Pinoy Blog Machine (Beta)

Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) 35th Annual Convention

When & Where
22-26 May 2009
Phoenix, Arizona, USA

The convention, which will be held at the Phoenix Convention Center, is expected to attract approximately 4,000 attendees from across the globe. Hundreds of experts will present resources and information that scientists, applied researchers, undergraduate and graduate students, teachers, parents and consultants will find extremely valuable. Presentations will focus on a variety of topics including:

• How behavior analysis will help save the planet: Discussions of recent studies of ways to impact “green” behavior in order to improve the environment.
• How behavior analysis will help save the economy: Discussions of behavioral changes that increase performance and create a productive company cultures that result in increased ROI.
• How behavior analysis will help save lives: Discussions of the latest research and programs designed to treat autism and to improve quality of life, mental health and education.
• How behavior analysis will help us understand each other: Discussions of the basic research behavior analysts are conducting to help enhance our understanding of human behavior and decision making.

For more information on this event, click here.

The Section of Physical Therapy, University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital is now accepting participants for a one-day seminar/workshop entitled First Moves: basic techniques on bed mobility, transfers, sitting, standing and gait training in a hospital setting.

When & Where
23 May 2009, Saturday (8AM - 5PM)
Conference Room, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
UP-PGH, Manila, Philippines

The seminar/workshop is open to:

• licensed PTs who would like to review functional assessment and training for acute to sub-acute patients/in hospital-setting, and
• in-coming PT interns who are seeking early exposure on acute to sub-acute patient care (e.g. SCI, TBI, post-op, fractures, burns, stroke)

Fee
Pre-registration: Php 700
On-site registration: Php 900
Registration is on “first come, first served” basis. Participants are limited to 60 slots only.

For inquiries, please contact us at 554-8400 local 3037 and look for Beng, Niko, Erin or Arlene; or email arlene_salise@yahoo.com.

When and Where
30 May 2009
Asian Social Institute
1518 Leon Guinto cor. Escoda St.,
Malate, Manila, Philippines

A. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) (9:00-12:00 nn)

The Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) approach teaches social, motor, and verbal behaviors as well as reasoning skills. ABA treatment is especially useful in teaching behaviors to children with autism who may otherwise not “pick up” these behaviors on their own as neuro-typical children would. The ABA approach can be used by a parent, counselor, or certified behavior analyst.

B. Communicating with Pictures (1:30-4:30 pm)

For people having difficulty using speech as a primary mode of communication within school, home or community settings, pictures can be a good tool to help facilitate communication. Learn how using pictures to communicate with children with autism can be an effective way to get the message across, and visa versa.

Speaker
Ms Anna Fe Abad

Pre-registration is until 27 May 2009. For more information on how to register for these seminars, click here.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Free CEU’s has featured a course for occupational therapists titled  “A Mother’s Occupation: OT for Mothers with Hard-to-Parent Children” by Rondalyn Whitney, MOT, OTR/L, SWC.

The goal of this program is to explain why an occupational therapy evaluation and intervention should include the occupations embedded in the role of mother, when treating pediatric clients with mental health disorders.

Occupational therapists in the pediatric setting are aware of the importance of working harmoniously with mothers of children with special needs. This course has an important reminder.

A Mother’s Special Problem

Mothers who cannot successfully engage in the occupations defined by their role of mother because of their hard-to-parent children are an unrecognized and underserved client population. Mothers with hard-to-parent children need additional support to prevent the distress, social isolation, and negative health consequences that come with mothering a child with a hidden disability. This important, but neglected, performance area demands our attention. Occupational therapists who provide direct treatment to these children, whether through school-based settings or clinical work, must address the social context of the family if best practice methods are to be employed.

Here are ADDClasses’ free teleseminars scheduled for the month of May.

ADHD and Exercise
Date: May 19, 2009
Time: 9:00 pm EDT (New York Time)
Instructor: John Ratey, MD

Grab the Reins: ADHD is an Explanation, Not an Excuse
Date: May 26, 2009
Time: 9:00 pm EDT (New York Time)
Instructor: Ari Tuckman, PsyD

These teleseminars are free but space is limited so early registration is encouraged. For more information on how to register for these events, visit the ADDClasses website.

