Meet The ITS Team

History of ITS

Irvine Therapy Services was founded in 1980 by Betty Romero, MA, OTR/L, at the suggestion of Dr. A. Jean Ayres, pioneer, researcher and teacher in the field of sensory integration and occupational therapy. Dr. Ayres saw the need for a pediatric occupational therapy practice that utilized the Ayres Sensory Integration® techniques in Orange County. ITS thereby became the first pediatric occupational therapy clinic to open its doors to the children of Orange County in November 1980 .

When Betty retired from the practice in 1996, Priya Mohan, MA, OTR/L took over as Director of Irvine Therapy Services. Priya recently retired in August of 2021 and the practice is now run by Aparna Guttery, MA, OTR/L and Jennie Ni, MS, OTR/L, previous ITS employees. Aparna and Jennie have diverse, pediatric experiences and have each been working as occupational therapists for over 20 years, bringing a collective 40 years of knowledge and experience caring for children and their families. They are looking forward to expanding ITS to provide speech therapy, DIRFloortime and other services to empower families and the community.

Our Amazing Team

Our highly qualified professional staff consists of Licensed and Registered Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Speech Therapists (SLPs). Our OTs have advanced training in sensory integrative evaluation and treatment techniques. We are certified in the administration and interpretation of the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT). Our SLPs are also familiar with sensory integration and incorporate that understanding in their therapy when appropriate. Additionally, our SLP staff include Certified DIRFloortime® (Developmental, Individual differences, Relationships based) therapists . All our therapists have extensive backgrounds in child development, play, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, kinesiology, sensory-motor functioning, oral-motor functioning, hand function, handwriting, and psycho-social behavior. We use a holistic approach, and work with families and other professionals to enhance the quality of life and the functional abilities of the children we treat.

Aparna Guttery MA, OTR/L received a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Arts degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California. She has advanced training and is certified in Sensory Integration through USC/WPS. For over 20 years, Aparna has worked as a pediatric occupational therapist serving children of all ages with varying diagnoses in the clinic, home, school, and community based settings. She has founded and developed occupational therapy departments for multi-disciplinary centers specializing in the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders, as well as creating programming for group based models to support social, play, and motor development.

Aparna has been running her own private practice for the last 10 years before becoming co-owner of ITS. More recently, she has pursued a passion project by developing a patent-pending Sensory Backpack that incorporates calming sensations to promote self-regulation and provide calming feedback for children to access throughout their day and across environments.

Jennie Ni, MS, OTR/L received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Zoology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Tufts University in Boston. She has advanced training in sensory integration through the USC Sensory Integration Certificate Program, her Handwriting Without Tears® Level 1 Certification, as well as training in the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) and Integrated Listening Systems (iLs). Jennie has worked as a pediatric occupational therapist for over 20 years in a variety of settings including the clinic, home, school, and community.

Before becoming co-owner of ITS, Jennie worked as a school-based occupational therapist for 16 years with Newport-Mesa Unified School District. Jennie is proud to have helped create preschool collaborative groups for the Autism Program, and to have received two Grants from The Newport-Mesa Schools Foundation. Currently, Jennie has expanded her knowledge base to include working with more adolescents and adults with anxiety, misophonia, and other sensory needs. Jennie is excited to continue sharing her knowledge and empowering the community with best practices for sensory health and wellness, growth mindset, and interoceptive awareness.

Jennifer Pon, MA, OTR/L is a registered and licensed occupational therapist. She has always had an interest in working with children, and began volunteering with children’s ministries at her church from an early age. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Social Behavior from the University of California, Irvine in 2005. While completing her degree at UCI, she became interested in working with children with special needs and loved the holistic approach and the blending of multiple disciplines within the occupational therapy profession. She completed her Master of Arts degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Southern California in 2008 and joined the Irvine Therapy Services, Inc. staff later that year. In clinical practice, Jennifer incorporates using sensory-motor, developmental, and sensory integration techniques to support the development of gross and fine motor skills, facilitate play skills, and promote independence with activities of daily living. She is committed to helping the children at ITS reach their full potential. Jennifer is certified to administer and interpret the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT) and is a trained provider of Integrated Listening Systems (iLs). She is also familiar with the Handwriting Without Tears (HWT) curriculum. During her free time, Jennifer enjoys reading, crafting, spending time outdoors, and cheering for her favorite Los Angeles sports teams.

