Occupational Therapists

Teresa graduated with her Masters degree in 2013 from Nova Southeastern University. Since graduating, she has worked in pediatrics primarily within the private practice setting. Her experience includes working with children with developmental delay, ASD, sensory processing disorder, fine/gross motor delays and handwriting difficulties. She uses a variety of treatment approaches including Sensory Integration, DIR/Floortime and Neurodevelopmental Treatment. She also has experience with the Handwriting Without Tears and the Size Matters handwriting programs.

Teresa seeks additional professional development opportunities to expand her clinical knowledge and enjoys working within a multi-disciplinary team for family centered care.

Cristina Rojo-Sirico graduated with a Bachelor’s in Occupational Therapy in 2005, and worked as an occupational therapist while earning her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy in 2009 from Florida International University. She has worked with children in school and charter school settings as well as in the home and private clinical practice settings. She holds training and certification in Therapeutic Listening, Interactive Metronome, the Handwriting without Tears program, and the SOS feeding approach. Cristina has been a member of the Florida Occupational Therapy Association as well as the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Cristina is SIPT (Sensory Integration and Praxis Test) certified and enjoys treating sensory integration and processing disorders as well as working with children with autism spectrum disorders. Additionally, she has worked with children with a variety of other diagnoses including developmental delay, neurological impairment, visual motor delay, hypotonia, Down syndrome, and Cerebral Palsy.

Gaby graduated with her Masters in Occupational Therapy from the University of Florida in December 2016. Through her undergraduate and graduate career she gained valuable experience as caregiver to a special needs individual and volunteer for several Gainesville organizations. Helping in the community fostered a passion for helping children and their families. She enjoys working in a multidisciplinary team, helping children develop skills for the present and future. She has developed skills in treating a variety of diagnosis including developmental delays, autism, Down’s syndrome, and handwriting delays. Her professional goal is to gain experience and expand her treatment interventions to best fit the needs of her patients.

Dana graduated from Stony Brook University in New York in June of 2001. She has 20 years of experience working as a pediatric Occupational Therapist in New York and sunny South Florida, joining the PPT team. Dana loves working with children and always knew she would be a pediatric therapist. She has worked with a variety of patients with Autism, CP, fragile X, IDD, Downs’s syndrome, and developmental delays in outpatient, school, home, and residential school settings. Dana has attended numerous continuing education courses ranging from Neuro reflex integration & NDT to Beckman Oral Motor Assessment and Intervention and sensory integration.

Alexa graduated with her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University at Buffalo in 2019. Since then, she has worked in various settings such as school-based, home-health and out-patient. Alexa is passionate about helping children reach their full potential. She believes that occupational therapy can make a difference in the lives of children by helping them to develop the skills they need to participate in everyday activities. She is committed to providing high-quality care to children and their families. Alexa uses her therapy dog, Finley, to help children with a variety of disabilities. Finley has been trained to help children with their physical, cognitive and emotional development. In her free time, Alexa enjoys spending time at the beach and playing pickleball. 

Desirae graduated with her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from Misericordia University located in Dallas, Pennsylvania. She has experience working with children across many settings including home health, school-based, and outpatient clinics. Desirae has a passion for working with patients with autism, sensory processing disorders, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, genetic disorders, and many others. She is eager to continue researching and specializing in areas such as feeding, DIR/floortime, and primitive reflexes. Desirae is excited to continue her career at PPT providing child-centered interventions and working with families to maximize her client’s participation in their daily occupations. 

Eva Patel graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from The Ohio State University in 2012 and a Master of Occupational Degree from Nova Southeastern University in 2014. Since graduating, she began her career in geriatrics realizing quickly her passion resided in pediatrics. Fortunately, she has been exposed to numerous settings. Prior to moving to sunny Florida in September 2016, she worked for Ohio’s Early Intervention Services, schools involving students with mild-moderate-severe disabilities, and a hospital based outpatient pediatric clinic in Ohio for several years. Her experience includes working with children with ASD, developmental delays, Sensory Processing disorder, Cerebral Palsy, fine/gross motor delays, handwriting difficulties. She is excited to continue growing with Progressive Pediatric Therapy and serves children and families with a client centered and creative approach.

