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Therapy
Life Without Limits Therapy Center
HOPE realized at a Center offering life-changing therapies for speech, physical, and occupational development.
Physical Therapy
Our pediatric physical therapists are health care professionals who are movement specialists addressing medical problems or other health-related conditions that affect a child's ability to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives.
Our physical therapists use treatment activities and techniques that promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability. Our physical therapists also work with individuals to prevent the loss of mobility by developing fitness and wellness-oriented programs for healthier and more active lifestyles. Pediatric physical therapy uses play and fun activities to entice children to work hard and exercise to promote the highest level of independent function.
Who are your therapists?
Moira Miller, PT, MPT, PCS, C/NDT, CTKP, Director of Clinical Services, has concentrated the majority of her career on the treatment and assessment of motor dysfunction of the pediatric population. She is an American Physical Therapy Association Board Certified Pediatric Physical Therapist. Moira has experience working in a wide variety of pediatric settings ranging from group programs, school-based programs, hospital in-patient/out-patient services, in-home treatment sessions, private pediatric physical therapy practices and multidisciplinary team assessments. Moira graduated from the University of California, Irvine, with a degree in Biology and then received a Master of Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California. She furthered her educational experience with certification upon completion of the Neuro-Developmental (NDT) 8-week course in The Treatment and Management of Children with Cerebral Palsy and other Neuromotor Disorders. She has also completed the NDT 1-week Advanced Baby Course with Lois Bly. Moira has worked collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams focusing on the area of early intervention in addition to experience working with sensory-integration techniques, infant developmental assessment/treatment, orthopedic interventions, neurodevelopment techniques, Torticollis assessment/treatment, equipment recommendations, orthotic recommendations, Cortical Visual Impairment assessment/treatment, and is a certified Kinesio® Taping practitioner. Mostly recently, Moira completed training for CIMT at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is the mother of two girls, enjoys running/yoga, and traveling with her family.
Vanessa Warrior, Lead Physical Therapist, from the start of her career Vanessa has had a special interest in pediatric rehabilitation. She earned her undergraduate degree from Chapman University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Movement and Exercise Science (1996) and received her Master of Physical Therapy degree from California State University, Long Beach (2002). Vanessa has had the joy of combining her experience working with both the adult and pediatric populations ranging from in-patient hospital, home health, and outpatient clinical settings. In pediatrics, she has worked together with families and multidisciplinary teams collaborating to find the best possible solutions in regards to equipment, orthotics and splinting, rehabilitation services and referrals, and early intervention assessment. Vanessa is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and Pediatric section. Her enhanced pedagogy includes Neuro-Developmental Techniques (NDT) for the infant, orthopedic updates in pediatrics, and functional gait patterns. As part of her core belief in "paying it forward", Vanessa has acted as a mentor to students from USC, Cal State University Northridge and Long Beach, and Chapman University. In her leisure time, Vanessa enjoys spending her days off with her son and daughter, music with her husband, and yoga for personal balance.
Brianna Luckett, PT, DPT, grew up in Southern California and then ventured to Boston where she received her Bachelor's of Science degree in Health Science from Boston University. After her east coast adventure, she came back to Los Angeles county and worked as a physical therapy aide at an outpatient orthopedic clinic for four years. While working as an aide, she had experiences working with all ages and demographics, but fell in love with her pediatric clients. Once entering graduate school, she had the opportunity to work for 8 weeks at California Children's Services in San Diego as a student physical therapist. After completing her clinical, her passion for pediatrics was reaffirmed. She received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of St. Augustine in 2016 and began her career with UCP-OC in 2017. Since working at UCP-OC she has taken numerous continuing education courses in NDT, infant handling, and sensory integration. She is currently working towards her certification in Total Motion Release for TOTs and Teens, which has changed her way of treating and assessing. In her free time, she enjoys fixing up her new home, using Yelp to find the best new food, traveling and spending time with her husband and cat, Mila.
