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Theme park at Genting Highlands in Malaysia

I am so excited by this very good news I read in the Philippine Star broadsheet. The Genting Berhad Group secured the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.(Pagcor)’s aprroval for its proposed project within the Las Vegas-like Bagong Nayong Pilipino-Manila Bay Integrated Tourism City which apparently will be call Universal Studios Manila as Genting holds the exclusive development rights of Universal Studios in Asia.

The company plans to invest $3 billion in the Manila Bay Integrated City, the Philippines’ biggest tourism development project.

Last year I have been to the Genting Highlands Resort near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and I was impressed as it is like Baguio as it is on a plateau with a very big theme park with casinos and several hotels for guests wanting to stay overnight.

Genting Berhard Group’s proposal includes the development of leisure and entertainment facilities including a theme park, state-of-the-art theaters, amusement and cultural centers, retail and gaming center and hotels.

Universal Studio’s movie-theme Hollywood park has 13 attractions based on movies including Shrek, Jurassic Park and The Terminator. Excluding its restaurants and theaters, the theme park alone draws about four million visitors a year.

Besides Hollywood, Universal Studios has other parks in Orlando, Barcelona and Osaka, Japan.

Another investor group, Aruze Corp. of Japan is planning to put up an integrated resort featuring a hotel with 2,000 standard rooms and 300 VIP suites; a major oceanarium targeted to be the world’s largest; theaters, a sports arena, a Holy museum and a giant ferris wheel similar to the London Eye to be known as the Manila Eye.

So what’s next? Disneyland Manila or Six Flags Manila? Why not!

The Ovspring Developmental Clinic in Singapore would like to invite therapists to a sensory processing workshop entitled Sensory Processing: A Solid Foundation to Effective Practice with Dr. Winnie Dunn, author of the Sensory Profile, as speaker.

When and Where
19th to 20th June 2008
NTUC Business Centre, 1 Marina Boulevard, Level 8, Singapore

About the Course
The Sensory Profile Measures have provided a means for researchers to build evidence about sensory processing patterns and how those patterns may be affecting the ability to participate successfully in everyday life. In this course, we will explore strategies for designing effective intervention plans using sensory processing evidence available. We will practice using case studies so that professionals can learn how to translate sensory processing evidence and data from individualized assessment into practical plans for children, families, and educators.

The Sensory Profile (Dunn, 1999), The Infant and Toddler Sensory Profile (Dunn, 2000), The Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (2002), and The School Companion Sensory Profile are standardized measures that assess sensory processing abilities including the individual’s response pattern to sensory input and the manner in which that response is reflected in daily behaviour. The Sensory Profile measures are now used extensively in practice. By developing an understanding of the practical application of the patterns identified in the Sensory Profile, therapists are able to design effective intervention to influence day-to-day performance.

About the Speaker
Winnie Dunn, PhD, OTR, FAOTA is Professor and Chair of Occupational Therapy Education, School of Allied Health, University of Kansas. She has provided services in public schools for the last two decades using many innovative strategies. She has also conducted federal grants that investigate the service provision needs in educational settings. She has provided many continuing education experiences to help service providers design effective services, and has been particularly active in working on integrated service provision and full inclusion programs. She has written extensively in the areas of service provision and the use of consultation as a viable service provision option. She was an author of both the School Systems and Early Intervention Guidelines from the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Dr. Dunn is author of the Sensory Profile, a parent reporting measure of sensory processing in daily life, and has published a series of studies on the utility of this measure in identification and intervention planning with this tool. The Psychological Corporation and Therapy Skill Builders published the Sensory Profile in the summer of 1999. Subsequently, The Infant and Toddler Sensory Profile (Dunn, 2000) and The Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (2002) followed. Most recently, The School Companion Sensory Profile for teachers was published in 2006. These are standardized measures that assess sensory processing abilities including the individual’s response pattern to sensory input and the manner in which that response is reflected in daily behaviour.

Dr Dunn has also been honoured by receiving the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Award of Merit, the highest honour given for significant contributions to the profession of occupational therapy. She is a member of the Academy of Research of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation.

To register for this course, click here. Fee is S$535 (including GST) and registration closes on 15 May 2008. For more information, visit the Ovspring website.