Amanda has been a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist since 2005. She received her Masters in Communicative Sciences and Disorders from Cal State University, Northridge, and has a Bachelors in English Literature from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Amanda previously owned her own speech therapy practice which started in a single room at Irvine Therapy services in 2012, and outgrew the space quickly. She sold her practice at the time of her 3rd child’s birth in 2018, to be able to spend more time with her kids. During that time, Amanda was able to gain valuable experience supporting parents in an online parent support group, supervising graduate students, treating children in homes and online, and she spent one year as an instructor at Cal Baptist University in the speech pathology department.

Since returning to Irvine Therapy Services in 2023, Amanda has enjoyed collaborating with the OTs, and recently decided to officially join the ITS team as Director of Speech Therapy, while using her business experience to help officially expand ITS services to include speech therapy. Amanda has received specialized training in DIR Floortime, Lindamood-Bell Reading Programs, and Gestalt Language Processing. She enjoys working with neurodivergent children and their families in a play-based speech therapy setting alongside occupational therapists to provide a sensory-rich, naturally motivating and playful experience for speech and language development.

Amanda Harpst is a mother of three (one girl and two boys), and her cat, George. She is a California native, and loves exploring the outdoors with her kids. She has lived in Texas, Arizona and Colorado, but loves California and all its beach- and mountain-getaways the most. Amanda is an active jogger and hiker, enjoys road trips, watching movies and playing games with her kids.

Melanie Bruss, OTR/L is a registered and licensed occupational therapist with over 20 years of experience in pediatrics. After completing a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Cape Town in 1981, she furthered her education by obtaining a post-graduate Higher Diploma in Education degree from Barkley House College of Education and a post-graduate Honors degree in Psychology from the University of South Africa. Melanie’s long term commitment to working with children and their families is reflected in a range of work experiences including her role as educator and director at the preschool and kindergarten levels for for a period of 5 years. Her long term goal to assist and support families and children with special needs led her to pursue a degree in occupational therapy. Melanie completed a post graduate degree in occupational therapy from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1996. Following her graduation, she was employed at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where she remained on staff for 4 years. During her time there, Melanie gained extensive experience working in acute care, rehabilitation and outpatient settings with infants, toddlers and children with a wide variety of physical and developmental challenges. Melanie joined the ITS staff in 2000 and is dedicated to facilitating the success of every child with an approach to inspiring confidence in their abilities. In addition to adopting a play-based approach to intervention, she is committed to incorporating parental involvement in the therapeutic process. Melanie is certified to administer and interpret the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT) and is a trained provider of Integrated Listening Systems (iLs). During her free time, Melanie enjoys her time with her family, including her twin children, gardening and painting.

Tamara Mangum, OTR/L is a registered and licensed occupational therapist. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Child Development from California State University, Fullerton in 1989, and completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California in 1990. Tami has always focused on helping children succeed and achieve their goals at any level of ability. She has worked across all areas of intervention in pediatrics, including neonatal intensive care, pediatric rehabilitation, classroom intervention and clinical outpatient facilities. Tami is certified to administer and interpret the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT) and has been with Irvine Therapy Services, Inc. since 2001. Currently, Tami has helped to create interoception and self-regulation focused groups to run in the community and in our clinic. In her free time, she enjoys beach volleyball, homeschooling and travel.

