End of an era: A Reflection on ABC Therapeutics

 

Twenty-five years ago, I started ABC Therapeutics at a point in my career when things felt uncertain. At that time, it wasn’t common, and in fact it was really almost unheard of, for occupational therapists to open private practices. But something in me said it was time to try. We didn’t have a template. There was no guidebook. Just a belief that families deserved more, and that we could help fill a gap that was far too wide.

We started small—just me, driving to kids’ homes, carrying therapy tools in my trunk, figuring it out one visit at a time. From those beginnings, we secured contracts for early intervention and CPSE services. Eventually, we rented our first space. My grandmother helped us pay for the sign out front. It was a small but deeply symbolic act, and it meant everything.

As the practice grew, we reached another milestone: we purchased our own building, where we provided services to families for over 15 years. It became a true home base, not just for our work, but for our mission. Later, we opened a second clinic in Lockport focused on adult rehabilitation and hand therapy. There, we helped thousands of people recover from fractures, traumatic injuries, and surgeries. And it was in that Lockport clinic where our lives changed forever when we met Ed. After completing his therapy, Ed adopted us - becoming family in every sense of the word. He loved us, he nurtured our children as if they were his own, and when he fell ill, we brought him into our home and cared for him until he passed. That chapter of our lives - one filled with love, loyalty, and profound connection - only happened because of ABC Therapeutics.

Over the years, ABC Therapeutics became something much bigger than we imagined. We advocated for families who didn’t know where else to turn. We worked with thousands of children. We hired and mentored an amazing group of therapists, many of whom were just beginning their careers. Caroline’s mom pitched in with billing and admin support. Our own kids volunteered, worked, and grew up around the practice. This was always a true mom-and-pop shop, and we wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Our walls and files hold more than just charts. They hold crayon drawings, thank-you cards, and small tokens of appreciation from the children we worked with. Some of their stories, always anonymized and gently fictionalized, made their way into my blog, into a book, and into lesson plans for hundreds of OT students over the years. Their stories taught lessons more powerful than any textbook.

We have even more memories than we have keepsakes. And that’s what will stick.

Today, after many meaningful years of service, ABC Therapeutics is no longer accepting private therapy clients. We’ll continue supporting children and families through early intervention and CPSE services on a limited basis, but the chapter of running a full private practice has come to a close.

It’s hard to put into words what this journey has meant, but I can say this: we are grateful. To the families who trusted us. To the colleagues who joined us. To the mentors, friends, and supporters who lifted us up along the way - thank you.

This work has shaped who we are. And that legacy doesn’t go away.

With appreciation,
Chris and Caroline Alterio

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