Immediate ABA availability — no waitlist!

ABA Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Occupational Therapy in Evanston

North Shore Pediatric Therapy’s Evanston clinic is conveniently located across from the Davis Street station, on a vibrant block with convenient parking for drop-offs and pick-ups.

Our services in Evanston include ABA Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy, enriching lives with essential social, adaptive living, and leisure skills.
Interactive therapy area featuring a large chalkboard at North Shore Pediatric Therapy, Naperville, IL.

Insurance accepted

We accept many major insurance providers and private pay. We'll perform a complimentary benefits check on your behalf.
Amita health insurance logo
North Shore University Healthcare health insurance logo
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Meet our Clinical Leaders

Simone Light

BCBA, Clinical Director

Simone Light is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) who specializes in pediatrics, particularly early intervention. She earned her bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Applied Behavioral Sciences, with an emphasis on Early Childhood Education and Intervention, from the University of Kansas in 2018. There, she spent nearly three years teaching in an ABA-inclusive preschool classroom, working on various research projects as an undergraduate research assistant, and providing 1:1 support to autistic clients.

Simone completed her master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis at the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment at the University of Missouri in 2020. There she spent two years as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) working in the Severe Behavior Clinic, conducting Functional Analysis (FAs) for those who needed it throughout the state of Missouri, assisting, and conducting her own research, and accruing hours to become aBCBA.

Since becoming a BCBA in 2020, Simone has worked in a variety of settings, including pre-schools, schools, homes, clinics, and throughout the community. Simone approaches ABA through a neuro-affirming, child-led, trauma-informed, and strength-based lens.

Liza Bodner

BCBA, Regional Director

Liza received her Bachelors of Arts in Speech and Hearing Sciences with Minor in Psychology from Indiana University, and a Masters of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

As a Regional Director and BCBA at North Shore Pediatric Therapy, Liza oversees the clinical operations of the Chicagoland locations, as well as provides internal clinical support to our BCBAs, leads the internal ABA apprenticeship fieldwork study program preparing students pursing their master’s in ABA to become BCBAs, and also serves as our internal ACE coordinator providing internal continuing education events to our team of BCBAs.

In addition to her role at NSPT, Liza also has served as an adjunct professor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology teaching master’s courses to future BCBAs. For Liza, expanding the reach of our services to new communities and areas where there are limited options on comprehensive pediatric therapy providers is the most rewarding part of the job, and she loves growing the field through her work with student mentorship.

Liza's passion for pediatrics can be traced back to her 1birthday, when she started her own business teaching water safety skills and stroke lessons to children in her community.

Cara Newman

M.S., OTR/L, Occupational Therapist, Clinical Director

Cara Newman is an occupational therapist certified through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. She earned her Master's in Occupational Therapy from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2013 and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

As OT and PT Clinical Director at NSPT, Cara provides services to clients as well as clinical mentorship and support to the OT and PT team scompany wide. Cara’s interest in using her movement knowledge in a therapeutic setting started while supporting a therapeutic dance program based out of the Krannert Center for Performing Arts in Urbana, Illinois. Cara has worked with pediatric populations for her entire career, starting in Early Intervention (0-3) and transitioning to working both in outpatient pediatrics as well as an intensive therapeutic PreK & Kindergarten program prior to starting at NSPT.

Cara has experience working with clients with a variety of diagnoses including Autism, ADHD, Cerebral Palsy, CHARGE Syndrome, Down Syndrome, Dyspraxia, Global Developmental Delay, PURA Syndrome, Spina Bifida, and Sensory Processing Differences among others. Cara enjoys using developmental movement concepts to help her clients accomplish their goals. When not working, Cara is likely reading or running.

Alyssa Koci

M.S., CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist, Clinical Director

Alyssa Koci received her bachelor of arts degree in Communicative Sciences & Disorders and Spanish, and a masters of science degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Midwestern University. As the speech-language pathology (SLP) team lead at North Shore Pediatric Therapy, Alyssa provides clinical care to children birth to 16 years old, as well as provides professional development and clinical support to the team of speech-language pathologists company-wide.  

For Alyssa, mentoring SLPs to provide the best clinical care for their clients is the most rewarding part of the job, and she enjoys creating opportunities for clinicians to to grow at any level of their career.  

Alyssa's passion for speech-language pathology can be traced back to her uncle, when he was diagnosed with ALS. Her uncle’s SLP fully supported his communication throughout his life and assisted in his changing feeding and swallowing needs. Alyssa strives to provide this for her clients across the lifespan.  

When Alyssa is not keeping busy with play-based therapy, sitting on the ground with Mr. Potato Head, you can find her cross-stitching on the couch with her dog. Ask her about the game show The Price Is Right... she may have had a special appearance!

