China does not have educational programs or training opportunities in rehabilitation. In the past, we have relied on foreign therapists or basic training of our ayis to provide therapy to our children. However, this offers only a short term solution. With the start of our new therapy program, we have hired local college graduates that are proficient in English and invited foreign therapists to train them. Our therapists provide therapy at school for the school-aged children and in the therapy room or the children’s home for our younger children. The therapists also work with our older orphans to develop life skills and teach them how to adapt their environment to be handicap accessible.

We train our nannies to help the children meet their physical, social, cognitive, and speech milestones through play and daily activities. The therapists also train the nannies to follow through with daily home therapy exercises.

Our Little Lamb’s school provides preschool, kindergarten, and primary school classes taught by local teachers. The therapy department provides training in special education teaching methods through collaboration with local and foreign teachers. This training encourages independence and allows all children, regardless of their needs, to learn successfully.

As our program grows, we would like to be a resource to others in China in providing therapy to children with special needs. In the future, the training center can host foreign therapists and special educators to provide training programs for our staff and other orphan relief organizations. Staff can help train families of special needs children in the community and older orphans interested in job training.