Therapy West, Santa Monica College and University of Southern California

What Therapy West, Santa Monica College and University of Southern California does

Therapy West, Inc. & pLAy Studio is a private, founder-owned pediatric therapy clinic founded in 1985 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The company delivers occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language therapy to children with developmental disabilities (including Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and developmental delays), as well as group-based programs such as TWISPP (early intervention for ages 18-36 months), TWO Steps (transitional support), and Kid Scouts (social skills for ages 5-18). Services are delivered through clinic-based treatment, home visits, school visits, and natural environment settings, with a family-centered care model emphasizing caregiver involvement.

The company's clinical approach rests on Sensory Integration therapy, Neuro Developmental Treatment (NDT), and board-certified Pediatric Clinical Specialist (PCS) credentials held by staff physical therapists, with co-founder Dr. Erna Imperatore Blanche having trained directly with Dr. Ayres, the founder of Sensory Integration Theory. Therapy West serves as a fieldwork and residency education site for USC occupational therapy students and operates ProWorkshops, a continuing education division offering CEU/PDU-certified courses to external therapists.

Revenue is generated through multiple channels: PPO insurance reimbursement, contracts with four California regional centers and at least seven school districts, Self Determination Program funds, and private pay (with payment due at time of service). Distribution is regionally concentrated in the greater Los Angeles area, with two clinic locations (Los Angeles/Washington Blvd and Gardena). The company is co-owned by founders Erna Imperatore Blanche, Bonnie Nakasuji, and Tamera Lynch, alongside directors Janet Gunter and Dominique Kiefer, with no disclosed external institutional investment.

Name

Therapy West, Santa Monica College and University of Southern California

Legal name

Therapy West, Inc.

Website

https://therapywest.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Therapy West is a private pediatric therapy clinic founded in 1985 in Los Angeles that provides occupational, physical, and speech-language therapy plus group programs (TWISPP, TWO Steps, Kid Scouts) to children with developmental disabilities across the greater LA area, funded through insurance, regional centers, and school district contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Therapy Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (62134), Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340)

SIC

Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)

akta.pro primary industry

Pediatric Rehabilitation & Developmental Therapy Centers (PT/OT/SLP) (HLAFAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pediatric/School-Based Occupational Therapy (OT) (EDAKAFAA), Pediatric Physical Therapy & Developmental Rehab (HSADAIAE), Related Therapy Services (Speech, Occupational, Physical, Feeding) (EDAJAKAD), Physical Therapy (Early Intervention) (EDACAFAD), Gross Motor Development & Motor Learning Interventions (EDAKAGAG), Pediatric In-Home Rehabilitation Therapy (PT/OT/SLP) (HSABADAM)

Keywords

• Pediatric occupational therapy
• Pediatric physical therapy
• Speech language therapy
• Early intervention programs
• Continuing education courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Therapy Services: Revenue generated from providing occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language therapy services to children. Services are billed through insurance (PPO plans), regional center contracts, school district contracts, private pay, and Self Determination Program funds. Payment is due at time of service.
2. Insurance Reimbursement: Accepts various PPO insurance plans. Prior authorization does not guarantee payment; clients are responsible for deductibles and co-pays.
3. Regional Center Contracts: Contracted with regional centers including Westside, South Central Los Angeles, Frank D. Lanterman, and Eastern Los Angeles for developmental disability services.
4. School District Contracts: Contracted with multiple school districts to provide therapy services within educational settings.
5. ProWorkshops Continuing Education: Continuing education courses for occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists. Provides CEU/PDU credits for license renewal. Courses are limited in space and early registration is recommended.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Therapy West, Inc. & pLAy Studio provides pediatric occupational, physical, and speech-language therapy services for children with developmental, sensory, and motor challenges, delivered individually and through proprietary specialty group programs (TWISPP, TWO Steps, Kid Scouts) across multiple Los Angeles-area clinic locations. The company also runs ProWorkshops, a continuing-education course line for therapy professionals, and partners with Santa Monica College and the University of Southern California for clinical fieldwork/externship training.

Product overview

Therapy West Inc. & pLAy Studio operates as a unified pediatric therapeutic services platform offering both individual and group therapy programs. The core offering consists of three individual therapy disciplines: Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Speech and Language Therapy. These are complemented by group-based early intervention programs including TWISPP for children 18-36 months, TWO Steps for transitional support, and Kid Scouts for social skills development (ages 5-18). Additional specialized programs cover arts, athletics, adaptive skills, and parent coaching. The organization also provides ProWorkshops, a continuing education division offering professional development courses for therapists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• pLAy Studio: Pediatric therapy studio offering occupational, physical, and speech therapy services for children with developmental disabilities
• ProWorkshops
• TWISPP
• TWO Steps
• Kid Scouts