We’ve blogged before on AOTA’s podcasts and how you can use them for education on consumer health topics. For those not in the know, AOTA is releasing a new podcast every month which you can download to share with current or potential clients.

For 2009, these are the following podcasts available (in MP3 format) for download on the AOTA website.

• Fall Prevention (January 2009) by Liz Peterson, clinical associate professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Lynn Beattie, vice president of injury prevention at the National Council on Aging.
• Low Vision (February 2009) by Mary Warren, an occupational therapist and Director of the Graduate Certificate in Low Vision Rehabilitation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Linda Goodwin, an occupational therapist and an instructor in the Graduate Certificate program.
• Brain Injury (March 2009) by Dr. Gordon Giles, a professor of occupational therapy at Samuel Merritt University, and Shawn Phipps, president of the Occupational Therapy Association of California.
• Autism (April 2009) by Ellen Harrington-Kane, OT, MS, HSM, assistant vice president of autism and medical rehabilitation at Easter Seals, and Janie Scott, MA, OT/L, FAOTA, an occupational therapy and aging-in-place consultant and lecturer at Towson University.

You can also dig in the podcast archive and see if you have missed out on any important topic. Click here to access the list of podcasts available for download.

The April 2009 issue of WCPT News is now out and available for download at the World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) website. Topics in this publication include the following:

News

• Winning image of physical therapy
• New website and brand policy
• Scope of practice policy summit
• Reports from the EC meeting
• Palliative care special meeting
• Career peak in the Himalayas

Features

• New WCPT continuing education project takes off online
• A new call to arms on landmines

Region News

• Mumbai hosts AWP Congress

Member News

• Confusion surrounding title “physical therapist” in Ireland
• ICF takes centre stage in Taiwan

Click here download a copy (PDF).

Found these two interesting posters at two different local airports here in the Philippines…

a poster with a catchy tagline at Lumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro City

An Php8,000,000 reward anyone? (Zamboanga International Airport)

I hope these two posters would not scare foreign tourists, hahaha!

Here is an important annoucement from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).

Beginning in 2010, NBCOT will implement a new option as part of its certification renewal requirement—a Practice Area of Emphasis—that recognizes certificants who have focused their professional development activities in one of eight practice areas:

• Administration and/or Management
• Pediatrics
• Work and Industry
• Geriatrics
• Mental Health
• Education and/or Research
• Rehabilitation
• Orthopedics

As part of the certification renewal process, you will have the option to renew by satisfying either:

• 36 professional development units that support general growth in your professional work; or
• 24 professional development units that focus on a designated area of practice, and the remaining 12 units can satisfy your individual needs and interests.

Certificants are encouraged to work with their employers or supervisors to create professional development goals and outline a program that will address employer needs and satisfy certificant professional interests. NBCOT developed a Professional Development Worksheet to help certificants select a Practice Area of Emphasis and map PDU courses as part of the next certification renewal cycle.

For more information on this new option, visit the NBCOT website. To help you complete your continuing education requirements, make sure to also visit our sister site Free CEUs. There is a wide range of free courses collected over there for different healthcare professions.

When & Where
June 3 – 6, 2009
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Welcome from the Host Committee

The Host Committee is thrilled to welcome you to Ottawa for the 2009 Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists National Conference. The Ontario Society of Occupational Therapists has joined with CAOT to co-host this great event in our nation’s capital.

The national conference is always an exciting moment where one can meet like-minded colleagues. It is a time to catch up with old acquaintances and meet new friends. It is a place to learn and share, to discuss and debate, to feel rejuvenated and have fun.

The theme of the Conference, “Engaging in healthy occupation”, speaks of partnership and occupation for all. The Conference Scientific Program Committee has put together a variety of interesting presentations, including several presentations from occupational therapy consumers. The Canadian Society of Occupational Science will also be hosting a one day stream of occupational science papers, a new addition to our conference this year.

A central location was selected for this Conference to allow you to relax after a day of learning—whether it is along the Ottawa River, on Parliament Hill or at the LeBreton flats. You are even within walking distance a number of shops and cafes nearby.

