallway for the first time, it pays off ”• “When they approach adulthood, we would explore possibilities ofvocation, through activity adaptation we simplified the task and thechild gradually realize that he could do his job”.
•(C. C. Wu, personal communication, 2022 )Experience shared by OT from The First Social
Welfare Foundation• Background• one of the pioneers in providing day care services for preschool children withmoderate or severe disabilities• Established the first assistive technology assessment in Taiwan in 1984
• Started day care and counselling services for adults with moderate to severe
disabilities

Experience shared by OT from The First Social
Welfare Foundation
OT provides mainly indirect services (collaborate with classroomteachers ), providing suggestions in design of activities and individual
goal setting.
Provide transition services (school visits or phone communication)
OT highly involves in the counselling of behavioral/ emotional
problems, reducing stress and burden of caregivers
Provide assessment of cortical visual resolution, esp to clients withCPExperience in the hospital I worked for• Background• One of the country’s first child assessment and intervention
centers• Features collaboration of multiple professionals in intervention

Experience in the hospital I worked for• Group therapy co-led by 2 different professionals, e.g. OT+ST, eachcontributed its professional skills and knowledge; for instance, thelittle chef group• OT Play groups aiming to expand child’s play repertoire and promote
play skills (play as goals rather than as means)• Parent coaching (WHO-CST Program)-focusing on parenting skills,
supplemented by home visits and phone communication

Advocacy for Occupational Justice• Advocating for inclusive playground and take part in the design of it• identify the public as well as private resources• Team up with other professionals and parent groups• Educate families about their rights and empower them
• Promote public’s understanding of inclusive playground• Resolve potential conflicts by inviting counterparts to participate• Stay tuned to updates of information about relevant regulations(Fang Li Chen, personal communication, 2022.11)

Advocacy for Occupational Justice(by Fang Li Chen, 2022)

(Source: Department of Information and Tourism , Taipei City Government)

Trends and Challenges in Clinical Practice• Extension of practice into homes and communities• Self adjustment and communication skills• Increased involvement of caregivers and families• Counselling and Coaching skills• Advocacy for occupational justice• Understanding the community and policy making• Proliferation of private practice• Legal risk
• Knowledge and skills in management• Development of telehealth in the future• Protection of Privacy• Familiarity with 3 C technologies

Research in the Field of Pediatric OT includes• Development for evidence based intervention program• Development of assessment tools measuring theory of mind
• Assessment and intervention tools using virtual technologies• Assessment tools using big data兒童發展與實證療效: 腦性麻痺孩童系列研究
神經復健方案治療師模式

居家科技輔助模式
虛擬實境介入方案

夏令營

National Taiwan University
Tien-Ni Wang & Hao Ling Chen, 2022

兒童發展與實證療效: 視動與書寫系列研究
治療方案:字字不倦
學齡前準備方案

學齡治療方案National Taiwan University
Tien-Ni Wang & Hao Ling Chen

Department of OT, National Taiwan University

兒童發展與實證療效:神經復健方案治療師模式

居家腦性麻痺孩童系列研究科技輔助模式虛擬實境介入方案

夏令營

from: Tien-Ni Wang & Hao Ling Chen, 2022

Using VR Games in Daily Activities Training forChildren with ASD(Department of OT, Fu Jen Catholic University)• Strengths• Generalization to real world• Individualized training• Repetitive practices• Graded sensory stimulation• Using strengths of visual and technological learning(Chung-Pei Fu, 2022)
29

Using VR Games in Daily Activities
Training for Children with ASD• Strengths• Generalization to real world• Individualized training• Repetitive practices• Graded sensory stimulation• Using strengths of visual and technological learning

Fu Jen Catholic University
Chung-Pei Fu30