Beth Wade, PT, MPT, C/NDT grew up in San Diego, CA. Initially an engineering major, her college career was put on hold briefly when her father survived a motor vehicle accident which left him in a coma for 30 days. When she witnessed the physical therapist help him to walk again and return to his life, it was life changing to say the least. She began volunteering in the hospital's Physical Therapy Department and immediately knew this was what she was meant to do. She received her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology at Arizona State University in 1996. She worked alongside physical therapists to start up a Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. She went on to receive her Master of Physical Therapy from Long Beach State University in 2001. The majority of her clinical education was completed in pediatrics at Miller Children's Hospital and she immediately knew this was what she was born to do. Pulling from her experience as a nanny, she quickly learned how to integrate play into therapeutic activities. She has worked solely in pediatrics, with years of experience treating children of all ages, with many diagnoses including developmental delays, chromosomal abnormalities, rare disease, torticollis, autism and cerebral palsy. In 2011, she became certified in Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Treatment, which is a specialized form of therapy, focused on treating the "whole child". In addition to working with children, she enjoys spending time with her husband, son and daughter, snowboarding, surfing, hiking, and playing with their dogs.
Occupational Therapy
Our pediatric occupational therapists work with children and their families to help develop skills in the following areas: play skills, fine motor skills (how our hands and fingers work to accomplish a task), and personal or self-care skills. Treatment techniques promote function and engagement in meaningful occupations, remediate disability, and provide support to families. The strategies our pediatric occupational therapists may use include working on hand/finger/arm strength, trunk strength and stability, practice of specific self-care tasks, and overall sensory processing. Play is used as a way to address desired skills and to encourage the child to be active participants in their therapy sessions.
Who are your therapists?
Daisy Ko, OTR/L received her Masters of Arts degree from the University of Southern California. As an occupational therapist, Daisy has continued to pursue her love working with children from infancy to school-aged children with various disabilities and delays including autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, hand-writing delays and behavioral concerns. She continues to work towards her goals in specializing in feeding/swallowing techniques and sensory integration throughout her career. In her free time, Daisy enjoys learning about people, their culture, and their experiences. She also enjoys taking road trips and spending time with friends in the sun.
Ria Camerino, OTR/L, Occupational Therapist, received her Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California. With almost 20 years of clinical experience, she has acquired immense knowledge in the area of pediatrics including NDT principles, sensory integration, behavioral modification, Handwriting Without Tears, Cortical Visual Impairment assessment and treatment strategies, motor-based feeding therapy, sensory-based feeding strategies, and NMES for feeding therapy. She continues to seek and learn the latest information in order to provide the most optimal therapy for the children in her care. She has rendered care for children with various diagnoses such as autism, cerebral palsy, chromosomal abnormalities, cortical visual impairment, seizure disorders, drug exposure, prematurity, feeding difficulties, developmental delay, etc. Her passion to make a difference in a child's life continues to be the driving force in her vocation. In her spare time, she looks forward to days spent in the company of her big, extended, close-knit family and friends.
Kalin Le, OTR/L, received her Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Stanbridge University in Irvine. She adores working with children of all ages and her silly demeanor with little ones helps them to achieve their goals while having fun! She loves watching children and parents’ reactions when a child is able to perform a task that they were not able to do before. Having experience both in school-based and clinic-based practices, Kalin has worked with children with various disabilities and delays including autism, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, handwriting delays, developmental delays and behavioral concerns. Currently, she is working towards her goals in specializing in feeding/swallowing and improving her clinical skills in early intervention. When she isn’t at work, Kalin and her husband love to camp, travel, and explore new places (particularly restaurants) when they can find a babysitter for their Bernedoodle, Pepper.
Christine "Christy" Olson, ORT/L, received her Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California. She has solely been working in the field of pediatrics where she has treated children from birth to 21 years with diagnosis such as autism (ASD), cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, drug exposure, prematurity, feeding difficulties, developmental delays, Spina Bifida, congenital amputations, neurological disorders, muscular dystrophy, as well as other diagnosis. To further her knowledge in the field she has taken advanced courses in feeding and oral motor disorders, NDT practice and handling, sensory integration, and Kinesio-taping. She also has been certified in Dynamic Integration of NMES and Exercise for Swallowing (DINES) as well as VitalStim Therapy. Christy is working towards her goal of becoming specialized in feeding as well as NDT certified. In her free time, Christy enjoys spending time with her family and friends enjoying the Southern California weather.
Frances Pulido, OTR/L, originally started her career as a biomedical engineer but left to pursue the rewarding profession of Occupational Therapy. She received her Masters of Occupational Therapy from the University of St. Augustine, San Marcos, CA in 2013. Following graduation, she immediately started her pediatric OT career at UCP-OC. She has taken advanced courses in Feeding/Oral Motor Assessment/Treatment, Pediatric Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT), Handwriting Without Tears, Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) Assessment/Treatment. She also received extensive training at UAB in Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT). In her spare time, Frances enjoys spending time with her husband, son, and daughter.