Two events have been organized that should enliven your stay: a classy evening by the Rideau Canal at the National Arts Centre and a pre-Canada day party in a downtown pub! Join us! You’ll love it!

We sincerely hope that this few days spent in our Nation’s Capital will be an experience you’ll remember for a long time!

A few last words to thank everyone involved in the planning of such a large event:

• A special thanks to members of the Host Committee: Lara Haddad (Social Committee), Diana Bissett & Crystal Morris (Volunteer Committee), Sandy Alexander (Registration Committee), Cathie Kissick (PR Committee), Catherine Lanoix (Student Social Committee), Roselle Adler, Anne Barrington, Melissa Belcher, Carolyn Bradley, Donna Campbell, Una Choi, Nathalie Cléroux, Joanie Conrad, Chris Desrochers, Jocelyn Gervais, Diane Graham, Laura Grunder, Amy Hanes, Melissa Lemieux, Mireille Marquis, Tara Previl, Linda Porszt-Morin, Josée Séguin, Fiona Smith Bradley, Moira Toomey, Adeena Wisenthal
• Volunteers, whether they are occupational therapists from the area, students from the University of Ottawa, family members or friends
• Colleagues at CAOT and at OSOT

Thank you so much for all your hard work and dedication in planning such a significant moment for occupational therapists.

Cathie Cassick and Jean-Pascal Beaudoin
Host Committee Co-Convenors

For more information, visit the CAOT website.

Thank you for the 5-star airline ranked Malaysia Airlines for having a seat sale several months ago that was too good to resist. Malaysia Airlines is one of the only 6 airlines in the world with a 5-star rating assessed by SKYTRAX. As there are no flights available between the Philippines and Cambodia I will have a compulsory overnight layover in Kuala Lumpur before setting foot in the city of Siem Reap where the world famous Angkor Wat complex and other equally stunning ancient temples are based.

The Philippine Women’s University (PWU), JASMS, Quezon City will hold a 2-day National Conference on Special Children with Developmental Disabilities with “Contemporary Special Education: Directing the Future” as its theme.

When & Where
21-22 May 2009
Quezon City Sports Club
E. Rodriguez Avenue,
Quezon City, Philippines

Conference Objectives

• To share the best practices of the different SPED centers/institution s and to present the services offered by various SPED organizations
• To aid teachers/parents in diagnosing and assessing children with special needs and to introduce teaching strategies that will be helpful to SPED teachers
• To serve as venue for the presentation of researches on disability studies.
• To strengthen professional collaboration among SPED centers/ institutions

Deadline for early registration is on 7 May 2009. For more information, contact Dr. Eden O. Kelemen, Over-all Chairman, Dean, School of Education, PWU at telephone number (632) 9206309 or click here.

There have been a lot of discussions regarding denials of H-1B petitions by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Such denials are based on the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), 2008-09 Edition which states that:

Occupational Therapist
Individuals pursing a career as an occupational therapist usually need to earn a master’s degree in occupational therapy from an accredited college or university, which includes 6 months of supervised fieldwork.

Education and training. A master’s degree or higher in occupational therapy is the minimum requirement for entry into the field.

Physical Therapist
Individuals pursuing a career as a physical therapist usually need a master’s degree from an accredited physical therapy program and a State license, requiring passing scores on national and State examinations.

Education and training. According to the American Physical Therapy Association, there were 209 accredited physical therapist education programs in 2007. Of the accredited programs, 43 offered master’s degrees and 166 offered doctoral degrees. Only master’s degree and doctoral degree programs are accredited, in accordance with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. In the future, a doctoral degree might be the required entry-level degree. Master’s degree programs typically last 2 years, and doctoral degree programs last 3 years.

The Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) and the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc (NBCOT) have written the following letters to USCIS. We hope this matter has been settled.

• FCCPT letter re language in final PT report
• NBCOT Letter No. 1
• NBCOT Letter No. 2

It looks like it’s not summer anymore because it rains almost everyday since last week. But don’t let the rains dampen your plans to explore our country or beyond. Cebu Pacific Air offers what it calls an all-out sale for the rainy season months of June, July and August for as low as 249 pesos one-way fare for certain domestic destinations and as low as 599 pesos for some international destinations.

