Amigo Baby, Inc
Deanna Vander Meer is a dedicated Occupational Therapist currently employed at AMIGO BABY, Inc. since March 2019, with certification as an Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR) since graduation in 2019. Prior experience includes roles as a server at Bar Louie, job coach at UCP WORK, and general staff at Channel Island Outfitters. Additional positions held include direct care provider at the Mental Wellness Center and painter/construction worker at John Vander Meer Painting. Deanna also volunteered as a coach for a U9 girls soccer team with AYSO. Educational qualifications include a Master of Occupational Therapy from West Coast University and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Kinesiology and Exercise Science from Westmont College, along with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Literature of Australia from Christian Heritage College.
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Amigo Baby, Inc
Amigo Baby was established in 2004 and has served thousands of children and their families. Children are referred by the Regional Center, Doctor or Parent. Amigo Baby assigns each child a team that may include an early intervention specialist (EI), an occupational therapist (OT), a physical therapist (PT), a speech language pathologist (SLP), and a speech language pathology assistant (SLPA). At the core of Amigo Baby’s philosophy is a mission to provide parents the tools and knowledge to facilitate brain development and school success in their children, not only in the early years but well into adulthood, and to provide families with the expertise to support child development, regardless of social-economic status. The literature identifies strategies that early intervention programs should use to provide the best services to their families. These strategies include the use of a multidisciplinary team approach (King et al., 2009; Stoffel, Ramsdell, & Pizur-Barnekow, 2016), providing services within the family’s natural and family centeredness (Gray & McCormich, 2005; Kingsley and Mailloux, 2013; Withrow, 2008), and parent education (Blanche, Diaz, Barretto, & Cermak, 2015; Maulik & Darmstadt, 2009; McWayne & Melzi, 2014). EARLY INTERVENTION Facilitating play, communication, behavioral and emotional regulation, and cognitive skills appropriate to developmental trajectory and to promote growth and learning. PHYSICAL THERAPY Supporting the child’s motor development to engage in meaningful activities with their family and their environment. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY Enhancing a child’s participation in activities of daily living, supporting family routines, cultivating social engagement, educational learning and facilitating play. SPEECH THERAPY Developing communication, language, speech, and emergent literacy skills to support engagement in the child’s natural environment.