Hannah is an occupational therapist who completed her masters degree at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield CT in 2021. While completing her masters, Hannah was able to complete one of her level 2 fieldworks in a school setting, falling in love with the pediatric population. Prior to that Hannah received her bachelors in biology from Endicott College, graduating in 2019. While pursuing her bachelors Hannah was able to complete an internship at a hippo therapy facility, where she completed her thesis, which was later published, regarding client positive mindset and its impact on their therapeutic success. After working for the past year and a half at a skilled nursing facility Hannah is excited to follow her passion and enter the pediatric field! Hannah recently moved here from her home state of New Hampshire and she can’t wait to enjoy the sun and start at PPT!

Janelle graduates with her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Nova Southeastern
University in 2022. She previously earned her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and
Health Promotion from Florida Atlantic University in 2017. While in school, she researched and
studied handwriting development for 2.5 years. She has worked with children in school and
outpatient pediatric practice settings. She is certified in administering the Montreal Cognitive
Assessment (MoCA). Her experience includes working with children with handwriting
difficulties, ASD, fine/gross motor delays, and developmental delay. Janelle is dedicated to
helping children and families reach their goals in order to increase independence and school
readiness.

Karla graduated from the Master of Occupational Therapy Program at the University of Florida in December 2010. Since then, she has worked as a pediatric occupational therapist in various settings, performing evaluation and treatment of children from birth to age 21 in the home, school, and clinical environment. She has treated children with varying diagnoses and conditions including Attention-Deficit /Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Brachial Plexus Injury, Cerebral Palsy, Down’s Syndrome, developmental delay, feeding difficulties, and seizures. Karla has a special interest in sensory processing difficulties and pursues ongoing continuing education addressing children with these difficulties. She is also currently an Early Steps provider. Her professional goal is to communicate and work closely with families and other disciplines in order to ensure carryover and improve functional outcomes for the involved child. She recognizes the uniqueness of each child and strives to identify the priorities and strengths of each family unit in order to develop and achieve desired outcomes.

Kirsten completed her 3-month OT fieldwork rotation at Progressive Pediatric Therapy in the fall and graduated with her Master’s degree in 2021 from Radford University. Her experience working in the recreational therapy field with children with developmental delay and ASD in a clinic/home setting guided her to expand her education in occupational therapy. She also has previous fieldwork experience working with adults in the community and a neurorehabilitative department of an inpatient hospital. Kirsten continues to enhance her clinical knowledge by researching, collaborating with other therapists, and facilitating client-centered sessions to ensure she provides quality treatment. She is excited to continue learning and growing as a clinician at Progressive Pediatric Therapy.

Lauren joined the Progressive Pediatric Therapy team in 2016 as an Occupational Therapy Assistant. In 2019 she returned to  Keiser University to further her career in Occupational Therapy,  receiving a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Occupational Health and has since earned her Masters degree as an Occupational Therapist. She brings a wealth of experience and passion for children and has developed skills in treating a broad range of pediatric disorders including Sensory Processing Disorder, ASD, ADHD, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and developmental delay. She understands that each child is unique and strives to find a way to connect with each one in a fun and goal directed environment. Lauren enjoys working on a multi-disciplinary team and guiding families for skill development in their child.

Melissa graduated with her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Barry University in 2021. She previously earned her Bachelor of Health Science from the University of Florida in 2017. Her first role as an Occupational Therapist was in a sensory integration clinic working with children who have various diagnoses including Sensory Processing Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Developmental Delay, Dyslexia, Down Syndrome and more. She also has worked in the school setting as well as in home health. She has experience with emotional regulation, The PLAY project, SOS approach to feeding, handwriting programs such as handwriting without tears and size matters, and the listening program. She is currently working towards her certification in sensory integration. Prior to becoming an Occupational Therapist, she was a registered behavior technician working with Autistic children. Having a strong background in behavior allowed her to gain a better understanding of dealing with maladaptive behaviors and assisting her clients with finding more appropriate ways to deal with everyday stressors. She is dedicated to conducting research in order to provide evidence-based interventions to her clients. Melissa enjoys collaborating with her clients and families in order to best meet their needs and goals. Outside of work, she enjoys kayaking, working out, exploring new restaurants in South Florida, rollerblading, and spending time with family and friends. 

