Child therapists join practice

A group of therapists in Rye have joined in a practice that takes a collaborative approach to treating children.

Rye Therapies offers occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy, and it shares office space with a pediatrician.

Typically, therapists and parents spend a lot of time coordinating phone calls and schedules, said Debra Vitagliano, an occupational therapist who has run a solo practice at the same location for 20 years. She said bringing therapeutic services under one roof provides children with better service.

“We”™re working on developing the whole child,” she said, “to get them to their highest potential and to be as independent as they can be.”

The practice operates part-time for now, with afternoon and evening hours when children are out of school. Vitagliano continues to work as a therapist for the Blind Brook school district in Rye Brook, where she has practiced for 20 years.

Private sessions can cost $150 to $160 for 45 minutes. Some health care insurance plans cover the therapies.

The other practitioners are occupational therapist Emily McGuire, occupational therapy assistant Marcela De La Pava, physical therapist Nicole Greenberg, and speech and language pathologist Jamie Andreoli. Dr. Elena Gazzola of Intown Pediatrics shares office space.

Rye Therapies is in the Hansa Office Building, 150 Purchase St., Rye.