Meet three local women who came together to create a specialty pediatric practice dedicated to helping children thrive.
When families have questions about a child’s developmental or emotional well-being, it can be challenging to navigate the big world of specialists and evaluations. The information can be overwhelming. The Waverly Group was created to help make the process more seamless and collaborative.
Waverly Group was founded by two Stamford natives—clinical psychologist Dr. Lauren Riordan and occupational therapist Lauren Zalis—and board-certified behavior analyst Alisa Rohdie. As a group, they bring multiple specialties under one roof, including applied behavior analysis, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychological testing, educational and executive function assistance, and diet and nutritional guidance.
The founders had worked together before starting the Waverly Group, which is based in Old Greenwich. Their practice was born from the realization that they can do big things when they work as a team.
“We discovered that when we collaborated, we provided so much more information to parents than we would have separately,” says Riordan.
“We each came into evaluations looking through different lenses that really complemented one another,” adds Zalis.
Working together from different professional perspectives is Waverly’s mission. “Instead of focusing on a single concern, we’re able to look at the whole child and help families make sense of what can otherwise feel overwhelming,” says Rohdie.
When the trio founded Waverly, they were new to running their own practice, but the team quickly learned the ins and outs. “When we first started, we had just planned to share an office and the rent,” says Riordan. Fifteen years later, the group has morphed into a vibrant community of clinicians, children and their families.
“Honestly, I’m surprised by how powerful it feels to build a business alongside two other women,” says Rohdie. “We’ve built a culture on supporting one another. I think families feel that when they work with Waverly.”
Benefits of connecting with this team, say clients, include more cohesive recommendations and reduced stress. In addition, because Riordan and Zalis have children who attended Stamford public schools, Waverly has a unique understanding of how the local system works and what resources are available.
“One of the things that stands out most about Stamford is its diversity. I think one of the community’s greatest strengths is the variety of cultures, languages, and life experiences represented in its schools. We’ve been fortunate to work alongside educators who care deeply about their students and welcome collaboration,” says Rohdie.
Waverly works with children from infancy to early adulthood, and as they grow and mature, so do the ways the team supports them. The goal is never to simply identify a diagnosis, but instead, to understand how a child is experiencing the world and to support that perspective.
“Families often tell us that one of the hardest parts of navigating services is trying to connect all the dots. At Waverly, those conversations are happening every day. Whether a child is seeing one provider or several, we have the advantage of bringing different professional perspectives together to help guide their care,” says Rohdie.
In addition to the therapeutic services offered at the center, Waverly offers activities and group programs for clients. “We create programs specific to what our families need. I’ve run a spin class, a bowling league, a Lego group. We’ve even had a pizza café,” says Zalis. “We continue to evolve and develop individualized programs based on the kids that we serve.”
In the future, the team hopes to include more programming for older adolescents.
“I’m excited to continue creating programs that are both therapeutic and genuinely fun for children. One of the things I’m most proud of is that children love coming to Waverly,” adds Rohdie. “We’ve worked hard to create a place where they feel happy, connected and excited to walk through the door. We believe children do their best when they genuinely enjoy being here.”