JULIAO Children's Rehabilitation: Integrating Medical, Educational, and Care Services to Establish a Leading Center for Autism and Developmental Delay Treatment
There is a group of children who, like stars, are immersed in their own solitary worlds. They are neither deaf nor mute; they possess emotions and affection, yet they struggle with interaction and expression. They are known as “children from the stars”—children with autism.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder, also known as autism. Its core features include impairments in social interaction, stereotyped and repetitive behaviors, and restricted interests. It is frequently accompanied by language impairments and delayed intellectual development. In recent years, the incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ASD and developmental delays, has been steadily rising.
On March 26, 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the latest prevalence rate of ASD at 1 in 54. This figure represents an increase of nearly 10% compared to the 1 in 59 reported in 2018. In China, the incidence rate is conservatively estimated at 1%, but may actually reach 2%, with the number of affected children potentially reaching 3 million.
Autism, with its etiology remaining unclear, has no pharmacological cure. Rehabilitation primarily relies on behavioral interventions alone; however, this approach overlooks the physiological issues of individuals, thereby limiting therapeutic efficacy and delaying optimal intervention windows, which inflicts secondary harm on patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families.
In recent years, numerous studies published in top-tier international journals have identified the etiological factors of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Beyond genetic susceptibility and environmental influences, ASD is closely associated with various biological factors, including immune-metabolic dysregulation, nutritional deficiencies, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and gut microbiota imbalance. Against this backdrop, Juliao (Huzhou) Children’s Rehabilitation Development Center was established. This center integrates cutting-edge international research and introduces the latest rehabilitation concepts, building upon the extensive clinical rehabilitation practice and exploration conducted over many years at Longyou Hongfangzi Children’s Hospital.
Many significant changes in life and society often stem from seemingly accidental and minor decisions. In 2019, Hu Jiayang, who came from an investment background, was selecting targets in the capital market when he accidentally came into contact with a company specializing in rehabilitation services for children with autism. At that time, he could not have imagined that this encounter would lead to a decision that would change the course of his career. To deepen his understanding of children with autism and the industry, he conducted a six-month longitudinal study on these children, which deeply moved him. He immediately invested RMB 8 million to support the growth of the target company. However, due to poor management, the company later neared bankruptcy. Unwilling to abandon the cause of autism rehabilitation, Hu Jiayang decided to personally participate in its operational management.
After a year of restructuring and preparation, Juliao (Huzhou) Children's Rehabilitation and Development Center officially opened in Huzhou on April 2, 2020. Located in the South Taihu Lake Tourist Resort Area of Huzhou City, with Qiucheng Mountain at its back and adjacent to Taihu Lake, the center covers an operating area of approximately 10,000 square meters. It is divided into four major zones: clinical diagnosis and treatment, rehabilitation and physiotherapy, education, and living accommodations. The center provides comprehensive one-stop services—including medical care, rehabilitation, educational support, and daily living assistance—for up to 120 pediatric patients simultaneously.
Juliao Children's Rehabilitation is currently one of the few professional comprehensive rehabilitation centers in China that integrate medical treatment, education, and care, and it is also a designated rehabilitation institution in Huzhou City.
Juliao Children's Rehabilitation specializes in serving children with developmental delays, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and tic disorders. It adopts an innovative integrated rehabilitation model combining "medical care, education, and training." This approach formulates comprehensive intervention and conditioning plans by integrating educational and behavioral interventions on the basis of systematic improvement of patients' physiological issues through medical interventions and growth and development health management. The goal is to comprehensively improve and enhance the growth and development status of pediatric patients, thereby improving clinical outcomes.
Since its inception, the Juliao Center has admitted approximately 80 children with special needs for inpatient treatment, maintained a monthly active user base of 200 pediatric patients through online services, and conducted post-discharge follow-ups for 16 discharged patients. The statistical results from the rehabilitation assessments of these 16 children are as follows:
1. Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) Score (Mean): The score decreased from 39.3 at admission to 31.9 at discharge (a CARS score below 30 indicates non-autistic status). More encouragingly, four children achieved CARS scores below 30, and these four children subsequently began attending regular schools after discharge.
2. Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) (mean): The score decreased from 96.9 at admission to 64.1 at discharge, indicating that the severity of symptoms was reduced from severe to moderate; a lower ATEC score indicates better improvement in clinical symptoms, with significant improvements observed particularly in health, physiological, and behavioral domains;
3. Juyao Admission Ability Score (Mean): The score increased from 127 at admission to 169 at discharge; a higher score indicates improved developmental abilities in the child.
