Our Teachers and Office Staff
A Step Ahead Pediatric Developmental Services, Inc. consists of caring, dedicated, experienced, and knowledgeable teachers and support staff.
Anna received her Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California. She is certified in Neuromuscular Development Treatment, Listening Program, NOMAS, Assistive Technology, and Sensory Integration including the administration and interpretation of the SIPT. Anna has worked with children in various settings including rehabilitation, group homes, home health, neonatal intensive care unit, out-patient, burn unit, and school districts. She also provides training and educational services to local colleges, school districts, and developmental programs. Anna founded Step-By-Step Pediatric Therapy, Inc. in 2002 and has opened "The Clubhouse", a sensory integration clinic in 2008. Anna’s special area of interest and expertise is with high risk/premature infants with significant medical complications. Her passion for this population began when she gave birth to her own set of triplets who were born at 29 weeks gestation. Anna's first love, however, is Sensory Integration. Anna became SIPT certified in 2003 and has taken extensive training in Sensory Integration since then. Outside the clinic, Anna loves to dance, cook, travel, and of course...play!
Holly obtained her associates degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant at Santa Ana College in 2008. She has been working with SBSPT since Anna Holley opened her company in June 2008. She has always loved working with children. While working as an activities assistant in a skilled nursing facility, Holly met an Occupational Therapist. She immediately knew that she wanted to be a part of this beautiful profession. She feels truly blessed to be able to work with such amazing families as well as our SBSPT/ASAP team. When not working, she spends her time with family and/or reading.
Our office manager is the glue that keeps our team together! She help us with scheduling, problem solving, billing, payroll, and the list goes on. She is also the ones that gives the kids stickers, ice pack and band-aids for their boo-boos, and a warm hello and goodbyes as they come and leave our clinic. We love our office manager and are grateful for her!
Isabel received her Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from San Jose State University. Learning about the field of Occupational Therapy, her Senior year led her to intern at Step-By-Step Pediatric Therapy. She has always loved working with kids but after interning, her passion for pediatrics began. After finishing her internship, she began translating for Step By Step Pediatric Therapy, Inc. and is now an infant teacher for A Step Ahead Pediatric Developmental Services, Inc. She plans to attend OT school in the near future to become a pediatric occupational therapist. Outside of work, Isabel enjoys working out, watching movies, and spending time with family and friends.
Leslie received her Bachelor of Art in Psychology from California State University, Fullerton. She discovered her love working with kids with developmental disabilities interning at a behavior clinic. She then learned about Occupational Therapy and pursued an internship at Step by Step Pediatric Therapy. She is now looking to pursue a career in Occupational Therapy, and is excited to make a difference by helping the kids grow and develop! In her free time, she enjoys dancing, traveling and going out to try all the new foods!
Valerie attended California State University, Fullerton to get her BA in psychology. During that time, she worked in ABA therapy as a behavior interventionist. She has always enjoyed creating a fun and safe learning environment for children to reach their goals. She loves what she does and looks forward to becoming an occupational therapist in the future. In her free time, she likes having game nights with family and friends, hiking, and playing sports.
Esmeralda received her Bachelor of Arts in Human Development from Azusa Pacific University. She enjoys working with children and helping them meet their goals one step at a time. She is extremely passionate about helping parents advocate for their children. Outside of work, she is a soccer mom who spends her weekends yelling at the referee. 😬
Haley obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at California State University, Fullerton. She has worked with children and teens as a behavior therapist with the implementation of Applied Behavior Analysis intervention in both clinical and educational settings. Haley always knew she was destined to work with little ones and hopes to progress in Occupational Therapy. In her free time she enjoys cooking, completing jigsaw puzzles, and camping with friends and family.
Karla received her Bachelor of Science degree in Child Development with a concentration in Management and Administration from California State University Dominguez Hills. She is currently working on her Master of Arts in Elementary Education as well as her teaching credential. She has worked with this age group for about 8 years. One of her favorite things about working with children is the relationships she gets to form with both children and families. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her dogs and going on roadtrips!
Jennifer attended California State University, Fullerton, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. She spent three years working as a student assistant for a school district and knew she was destined to work with kids. Seeing the smiles on the students’ faces as they learned brought happiness and warmth to her heart. Now that Jennifer is part of our SBSPT team, she is excited to continue helping children learn, grow, and most importantly, have fun!
Ashley received her Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology from California State University, Fullerton. She has worked in ABA as a behavior technician. She then learned about the field of Occupational Therapy, and interned at Step-By-Step Pediatric Therapy (ASAP's Sister Company!). She has always loved working with children, and during her internship I learned about becoming an Infant Teacher and fell in love. She believes that seeing kiddo accomplish their goals is very rewarding. Outside of work, she enjoy listening to music, going to the gym, and spending time with family and friends.
Aracely received her Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology from California State University, Fullerton. During her undergraduate, she worked for the Rowland Unified School District as a Student Assistant for three years and an Instructional Aide II for one year. Her time with RUSD inspired her to continue to work with children and eventually pursue a career in occupational therapy. She is excited to continue to help children grow and see the smiles on their faces! In her free time, she enjoys hiking, writing, and trying new foods!