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Dr Cynthia Y.Y. Lai
PolyU Scholars Hub

Dr Cynthia LAI

Associate Professor

PDOT, MSc, PhD, OTR, HKROT

Biography

Dr Cynthia Lai graduated with Master degree in Health Care, and PhD in Rehabilitation Medicine. She is an occupational therapist who specializes in pediatrics and people with developmental disabilities.

Before she joined the university, she had been working as pediatric occupational therapist for more than 17 years. During these years, she was also acting as chief investigator in both government and non-government funded projects to develop evaluation and rehabilitation instruments for children. She was a clinical educator in Occupational Therapy discipline in RS before. Her teaching and research interests are in the areas of sensory processing, executive functioning, physiological and behavioral responses in people with developmental disabilities.

Education and Academic Qualifications

  • Professional Diploma in Occupational Therapy, Hong Kong Polytechnic
  • Master of Science in Health Care (Rehabilitation of People with Developmental Disabilities), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Professional Qualifications

  • Registered Occupational Therapist

Research Interests

  • Executive functioning and self-regulation
  • Sensory processing and sensory-based intervention
  • Autonomic dysregulation
  • Developmental disabilities (e.g. ADHD, ASD, SpLD)
  • Child development
  • Evaluation and rehabilitation instrument development
  • Community-based participatory research

Research Output

  • Yung, T. W. K., Lai, C. Y. Y.*, Chan, J. Y. C., Ng, S. S. M., & Chan, C. C. H. (2019). Neuro-physiological correlates of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptoms in school-aged children. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. doi:10.1007/s00787-019-01353-1.
  • Yung, T. W. K., Lai, C. Y. Y.*, Gomez, I. N., Loh, V., Wang, J., Chan, J. Y. C., Krishnamurthy, K., Lau, B. W. M., & Ng, S. S. M. (2019). Parents’ perceptions of children’s executive functions across different cities. Child Neuropsychology, 25(2), 152-161. doi:10.1080/09297049.2017.1406075
  • Gomez, I. N., Lai, C. Y. Y.*, Chan, C. C. H. Chan, & Tsang, H. W. H. (2018). The role of ethnicity and environment on the regulation of response to sensory stimulus in children: protocol and pilot findings of a neurophysiological study. JMIR Research Protocols, 7(1), e7. doi:10.2196/resprot.8157
  • Hong, C. Y., Lee, P. Y., Lau, S. Y., Chum, W. S., Pang, T. T., Yung, W. K., & Lai, C. Y. Y.* (2018, November). Applicability of digital platform for fine motor assessment of preschool children. Paper presented at the 11th Pan-Pacific Conference on Rehabilitation, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR.
  • Lai, C. Y. Y., & Chiu, A. S. M. (2018). Sensory processing and self-regulation checklist (SPSRC) Second Edition (《感覺訊息處理及自我調節功能檢核表 》in Chinese) . Hong Kong: Heep Hong Society. https://www.heephong.org/eng/tools-and-resources/publications/professional-assessment-training/sensory-processing-and-self-regulation-checklist-spsrc
  • Lai, C. Y. Y., Ho, C. S. H., Lim, C. R., & Ho, R. C. M. (2017). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy in psychiatry. BJPsych Advances, 23(5), 324-330. doi: 10.1192/apt.bp.115.015610
  • Gomez, I. N., Lai, C. Y. Y.*, Morato, P. G., Chan, C. C. H. Chan, & Tsang, H. W. H. (2017). Behavioural and autonomic regulation of response to sensory stimuli among children: A systematic review of relationship and methodology. Biomedical Research International, 2017. doi:10.1155/2017/2629310
  • Heep Hong Society. (2017). Hong Kong Preschool Fine Motor Screening Test (HK-PFMST): Examiner's manual (《香港學前兒童小肌肉篩選測試-評估員手冊》in Chinese). Hong Kong: Heep Hong Society. https://www.heephong.org/eng/tools-and-resources/publications/professional-assessment-training/HK-PFMST-manual-and-tools
  • Heep Hong Society (2015). Training Apps for Attention Deficits/Hyperactivity: ADHD Warriors (《加得小勇士》 in Chinese). Hong Kong: Heep Hong Society. https://itunes.apple.com/hk/app/jia-de-xiao-yong-shi/id844756364?l=zh&mt=8
  • Lai, C. Y. Y.*, Chung, J. C. C., Chan, C. C. H., & Li-Tsang, C. W. P. (2011). Sensory Processing Measure- HK Chinese version: Psychometric properties and pattern of response across environments. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 32, 2636-2643. (In memory of Dr Jenny C.C. Chung)

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