Naomi completed her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy degree from Columbia University in New York in 2001. Naomi has experience working with children in the outpatient clinic setting as well as adults in inpatient rehab, sub-acute rehab, and in-home settings. She has a passion for helping others to achieve their highest level of independence in all aspects of life and recognizes potential in every client. Naomi has experience working with children with Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sensory Processing Differences, Emotional Regulation, Cerebral Palsy, and Developmental Delay. Naomi is pursuing a certificate in DIR Floortime and is a licensed Massage Therapist. During her free time, you can find Naomi walking by the beach with Oscar, her dog, reading a good book by the pool, or cooking up a new recipe in the kitchen.

Nikki completed her Masters in Occupational Therapy degree at Barry University.  She has a passion for helping children achieve developmental milestones and increasing independence in all areas of their lives. Nikki is consistently inspired by seeing her patients and their families accomplish desired goals.  She has experience in handwriting without tears, feeding, emotional regulation, sensory processing disorder, attention deficit disorder, autism, developmental delay, and cerebral palsy. In her free time Nikki enjoys learning the Italian language, taking care of her pet rabbit Charlie, and participating in triathlons. 

Romie graduated with a Bachelors in Health Sciences/Pre-Physical Therapy Track.  One of her professors from undergrad  thought she was a better fit for the occupational therapy field so she applied to the program and eventually earned a  Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy from Florida International University.  She has over 10 years working with the pediatric population in various settings, specifically over 6 years’ experience as a pediatric OT.  She has knowledge working with a variety of diagnoses in the home health and clinic setting including but not limited to ASD, Developmental Delay, ADHD, Sensory processing, ODD, Fine Motor Delays, handwriting and CP to name a few. Romie has a special interest in sensory integration strategies and continuously strives to implement evidence based techniques that help with self-regulation, organization, and body awareness.  Romie enjoys providing services in the pre-school community setting .  Her passion is sensory processing/regulation as she believes this is key to improve attention for greater success and independence for children who have difficulties in this area.With a background in musical theater, teaching (pre-k) level, Romie is always excited to bring a fresh spin on existing treatment approaches.  She is a big believer in one size does not fit all and loves finding creative ways to make therapy fun and as “outside the box” as possible.Romie’s professional goal is to expand her knowledge on rare genetic conditions as well as improve her clinical reasoning on current conditions to better care for families.

Sara received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Florida Gulf Coast University and her master’s degree in occupational therapy from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. She is passionate about helping kids reach their maximum potential by tackling challenges in creative and innovative ways. Sara has experience working with a variety of childhood and developmental diagnoses including Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD/ADD, Sensory Processing Disorder, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and other developmental delays that impact daily function. She is an advocate for diversity and inclusion, and enjoys volunteering with special needs organizations that empower individuals and families within the community. Sara loves the outdoors and can usually be found by the water or hanging out with friends and family.

Justin graduated from Keiser University in 2021 with an Associate’s of Science degree as an Occupational Therapy Assistant. Justin has experience working with children with Down Syndrome, autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy, as well as motor and developmental delays. Justin loves to implement his experience with athletics into his therapy. Justin is excited to be a part of, and continue to grow alongside his Progressive Pediatric Therapy family!

Miss. Jennifer Graduated from Keiser University in 2013 with an Associate’s of Science degree as an Occupational Therapy Assistant. Jennifer enjoys making a difference in the lives of children with special needs and their caregivers. She has extensive experience with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Fine Motor Delays, Developmental Delays, and Down Syndrome. Jennifer enjoys educating caregivers and teachers to provide consistent carryover with clients to encourage greater success for each child.  Jennifer is excited to be a part of the Progressive Pediatric Therapy team and is looking forward to learning and growing with such well versed therapists.

Lidia graduated with an Associate of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Daytona State College in 2017. She has worked with kids who had medically complex conditions and Disabilities from ages 1 to 13 in PPEC and clinic settings. Lidia has experience with a variety childhood and developmental diagnosis including: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sensory processing disorder, Down Syndrome, ADHD, Cerebral Palsy, seizures, and Osteogenesis Imperfecta. She is passionate to work with parents, caregivers, and other disciplines to provide the most client centered intervention approach to reach a child’s potential. Her professional goals include expanding her education to provide evidence-based practice and to educate parents to carryover treatment at home.