We all know that in treating our clients, the family and/or significant persons involved in caring for people with dementia provide us with pertinent information that will guide us in our intervention. “Carers Checklist” is an outcome measure for people with dementia and their carers published by the Mental Health Foundation (UK). This is an easy-to-use scale, in the form of a questionnaire, which can be used to assess the needs of people with dementia and their carers, and to evaluate the outcomes of service intervention.

The Carers’ Checklist includes items relating to the following domains of functioning for both the person with dementia and the carer:

For the person with dementia:

• Cognitive symptoms
• Psychological symptoms
• Activities of daily living and self care
• Inappropriate behaviours
• Social behaviours
• Safety issues

For the carer:

• Social burden
• Emotional burden
• Physical burden
• Financial burden
• Burden of specific dementia-related problems
• Satisfaction with services: access, co-ordination, information

Source: Mental Health Foundation (UK)

BEEF AND VEGETABLE WRAPS


2 T OLIVE OIL
¼ K LEAN GROUND BEEF
¼ C WHITE ONIONS, DICED
3 PCS GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED
1 PC BAY LEAF
1 TSP CUMIN
1 TSP SOY SAUCE
TO TASTE SALT
TO TASTE PEPPER
1 C TOMATOES, SEEDED AND DICED
¼ C WHITE ONIONS, DICED
1 PC GARLIC CLOVE, MINCED
2 T CILANTRO, CHOPPED
2 C LETTUCE, CUT INTO STRIPS
1/4 C GRATED CHEDDAR CHEESE
2 PCS FLOUR TORTILLA

1. heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic and onions. Add the bay leaf and toast for a minute.
2. add the ground beef and cook until well done.
3. add the soy sauce and cumin. Season with salt and pepper.
4. remove form heat and drain.
5. mix together the tomatoes, onions, garlic and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.
6. place the lettuce strips in the flour tortilla.
7. top with the salsa and the beef then place grated cheese on top.
8. roll the flour tortilla.
   
   
   

Click here to stop receiving recipes

When and Where
25 April 2009
Asian Social Institute
1518 Leon Guinto cor. Escoda St.,
Malate, Manila, Philippines

A. LANGUAGE OF AUTISM (9:00AM-12:00NN)

Speaker: Ms. Mae Catherine Sadicon

This seminar will present the current trends and options in language and communication for children with autism (CWA). Focal points of discussion will also center on available options and therapy procedures that effect as well as facilitate improvements.

B. LISTENING WITH THE WHOLE BODY/ THERAPEUTIC LISTENING (1:30-4:30pm)

Speaker: Ms. Natasha Q. Palanca-Abellada

Therapeutic Listening is one approach that helps to target the multiple facets of listening by using auditory input within the context of sensory integrative treatment. Find out how we listen with our ears, as well as our whole body. This seminar will help further improve the integration of the auditory and vestibular systems of children with autism.

For more information on fees and registration, click here.

The seminar intends to provide participants with school and home interventions that have been proven effective by parents and teachers in the Philippine setting.

When & Where
25 April 2009
1:00 to 5:00 PM
Saint Pedro Poveda College,
EDSA, Quezon City, Philippines

For inquiries, contact the AD/HD Society Secretariat at (632) 426 8568, (632) 927 3463, (63) 9189079159 or at info@adhdsociety.org.

SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDER: Advanced Research and Innovative Practice

October 9 & 10 – 9th International Symposium
October 8 – Pre-Conference Institute on Assessment

October 8, 9 & 10, 2009
The Westin Chicago North Shore
Wheeling, Illinois

Our first-ever International Symposium in Chicago offers two days of workshops featuring top researchers and leading clinicians presenting the latest research and most innovative strategies in Sensory Processing Disorder. A daylong Pre-Conference Institute preceding the Symposium provides professionals provides an opportunity to learn about cutting-edge assessment tools and techniques from experts in the field. The sensational speaker line-up includes:

* Rex Birkmire, MD, Birkmire Behavioral Health
* Barb Brett-Green, PhD, SPD Foundation
* H. Hill Goldsmith, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison
* Karen Gouze, PhD, author, The Sensory-Sensitive Child
* Carol Kranowitz, MA, author, The Out-of-Sync Child
* Lucy Jane Miller, PhD, OTR, SPD Foundation and author, Sensational Kids
* Mary L. Schneider, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison
* Barry E. Stein, PhD, Wake Forest University
* Deanna Sava, MS, OTR, North Barrington School District
* Sarah A Schoen, PhD, OTR, SPD Foundation
* Julie Wilbarger, PhD, OTR, University of Wisconsin-Madison

For more information, please visit SPDFoundation.net.

