Leonardo de Oliveira: A Father's Mission to Revolutionise Paediatric Therapy

Leonardo de Oliveira is a Brazilian-American occupational therapist and inventor whose personal journey as a father fueled a professional revolution in paediatric therapy. He is the creator of the groundbreaking PediaSuit protocol and the innovative Evolvik Vests, therapeutic tools designed to dramatically improve the lives of children with neurological and motor disorders. His work, born out of a desire to help his own son, has had a profound global impact, offering new hope and possibilities for thousands of children and their families. 

The catalyst for de Oliveira's transformative work was the birth of his son, Lucas, who was diagnosed with hemiplegia, a form of cerebral palsy affecting one side of the body, resulting from cerebral anoxia. Faced with the challenges of his son's condition, de Oliveira dedicated himself to finding and developing more effective treatment methods than were currently available.

This personal mission led to the creation of the PediaSuit protocol in 2006. The PediaSuit is a soft, dynamic proprioceptive orthosis, a suit composed of a vest, shorts, knee pads, and specially designed footwear interconnected by a system of elastic bands. It is based on the principles of a Russian "Penguin Suit" originally developed for cosmonauts to counteract the effects of weightlessness on muscles and bones. De Oliveira and his team significantly adapted and improved upon the original concept, creating a more breathable, user-friendly, and effective therapeutic garment.

The PediaSuit protocol combines the use of the suit with an intensive therapy program, typically involving several hours of customised exercises per day for a period of weeks. This intensive approach aims to retrain the brain and body, improve motor skills, increase strength and endurance, and enhance sensory processing.

Driven by the need for a dedicated space to implement his new protocol, Leonardo de Oliveira co-founded Therapies 4 Kids in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This specialised clinic became a hub for intensive paediatric therapy, attracting patients from around the world seeking the benefits of the PediaSuit protocol.

Building on the success of the PediaSuit and his deep understanding of the sensory and positioning needs of children with motor challenges, de Oliveira went on to create Evolvik Vests. These therapeutic garments are designed to provide deep pressure and proprioceptive input, which can help to calm and organise the nervous system, improve body awareness, and enhance focus and attention. Evolvik Vests are often used as a complementary therapy to the PediaSuit protocol and in various other therapeutic and daily living contexts.

Leonardo de Oliveira's academic background as an Occupational Therapist, a degree he earned from Keiser University in Florida in 2010, provided him with the clinical framework to develop and refine his inventions. His hands-on experience and the direct feedback from his son's progress and the progress of other children at Therapies 4 Kids were invaluable in the evolution of his therapeutic tools.

Today, Leonardo de Oliveira serves as the CEO of PediaSuit Brazil, extending the reach of his innovative therapies to his home country. His work continues to be driven by the same passion that ignited his journey: the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential. Through his inventions and the establishment of specialised therapy centres, Leonardo de Oliveira has not only transformed his own son's life but has also created a lasting legacy in the field of paediatric rehabilitation.