Rose Robel, M.S., OTR/L, has always had a passion for working with children, and her career as a pediatric occupational therapist allowed her to combine her dedication for the welfare of children with her passion for art and science. She originally started her career as a researcher in molecular genetics, but her passion for helping children reach their fullest potential led her to pursue a career in Occupational Therapy. Rose graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a degree in Biology, then received a Master of Biology and a Master of Occupational Therapy from California State University Dominguez Hills. She has experience in working in a wide variety of settings including pediatrics, mental health, school-based, outpatient, and home health. She is SIPT certified (Sensory Integration and Praxis Test), is trained in the Beckman Oral Motor Intervention and Assessment for feeding, and Triple P Certified (Positive Parenting Program). She has worked with children having a variety of diagnoses including sensory processing disorders, autism (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), visual impairments, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, prematurity, developmental delays, and feeding delays etc. Her experience in mental health includes treating adolescents in residential care and probation with mental health disabilities such as conduct disorder, personality disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and anxiety. In addition to her experience as a practicing occupational therapist, Rose has served as an adjunct faculty in California State Dominguez Hills which enabled her to provide guidance for the next generation of OTs. She is a life-long learner who keeps abreast of the current best practices and through her ongoing refinement of her craft she is able to optimize her treatments to influence positive outcomes. Most recently, Rose is currently training in Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) provided by UCPOC. In her spare time, she loves spending time her family and friends, cooking, and exploring creative outlets like drawing and crafting.
Speech Therapy
Our pediatric speech language pathologists serve children and their families to address typical and atypical communication and feeding skills. Common treatment techniques may include oral motor strengthening and range of motion exercises, reciprocal interaction through modeling and play, training on the use of audio-visual aids, the use of assistive technology, and strategies to facilitate functional communication.
Who are your therapists?
Kristen Weitz, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, CASDCS, Manager of Speech Therapy, received her bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders from Biola University and her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of West Georgia. A majority of Kristen’s professional experience has been in the private practice sector, specifically with pediatric and school-age clients. She also has experience working in rehabilitation hospitals with adult and geriatric patients. Prior to working at UCP-OC, she was an adjunct professor at her alma mater, Biola University, teaching in the Communication Disorders program for five years. Kristen has experience treating a variety of diagnoses and specializes in autism and apraxia of speech. In her spare time, Kristen enjoys stand-up paddleboarding, surfing, snowboarding, reading, traveling, and spending time with her husband, daughter, and dog.
Lisa Risley is a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant licensed by the state of California. She graduated with a BA in Psychology from Biola University and completed the SLPA program at Santa Ana College in 2015. She has been at UCP-OC since the spring of 2017. Lisa has previously worked in both private and public schools. She has experience with children of all ages and in various school settings, such as primary, elementary, intermediate, and high school. Prior to UCP-OC, she has volunteered at an interdisciplinary clinic and the Children’s Hospital of Orange County’s child life department. During her free time, Lisa enjoys biking, running, taking her dog on walks, spending time with her family, and being an aunt to her five nieces and nephews.
Kameran Joel, M.S., Speech Language Pathologist, is licensed by the state of California. Kameran was born and raised in Oregon, but moved to California to complete her B.S. in Psychology from California Lutheran University. She attended Chapman University for her Masters in Communication Sciences and Disorders. During her time at Chapman, Kameran completed clinical placements in a variety of pediatric and adult settings. She enjoyed working at specialized schools for children with disabilities in the Corona-Norco and Saddleback school districts, developing her skills working with high- and low-tech AAC, feeding, motor-planning techniques, and working with children with complex-communication and medical needs. Kameran also worked as a student intern with UCP-OC for 4 months during her last semester at school and decided to stay on the team because she loved working with her fellow therapists and the families served by UCP. During her time as a student, she researched and implemented programs using Picture Exchange Communication Systems and completed an in-service on using this technique to all disciplines at UCP. During her free time, Kameran enjoys traveling, cooking, baking, going to Disneyland, reading for her book club, and visiting her family in Oregon.
How to Get Here
1251 E. Dyer Road, Suite 150 Santa Ana, CA 92705