Here is the list of free teleseminars being offered by ADDClasses for the month of April.

Worry, Anxiety and ADHD
Instructor: Sheri Hall
Date: Tuesday April 21, 2009
Time: 9:00 pm Eastern

Recharge, Renew, Refresh
Instructor: Linda Hillger
Date: Wednesday April 29, 2009
Time: 2:00 pm Eastern (New York)

ADHD and Exercise
Instructor: John Ratey, M.D.
Date: Tuesday May 19, 2009
Time: 9:00 pm EDT (New York Time)

For more information on how to register for these events, visit the ADDClasses website.

Australia-based Zi Mei wishes to invite everyone to their upcoming evidence-based professional development events for those employed in the allied health and education sectors. Details are as follows:

ABCs of Report Writing
Tuesday 16th June 2009 — Brisbane
Dr Jodie Copley & Mrs Chrisdell McLaren

ChIPPA Workshop - Child Initiated Pretend Play Assessment
Wednesday - Friday, 15th – 17th July 2009 - Brisbane
Dr Karen Stagnitti

Occupational Therapy and Autism: The Occupational Therapy role in diagnosis, intervention and integration/inclusion
3 day workshop - August 2009 – Brisbane
Dr Chris Chapparo

For more information, click here.

Here is an event announcement from our colleagues at Bobath Philippines.

Ms. Deanna Kathrina Z. Maranion, PTRP has recently returned from Korea after completing the ADVANCE COURSE in Bobath Approach in Pediatrics. Special interest was given in the management of the child with Cerebral Palsy Spastic Diplegia and the child with Prematurity.

A free workshop-seminar will be given on this topic for members of the Bobath Advocacy Group-Philippines.

When & Where
19 April 2009
Venue to be announced

For more details, please contact the group through:
Email - bobath_philippines@yahoo.com
Mobile number - (63)917-7336409
Webpage - http://bobathphilippines.multiply.com

To all my Christian readers: HAPPY EASTER!!!

This free online course announcement is a repost on our Free CEU’s extension site but I reckon it is also appropriate to publish here as it caters to a more general population and there are no CEU’s provided.

Date & Time
19 May 2009
7:00 - 9:30 PM EDT

Who Should Attend
Parents, families, caregivers, teachers, school nurses, developmental disability nurses, police, firemen, first-responders, coaches, primary care practitioners, pediatricians and all who work with children and adults who have epilepsy and seizure disorders, Exceptional Family Member Program of the U.S. Military.

What To Expect
Learn about the need for a seizure readiness plan; available treatment options within the setting of institutions serving the ND/ID population (state and private-held facilities); unique issues and challenges faced by physicians and allied health care professionals in controlling seizures in the ND/ID Environment.

Grantor Support
This program is made possible by a sponsorship from Valeant Pharmaceuticals.

Faculty
Orrin Devinsky, MD
Professor of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry
New York University Langone Medical Center
New York, New York

Dr. Devinsky’s epilepsy research includes quality-of-life, cognitive and behavioral issues in epilepsy, surgical therapy, and new medications. He has published widely in epilepsy and behavioral neurology and has served on the board of the American Epilepsy Society.

To register for this event, click here.

When & Where
June 10-13, 2009
Baltimore, Maryland, USA

What to Expect

Hear keynote speaker Newt Gingrich, author of Saving Lives & Saving Money: Transforming Healthcare in the 21st Century. Attend the McMillan Lecture by Carolee Winstein, PT, PhD, FAPTA, and the Maley Lecture with Helene M Fearon, PT. Plus, experience other top-notch programming, the Oxford Debate, Coffee with the Stars, the poster hall, the exhibit hall, and more!

For more information on this event, visit the APTA website.