Local Therapist Launches New Business Serving Children and Babies

For Sara Inserra, being an occupational therapist for the past 13 years has been really rewarding. Working in school-based settings with children on everyday tasks – helping them to zipper or button and using utensils when eating, for instance – and helping their parents assess what they need to succeed was exciting, she said.

She has previously worked with the United Cerebral Palsy's children's center in Commack and the North Shore University Hospital Preschool Program, and is on a child-rearing leave from Eastern Suffolk BOCES. Now, Inserra has launched her own business, Pediatric Progress.

Pediatric Progress, Inserra said, will initially focus on teaching families the Baby Signs program, a program developed by Dr. Linda Acredolo and Dr. Susan Goodwyn that facilitates communication between babies between the ages of 10 months and 24 months and their parents using a simple baby sign language that has even been shown to help babies begin talking earlier.

"You realize how much they know but they can’t express it with their words," said Inserra, who completed the Baby Signs certification program in January. "You begin to see all their thoughts, really. It’s very exciting not only for the child but also for the parents."

The business plan took more than four months to develop, she said. So far, though, like most new businesses, she said her biggest challenge has been connecting with new clients.

"You can have a great product, a great service, but you need for someone to know that you have that," she said.

Inserra, a three-year resident of Three Village, has begun holding "mommy and me" style classes to start the Baby Signs learning process. She wears a large teddy bear puppet, moving the bear's arms and bright yellow gloves to teach the sign language. Songs and story telling are part of the process. It's a departure from occupational therapy, she said.

Sarah Klocinsky, a member of Three Village Playgroup, said in an email to Patch that participating in Inserra's class was a positive experience.

"It was a fun time learning and allowing the kids and moms to socialize with each other," said Klocinsky, who brought her one-year-old son Jack to the class. "What I enjoyed most was seeing how easy it would be to add signs to everyday talking and reading books with my son."

Inserra hopes to work with other professionals, such as a dietician or psychologist, to round out the services that Pediatric Progress offers.

"I would like to empower parents and caregivers with professional information that supports their child's overall development," she said.

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