Vernon Hills, IL ABA Therapy for Autism, School Readiness,
and Pediatric Therapies

Kelly received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame and her Master of Arts in Behavior Analysis from Western Michigan University. As a Clinical Director at North Shore Pediatric Therapy, Kelly oversees the BCBAs and RBTs in the Vernon Hills clinic and provides support to all clients and families in the Vernon Hills location.

From the time she was a child, Kelly always knew she wanted to work with children. After loving her Intro to Psychology course in high school, she wanted to find a way to blend these two passions. As a sophomore psychology student at Notre Dame, she took a practicum course and was assigned to be an ABA therapist for a little boy with autism. She immediately knew she found her calling and never looked back! The most rewarding part of the job for Kelly is helping children achieve milestones and skills that are the most meaningful to their families.

When Kelly is not in the clinic, you are most likely to find her at one of her three children's sporting events or curled up with an historical fiction novel. Unless it's a Saturday during football season when she's cheering on the Fighting Irish!

Ryan Emry received his Bachelor of Science from The Illinois Institute of Technology, and his Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

As an Area Director at North Shore Pediatric Therapy, Ryan works as a clinician while also supporting a great team of Behavior Therapists, Behavior Analysts, Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, and Physical Therapists, across multiple centers.  

For Ryan, watching our children learn and grow is the most rewarding part of the job.  

When Ryan is not keeping busy at the clinic, you can find him spending time with his wife and two amazing daughters.

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 Vice President of Clinical Quality & Training 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.

Angela Gonzales, COTA/L received her associate's degree and certification from Wright College. As a certified occupational therapy assistant at North Shore Pediatric Therapy, Angela provides interventions for children to develop physical, cognitive, and sensory skills to help them play, improve school performance, and increase independence in daily living activities.  

For Angela, creating a positive experience for the child is the most rewarding part of the job, and loves doing crafts with kiddos. Angela's passion for occupational therapy can be traced back to her childhood, when she observed her little brother's occupational and physical therapy sessions. Ask her about painting - it’s her secret talent. When Angela is not keeping busy with occupational therapy, you can find her going for hikes.

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Christina received her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Iowa and her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Rush University in Chicago.

As a Speech-Language Pathologist at North Shore Pediatric Therapy, Christina provides evaluation and intervention services for kids with a variety of communication disorders. She enjoys supporting not only children, but their whole families in the therapy process. For Christina, the most rewarding part of the job is making meaningful connections with families and supporting their ability to communicate about their shared experiences.

When Christina is not keeping busy finding creative ways to help families meet their communication goals, you will probably find her at the library with her kids. She enjoys listening to audiobooks and podcasts, spending time with her family, baking, and learning how to crochet.

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