Amigo Baby, Inc
Shannon Waldman is a skilled Physical Therapist currently serving at Community Memorial Healthcare since September 2023, specializing in inpatient physical therapy within Ojai Valley Community Hospital, including skilled nursing facilities, medical/surgical, and emergency room settings. Additionally, Waldman provides early intervention services for children aged 0-3 through AMIGO BABY, Inc. in Ventura and Kern Counties, collaborating with a multi-disciplinary team. Previous experience includes a focus on adult orthopedics and pediatrics at Two Trees Physical Therapy & Wellness, as well as clinical internships across various prestigious hospitals. Waldman's educational background includes a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from MGH Institute of Health Professions and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Anthropology from UCLA.
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.