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!

Bio coming soon

Lainie Cohen received her Bachelor’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Michigan State University and her Master’s in Behavior Analysis from Simmons University in Boston. As a Center Director at North Shore Pediatric Therapy, Lainie provides supervision and mentorship to a team of great therapists including BCBAs, OTs, Mental Health, and Speech Therapists. She also provides supervision to field work students as they study to become a BCBA and oversees the day to day operations at the Des Plaines center.

For Lainie, increasing clients' functional communication is the most rewarding part of the job, as well as watching therapists grow in the field. Lainie is passionate about supervising and teaching individuals who have an interest in the ABA field, as well as parents, to gain more knowledge regarding implementing skill acquisition goals and behavior intervention plans.

When Lainie is not busy at the center, you can find her trying new restaurants with her husband!

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 Senior Director of Operations 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.

Cindy Belliveau received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Master of Social Work degree from University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Cindy provides Mental Health awareness, consultation, and support throughout NSPT.  

For Cindy, being an advocate for Mental Health support in a interdisciplinary agency is the most rewarding part of the job.

Cindy's passion for social work can be traced back to childhood when she just wanted to help people who are hurting.  Ask her about how to engage reluctant kids to just think they're having fun together. It’s her secret talent!  

When Cindy is not keeping busy with helping kids build coping skills, you can find her walking her dog, reading a book or hanging out with family or friends!

As a Family Child Advocate at North Shore Pediatric Therapy Ashley oversees the front desk and provides friendly customer service to the Des Plaines Community. For Ashley, connecting with families is the most rewarding part of the job, and she enjoys assisting families and interacting with others.

Ashley's passion of caring for others can be traced back to her childhood, when she would assist with caring for her siblings and cousins. When Ashley is not keeping busy with assisting families and staff, you can find her working on her next project.

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Lindsey received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois Institute of Technology and completed her predoctoral internship in pediatric neuropsychology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

As a postdoctoral fellow at North Shore Pediatric Therapy, Lindsey provides neuropsychological services for children and their families. For Lindsey, working with wonderful patients and colleagues is the most rewarding part of her job! In her free time, you can find Lindsey walking her dog and trying new restaurants around Chicago.

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Jennifer received her bachelor's degree in psychology from University of Northern Illinois, and a master's degree in Applied Behavioral Analysis from Ball State University. As an LACC at North Shore Pediatric Therapy Jennifer is working as a student to gain supervision hours to sit for the BCBA exam. Jennifer receives direct supervision from her clinical director and is learning the skills required to become a BCBA.  She assists in supporting a caseload under the guidance of her clinical director.

For Jennifer teaching life skills and functional communication is the most rewarding part of the job. She loves to watch clients gain new skills and see them gain independence. When Jennifer is not working at the center you can often find her reading or hiking.

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Callie received her Master’s degree in Behavior Analysis and Therapy from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

For Callie, seeing client progress is the most rewarding part of the job, and she loves helping others find passion in their work.  Callie's passion for working with kids can be traced back to high school, when she first started to volunteer with the Special Education program at her school.

When Callie is not keeping busy with the center, you can find her out to eat at fun restaurants in Chicago or playing catch with her dog!  

cora.hulten@kidsblossom.com

Cora Hulten is a certified speech-language pathologist (CCC-SLP) with experience and passion for working with the pediatric population. She earned her Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree from the University of Iowa in Communication Sciences and Disorders and her Master of Science degree from Rush University in Speech Language Pathology.

Cora has spent the last year servicing a diverse pediatric population at PT Solutions, an outpatient setting affiliated with UChicago Medicine Advent Health Hinsdale Hospital. There she treated children birth to 18 years of age who presented with oral-motor deficits, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, receptive and expressive language disorders, articulation/phonological impairments, and voice and fluency disorders. Cora has additional experience working with children in elementary schools and with infants and adults in inpatient hospital settings at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois.

Cora is accredited by the American Speech-Language- Hearing Association (ASHA). Cora strongly believes in tailoring treatment specifically to each child's needs and working with families to support them in meeting their goals

Cassie Schulz is a board-certified occupational therapist who received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Kentucky and her doctorate degree in occupational therapy from Kettering College (KC).

Although she enjoyed working with a variety of populations and settings during her time at KC, her heart has always been in pediatrics. Her love for kids began as a teenager while working as a dance assistant and continued during her pediatric-focused volunteer opportunities throughout college. As a children’s swim instructor, she taught kids of all ages and abilities, with an emphasis on developing and implementing curricula for children with sensory processing disorder (SPD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and down syndrome. She also developed and provided an aquatic program for those diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (CP) while completing her clinical rotation at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH) outpatient clinic. She gained invaluable experience from the staff and clients at NCH, where she worked with children with a variety of conditions, including ASD, SPD, CP, down syndrome, attention-deficit hyperactivity-disorder, cortical visual deficit, paroxysmal dystonia, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and developmental and intellectual disabilities. Although she enjoys working with children of all abilities, she has a special interest in treating kids with sensory processing, emotional regulation, and executive functioning difficulties.

Outside of work, Cassie enjoys reading by the lake, exploring the city, and spending time with friends and family.

Diane Weidner, OTD/R received her doctorate degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Montana through Rehab Essentials, and her master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Rush University in Chicago. As an occupational therapist at North Shore Pediatric Therapy, Diane provides therapy to children with sensory processing, visual-motor, and/or fine motor delays, and she also conducts evaluations and collaborates with other staff on client care.

For Diane, building a therapeutic relationship with children using a client-centered approach is the most rewarding part of the job, and she enjoys seeing clients grow in their skills and abilities.

Diane’s passion for occupational therapy can be traced back to her student fieldwork experiences in an outpatient pediatric clinic, where she developed her enthusiasm for using both her creativity and clinical reasoning skills in tandem to provide engaging treatment interventions for children in individual and group settings.

When Diane is not keeping busy with occupational-therapy-related planning and research, she enjoys reading, streaming movies, daydreaming about her next travel plans, taking walks in the local forest preserves, and spending time with her husband and two cats.