Mount Dora woman enjoys teaching experience Occupational Therapy in China

        MOUNT DORA - Susan Skees Hermes in Mount Dora recently to help the students five weeks of central China, for therapy work by expanding their knowledge.

She does not speak Mandarin, but discovered that a caring attitude bypasses any language barrier.

The improbable adventure deep into China came to Hermes earlier this year an invitation to the group of members of the foreign lecturers sit in a course lasted a month on Developmental Disabilities for 36 Chinese students in Kunming program focused vocational training, therapy Medical University.

"It was an incredible experience to be able to use this information we can pass for granted in the United States," said Hermes, 52

An occupational therapist in pediatrics, which is certified by the American Occupational Therapy Association, has Hermes extensive experience in all areas of occupational therapy over 28 years of clinical practice.

A native of Louisville, Kentucky, has a Bachelor of Hermes Eastern Kentucky University and a master's degree from Boston University, both professional and worked mainly in central Florida.

The Hermes program at the University of Kunming taught students the skills to children and their parents learn to help you live a normal life, so they go to school, play and care for themselves.

Hermes said in 2020 the initiative of the China Health calls for the integration of Western practices.

"My intention was to start these students so that they have more control over their work goals of therapy."

For example, the group projections of motor development has made tests on children during a visit to a school and helped the girl is 7 months old, had problems with his upper body strength.

"With few clues, he could make some quick changes," said Hermes, who spend with the "tummy time" effort in the west, which relates stresses the importance of play to the baby's tummy time to develop strength and coordination. "There is such a need to help these students understand specific medical interventions."

"This trip really has my eyes to the needs that it opens up, but also the depth of their compassion and quality of community life in China," Hermes, who attended high school and college in exchange for the said years, and more recently with Sister Cities International, with his son, Erik, 23, and Marc, 20, China "Today is always a very hospitable country for progressive and holistic thinking."