Knowledge and passion that helps children, with their families, find joy in movement

Dorian Pascoe, MSPT
Founder and Owner
Dorian Pascoe received her Master of Science in Physical Therapy from New York Medical College in 1998. She has 24 years of pediatric physical therapy experience, with advanced study in, but not limited to, torticollis, dyspraxia, treatment of the baby, hypotonicity, idiopathic toe walking, sensory integration, and hemiplegia. Dorian is an Intermediate Level A practitioner in Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI) (and a level II practitioner in Cuevas Medek Exercise) offering intensive treatment programs . She has served as a clinical instructor for doctoral candidates in physical therapy. She has worked in a variety of pediatric physical therapy settings, including private clinics, long term residential care, center-based, home-based and schools. Dorian has been in private practice in the Riverdale area of the Bronx for 20 years, and is the founder and owner of Riverdale Kids Physical Therapy.

Dorian’s approach to physical therapy treatment for children comes from her own passion for physical and outdoor activity. She holds a Fourth-Degree black belt in Kenshikai Karate, is an avid hiker, skier, runner and cyclist, and has been teaching indoor cycling classes to adults for more than 20 years. She has traveled more than 11,000 miles by bicycle throughout the United States, and worked as a personal trainer and white water rafting guide in her earlier years. Dorian loves her work, and is devoted to helping children, along with their families, to find their strength and independence in order to live fully, to enjoy the world, and to play!

Annelise Potgieter, PT, DPT, C/NDT
Annelise Potgieter received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Dominican College in 2014 and her Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy from University of the Free State, Republic of South Africa in 1987. She has more than 30 years of pediatric physical therapy experience, with extensive training and certification in Neuro-developmental Treatment (NDT). She is a published author for the Neuro-Developmental Treatment Association (NDTA) and has served on the NDTA Board of Directors. Annelise is a certified clinical instructor for the American Physical Therapy Association and she holds a certification in Aquatic Therapy.

Annelise has worked in the full spectrum of pediatric physical therapy settings, including private clinics, center-based, outpatient, preschool, and home-based.  She serves as a mentor for less experienced therapists, both as a lecturer, clinical instructor, lab assistant and NDT certification course assistant. She brings advanced handling and clinical reasoning skills to our practice, in addition to an innate sense of what makes therapy meaningful and motivating for children.

Carol Terilli, PT, DPT, C/NDT
Carol Terilli received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Drexel University in 2008 and her Bachelor degree in Physical Therapy from Hunter College in 1990. She has more than 30 years of experience in pediatric physical therapy and is a master clinician in the field. Carol is the Assistant Chief of Physical Therapy at the Rose F. Kennedy Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (RFK CERC) at Montefiore and she is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.  She is a Clinical Instructor for Physical Therapy Doctoral students at RFK CERC and at Columbia University’s Doctoral program. 

Carol currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Neuro-Developmental Treatment Association (NDTA) and is a liaison to the NDTA research committee. She has practiced in the full spectrum of physical therapy settings and brings advanced clinical and research experience to our practice, with a focus on standardized assessment and evidence-based reasoning to inform her treatments.

Chris Jurak, MSPT, CQT
Chris Jurak received his Master of Science in Physical Therapy from Columbia University’s College of Physician’s & Surgeons in 1995.  He has completed post-graduate study in Osteopathic Manual Therapy at the Canadian College of Osteopathy and he has studied extensively with some of the leading authorities in pediatric rehabilitation.  He has more than 25 years of experience across a broad range of orthopedic, neurologic, sports medicine and chronic pain diagnoses. Chris is also a Ground Force Method Certified Instructor and a Certified Qigong Therapist through the New York Dan Tao Center.

Chris’ treatment approach is based on assessing the whole body as an integrated structural and functional unit in order to identify the root cause(s) of a patient’s issues and then applying a combination of manual and movement therapies to resolve them.

He brings superior manual therapy to our clients, and works with children who present with asymmetries, weakness, chronic pain, difficulty with movement patterns, and those who are recovering from surgeries/orthopedic procedures.