Inside Our Evanston Center

Our Therapy Rooms
13 rooms for individualized 1:1 therapy, including ABA, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Mental Health Services
Our Gym Spaces
Two gyms that feature a climber play structure, swings, a rock wall, and monkey bars
Even More Special Spaces
A feeding room, and classroom-style learning rooms
Core Therapies Leadership
Our Evanston center hosts North Shore's clinical team leads in Speech Therapy & Occupational Therapy

Our centers have all the resources your child needs to have a blast while enhancing their skills.

INDIVIDUAL, 1:1 THERAPY ROOMS

Each of our individual therapy rooms is equipped to target your child's unique goals through one-on-one sessions with your child's Behavior Therapist.

These private spaces allow your child to focus and make progress on language, communication, academics, cognitive skills, emotional regulation, and more.

Autism therapy provider with a small child in Lincolnwood, IL.

GYMS & PLAY SPACES

Our gyms are some of our clients' most-loved spaces. They feature several kid-favorite activities, including swings, trapeze bars, slides, balls, and many other games.

Our gym spaces target strength, balance, coordination, and sensory processing in an environment of play.

Pediatric therapists in Lincolnwood, IL helping a child on a rock wall in our NSPT center.

SENSORY ROOMS

Our sensory rooms support clients in regulation and focus, tailored to your child's individual needs.

A sensory room is a safe environment designed to provide individuals the opportunity to decompress and cope with a variety of sensory experiences. Many of our kids find comfort in our sensory rooms while developing their visual, auditory, and tactile processing skills.

Cozy sensory corner designed to support children's development at North Shore Pediatric Therapy.

BLOSSOM PREP SCHOOL & CLASSROOM STYLE LEARNING

We have several classroom-style spaces to help our clients with group instruction, following directions, imitation skills, and parallel play.

Classrooms provide clients with readiness for their own school journey, in addition to opportunities for socialization and group learning.

ACTIVITY STATIONS

Our centers feature a variety of stations for activities that kids love. These include corners for reading, playing, and practicing real-world skills for inside and outside the home.

Our centers are built around learning spaces for clients to offer support with improving and practicing daily living skills.

"Interactive therapy room featuring sensory play equipment North Shore Pediatric Therapy.

TEEN & YOUNG ADULT PROGRAM ROOMS

We support a variety of ages in our centers, and provide curriculum-based programs for individuals aged 12-22 as part of our specialized Teen & Young Adult program.

Adaptive therapy area designed to support children with diverse needs at North Shore Pediatric Therapy, Naperville, IL.
Multi-Disciplinary Pediatric Therapists in Evanston, IL

Our Evanston Pediatric Therapy Team

Download our Guide for Families

We know that choosing a local ABA facility can be a hard decision. We’ve created an informational guide to help you understand more about the questions you should be asking while meeting with different providers.

Although we talk about our services here, our highest goal is for you to feel comfortable and knowledgeable about picking a provider that is the best fit for your needs. You are making a decision that will impact the entire trajectory of your child’s life!
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The cover of the NSPT Guide for Families, which helps families to figure out the questions to ask when picking an ABA provider.

Getting to our Evanston, IL Center

1638 Maple Ave
Evanston, IL 60201

We are conveniently located in the heart of Evanston, across from the Davis Street/Evanston station. The clinic is easily accessible by public transportation and is located on Maple Ave. between Church St. and Davis St.

Hours of operation: 
Monday to Friday: 8:00 am to 7:00 pm
Saturday: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm
Sunday: Closed

Testimonials

Why we do what we do.
Success looks different for every child... But we bet we have a story that matches your child's needs. Like James, who started with us as non-verbal and lacking the ability to initiate and maintain social interactions. Today, he can speak complete sentences, clearly state his needs, and navigate social interactions with his friends!

Contact us to get started

  • 1
    Submit an inquiry form
    Completing this secure form helps us understand how we can serve you.
  • 2
    We'll reach out to you!
    One of our dedicated team members will connect with you to discuss services, your insurance benefits, and your family’s needs.
  • 3
    Paperwork & insurance
    We'll review and confirm your insurance benefits, and we'll work with you to gather additional paperwork required and discuss financial expectations based on insurance.
  • 4
    Treatment personalization
    We'll schedule an assessment date for your child with one of our clinicians. This assessment will serve as the basis for your child’s personalized treatment plan. After, we'll meet to discuss recommendations and your child’s treatment plan and start date.
  • 5
    Start making progress!
    We will greet and welcome your child to our warm and supportive environment where our staff will provide 1-on-1 care to meet our treatment goals.