4. Symptom Improvement: Significant improvements were observed primarily in gastrointestinal issues, sleep, picky eating behaviors, hyperactivity, behavioral problems and attention span, comprehension and cognition, activities of daily living, emotional interaction, language expression, and basic social interaction.
“Although these children still have relatively weaker abilities in various aspects compared to neurotypical children, the fact that they can speak, attend mainstream schools, and manage their daily living skills is already what makes their parents happiest and is their greatest hope. It is important to note that, prior to this, CCTV reported that more than 80% of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remained unable to care for themselves in adulthood and required lifelong care. For parents of children with autism, the greatest fear is being unable to continue caring for their child; therefore, achieving independent living skills has become their primary expectation,” remarked Hu Jiayang, Co-founder and COO of Juliao.
Hu Jiayang also shared with VCBeat some of the incremental changes observed in several pediatric patients. These include transitioning from constant diaper use to independent toileting, progressing from an inability to understand others’ questions to engaging in simple daily conversations, and moving from severe, uncontrollable anxiety and irritability to being able to articulate reasons for their feelings. Within the center’s rehabilitation support group, parents regularly share their children’s progress and developments.
“The progress made by the children is the driving force behind our team’s continued efforts. Meanwhile, enabling all pediatric patients to achieve independent living in the future is the goal we strive for. After more than a year of rehabilitation practice, the children have achieved the current therapeutic outcomes, which validates the correctness of our model,” said Hu Jiayang.
Talent is the core driving force behind a company’s development. Juliao has assembled a comprehensive team of over 40 professionals, including pediatric clinicians, PhDs in biology, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, registered dietitians, special education teachers, nurses, and nutritional chefs. The Juliao expert consortium is jointly established by 14 senior experts from China and abroad, including 8 doctoral degree holders (4 of whom hold MD degrees) and 2 master’s degree holders in nutrition; all possess decades of rehabilitation experience in the field of autism. Its full-time core team boasts strong professional backgrounds and extensive operational management expertise.
Dr. Jiang Yulan:Ph.D. in Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University, USA; Ph.D. in Nutrition from Loma Linda University, USA; Licensed Naturopathic Doctor (ND) in California, USA; Registered Dietitian (RD) in California, USA; Dedicated to integrative medicine research in the United States for over two decades, with a particular focus on the relationship between nutrition, diet, and autism.
Dr. Shao Jianzhong:Certified International Craniosacral Therapist, UK Cambridge University Certified Nutrition Specialist, National Level 1 Nutritionist; 22 years of experience in clinical medicine, with a focus on comprehensive rehabilitation therapy for children with autism, and extensive hands-on experience in the diagnosis and treatment of over 100 cases of pediatric autism.
Dr. Weng Xinghe:M.S. in Neurobiology from Peking University; Ph.D. from Cornell University (USA); Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Utah (USA); Former faculty member at Cornell University, with over 10 years of dedicated research in neurobiology.
Hu Jiayang:Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Juliao Children's Rehabilitation; Deputy Secretary-General of the Smart Healthcare Entrepreneurship Association, CEIBS Alumni Association; Council Member of the Education Foundation of Zhejiang University of Water Resources and Electric Power; Council Member of the Education Foundation of Shaoxing No. 1 Middle School; Startup Mentor at Zhejiang Dayu Makerspace. Possesses extensive experience in entrepreneurship, management, and marketing promotion.
On the basis of continuously exploring and refining comprehensive rehabilitation therapy techniques and holistic solutions, the core team has gradually established a standardized rehabilitation system encompassing offline comprehensive rehabilitation services, online educational training, and the independent development and sales of products, thereby facilitating the unified delivery of a professional and standardized service system.
To provide faster and better services to a greater number of children with special needs, Juliao has launched online services, including remote medical testing and online technical guidance. Additionally, it has developed specialized products such as Juliao-branded probiotics and nutritional supplements. Meanwhile, by empowering key opinion leaders (KOLs)—including industry experts, professors, and parents of patients—to promote these initiatives, Juliao enables parents to not only improve their children’s health but also build their own careers.
Furthermore, Juliao expands its business through a moat model combining self-operated services, co-construction with hospitals and outpatient departments, and internet e-commerce (the “1+2+3” model), attracting more clinics and rehabilitation hospitals to join. By establishing a nationwide presence and promoting comprehensive rehabilitation service concepts, it aims to serve more children with special needs and position Juliao as a leading center for the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders. Meanwhile, it strives continuously to achieve two-way triage—reducing both physician workload and patient burden—and contribute to the Healthy China initiative. It is reported that Juliao is currently raising funds, with plans to deploy autism and developmental delay rehabilitation bases in the Yangtze River Delta region after securing resources, thereby further improving rehabilitation outcomes and reducing costs.