Stephanie first took notice of the profession of Occupational Therapy (OT) while employed at a private school for special needs children and young adults. She has worked with the special needs population in different capacities from classroom aide to behavior interventionist to (now) a Licensed and Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA/L). She has always maintained an interest in healthcare, obtaining her Bachelor’s of Science in Health Science from California State University, Fullerton in 2011. She took the profession of OT into consideration by applying to Santa Ana College’s lottery-system Occupational
Therapy Assistant (OTA) program in 2015. She hit the lottery in 2017 and graduated 2 years later. She began her career as a COTA in the turbulent times of The Pandemic in 2020, working with children since then and briefly dipped her toes into working with adults for hand therapy. Stephanie is happily married to an educator and currently a dog momma to Merle and Benny. She and her husband have recently gotten into playing pinball, joining leagues and discovering new locations that offer pinball- play during their travels. She enjoys biking, going to Disneyland, and working with her hands in the garden, kitchen, and while crafting.

Heather Bocianski is a registered and licensed occupational therapist. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Liberal Studies with a concentration in music from Azusa Pacific University and Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from California State University, Dominguez Hills. Heather has worked with young adults in college settings where she solidified her passion for the well being of others and empowering them to reach their goals. When exploring careers that would allow her to pursue these passions more fully, she learned about the field of occupational therapy. This field provides her with the opportunity to care deeply for others and empower them
and their families to maximize access to their most meaningful occupations. Heather has always enjoyed working with children and has experience working in summer camps, youth groups, schools, and early intervention settings. She also has two young children of her own. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, exploring the outdoors (hiking, backpacking, scuba diving, etc.), and enjoying a new restaurant or cup of coffee with friends.

Carina holds a Masters degree in Speech-Language Pathology from San Diego State University. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of California, Davis prior to gaining clinical experience in homes, schools, and therapy spaces with clients ranging from early intervention to adolescence.

As a Certified DIRFloortime® (Developmental, Individual differences, Relationships based) Therapist, Carina specializes in strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming play therapy. Her warm, responsive approach highlights Carina’s knowledge of emotional affect and sensory regulation used to nurture connections and to support children’s unique developmental profiles in close collaboration with their families. In her initial interactions with a child, Carina focuses on discovering when they are most joyful. Her goal is to recreate their most motivating and meaningful experiences within the context of a trusting, therapeutic relationship. She prioritizes connection over compliance, intention over direction, and interaction over instruction.

Carina advocates for embracing neurodiversity as a natural, beautiful human phenomenon. She believes that co-regulation, or regulating together, is therapeutically foundational and opens doors to communication. When she isn’t making silly faces or acting out her clients’ favorite animals, you can find Carina doing yoga, creative writing, or re-decorating just for fun!

Athalie received her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from California State University of Fullerton. It was during her time at college that she learned about occupational therapy and became inspired to pursue a career in OT. She graduated from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in Dallas, TX with a doctoral degree and is currently working on her license. During her student experience, Athalie has worked with various populations across the lifespan, including pediatrics, adults, and older adults. She also has experience working in pediatric outpatient, acute care, and assisted-living where she created a program to socially engage older adults with crafts and fun food projects. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, going out to eat, and watching movies.

Juliana, OTR/L (she/her), holds a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from San Jose State University and a Bachelor of Science in Child and Adolescent Development from California State University, Fullerton. As an occupational therapy student, she worked with people across the lifespan in many different settings, including early intervention, community-based pediatrics, agriculture-based rehabilitation, neurological physical rehabilitation, and outpatient mental health. She believes a solid therapeutic relationship is safe, collaborative, meaningful, evidence-based, and child-centered. Her priority is to foster this relationship with the children and families she works with here at Irvine Therapy Services. Her journey to becoming an occupational therapist was unique as she decided first to pursue a career as a human resources and recruiting professional at companies such as Target Corporation, Apple, and Tesla. During her time in the corporate world, she gained valuable interpersonal and leadership skills, which she utilizes to build connections with the children, families, and colleagues she works with. In her free time, Juliana enjoys scuba diving, free diving, attending plays and musicals, and going on adventures with her husband and son.

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