North Shore Pediatric Therapy

Outstanding pediatric therapy services in Evanston, IL, by our dedicated team adept in ABA therapy for autism, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and holistic mental health services.

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.

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 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.

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 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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.