Products and services

• Pediatric Occupational Therapy Individual pediatric occupational therapy for children with sensory-processing, fine-motor, self-care, and developmental challenges; delivered in clinic, at home, and at schools.
• Pediatric Physical Therapy Individual pediatric physical therapy for children with gross-motor, mobility, posture, balance, and neuro-motor delays, including those with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and other motor diagnoses; delivered in clinic, at home, and at schools.
• Pediatric Speech and Language Therapy Individual pediatric speech and language therapy addressing articulation, language, fluency, voice, and social-communication needs; delivered in clinic, at home, and at schools.
• TWISPP (Therapy West Integrated Specialized Play Program) Proprietary group-based pediatric play program integrating OT, PT, and speech-language supports to address developmental, sensory, and behavioral goals for children with complex needs.
• TWO Steps (Therapy West Open 2 Step Program) Proprietary group program offering a structured two-step therapeutic framework for children with developmental needs.
• Kid Scouts Proprietary themed pediatric group program that uses scout-style activities to build social, motor, and self-regulation skills.
• Specialized Programs (ALL-STARS Arts and Athletics Enrichment, Adaptive Play Skills, Parent Coaching, Adaptive Skills Training) Suite of in-house specialized pediatric programs covering arts/athletics enrichment, adaptive play, parent coaching, and adaptive skills training for children with developmental and sensory needs.
• ProWorkshops Continuing Education Continuing-education courses and workshops for licensed OT, PT, and SLP practitioners seeking CEUs for license renewal and pediatric specialty training.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% attendance requirement for therapy sessions to maintain services
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Integrando y AprendiendominorOthersA center in Lima, Peru dedicated to providing quality therapeutic services for children and adolescents by promoting necessary skills for participation in home, school, and community activities.
• Centro de Atención Temprana y Terapia Infantil AYTONAminorOthersEarly intervention center and child therapy center in Madrid, Spain focused on early childhood intervention services.
• Syn-ErgasiaminorOthersFamily oriented therapeutic organization in Thessaloniki, Greece serving diverse populations of families and children with evaluation, individual and group intervention including OT, speech therapy, psychological support, and learning services. Organizer of Sensory Integration Certification training since 1999.
• Trillis 4 Kids Therapy CenterminorOthersTherapy center in Puerto Rico providing Occupational, Speech, Physical and Psychological Therapy Services to children from birth through age 21. Offers traditional weekly therapy, evaluation, and consultative services at two locations in Vega Alta and Aguadilla.
• SENSORYMEminorOthersFirst Early Intervention Center specializing in Occupational Therapy in the Middle East region, located in Dubai Aviation City, UAE. Provides direct therapy intervention, therapy tools supply, and training for healthcare professionals.
• Catalyst Evangelical Covenant ChurchminorOthersChurch that made a $5,000 donation to Therapy West. Pastor Doug Lee's daughters attended TWISPP program, and church members volunteered to support Therapy West family events.
• University of Southern California (USC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Erna Imperatore Blanche is Professor of Clinical Practice in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at USC. Dr. Bonnie Nakasuji developed the first international training program (Level 1 fieldwork) for USC OT students in Ghana. Janet Gunter received degrees from USC. The company serves as a fieldwork and residency education site for USC students.
• University of ChileminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Erna Imperatore Blanche holds a degree in occupational therapy from the University of Chile and serves as Adjunct Associate Professor. Academic partnership for education and research.
• University of Education, Winneba (Ghana)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Bonnie Nakasuji is an annual guest lecturer and has co-developed an international training program for USC OT students providing services to persons and children with disabilities in Ghana.
• Cancer Support CommunityminorOthersDonations in memory of deceased colleague Aneeta Sagar are directed to Cancer Support Community (cancersupportla.org).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BlueSprig Pediatrics: BlueSprig is a national pediatric therapy provider, primarily ABA-based, with growing OT/PT/SLP offerings for children with autism. It competes for the same regional-center, insurance, and private-pay clients in California and beyond.
• AbilityPath: AbilityPath is a California-based nonprofit providing pediatric therapy, early intervention, and developmental disability services in the Bay Area. It overlaps with Therapy West on early intervention group programming, family-centered OT/PT/SLP services, and regional-center-funded caseloads.
• Autism Learning Partners: Autism Learning Partners is a California-headquartered provider of ABA and related pediatric therapy services for children with autism. It overlaps with Therapy West on funding sources (regional centers, insurance) and on the LA market, with comparable multi-disciplinary expansion ambitions.
• Cortica: Cortica is a multi-site pediatric therapy provider offering OT, PT, speech, ABA, and developmental services for children with autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions. It is one of the most direct competitors to Therapy West's multi-disciplinary model, scaled across multiple states.
• Hopebridge: Hopebridge is a large pediatric therapy provider delivering ABA, OT, PT, and speech therapy to children with autism and developmental delays across dozens of clinics. It competes with Therapy West for the same payer mix (insurance, regional centers, school contracts) and the same pediatric therapy talent pool.

Emerging players

• Kyo Care: Kyo (formerly Catalyst Therapy) provides ABA, speech, OT, and PT to children with autism across California and other states. It is a venture-backed emerging player building multi-modality pediatric therapy at greater scale than Therapy West but with overlapping clinical disciplines and LA footprint.
• Speech Sisters: Speech Sisters is a smaller, emerging pediatric speech and language practice. It represents the niche, founder-led private practice model that competes with Therapy West's speech-language therapy offering, particularly for families seeking parent-coaching-oriented services.

Regional players

• Pediatric Therapy Network: Pediatric Therapy Network is a Torrance, California-based nonprofit providing pediatric OT, PT, and speech therapy with similar early-intervention and developmental disability specialization. It is a regional peer with overlapping payer mix and similar clinical positioning in the South Bay LA market adjacent to Therapy West's Gardena location.

Broad incumbents

• Easter Seals Southern California: Easter Seals is a large, established disability services nonprofit that already partners with Therapy West and provides pediatric OT/PT/SLP services across Southern California. It represents the broad-incumbent scale alternative within the same payer and referral ecosystem.
• Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) Therapy Services: CHLA's outpatient rehabilitation division offers pediatric OT, PT, and speech therapy for children with developmental disabilities and complex medical needs in the same LA market. It is a hospital-based incumbent with deeper medical integration but less community/home/school reach than Therapy West.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TherapyWestInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/therapy-west

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Therapy West, Santa Monica College and University of Southern California