ABA Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Occupational Therapy in Vernon Hills

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.

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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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!

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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Kelly received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Illinois State University. As a Speech and Language Pathologist at North Shore Pediatric Therapy, Kelly provides prevention, assessment, diagnostics, and treatment for speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing/feeding disorders in children and adults.

For Kelly, seeing children grow in their communication skills is the most rewarding part of the job, and she loves building connections with families. Kelly's passion for helping children with disabilities can be traced back to high school, when she taught Irish dance to a child with autism. This was her first encounter with autism and she felt as though she didn’t know how to communicate with them. From that point forward, she set out to learn everything she could about autism and how to effectively communicate with the population.

When Kelly is not keeping busy with work, you can find her playing with her pets, golfing, gardening, or reading.

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