Meet North Shore Pediatric Therapy

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.

Dr. Stasi is a 2005 graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology. Over the years, Dr. Stasi has been published professionally and has given numerous presentations on Neuropsychology. Previously, Dr. Stasi was an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Behavioral Sciences at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and an adjunct professor for The Illinois Institute of Technology.

In 2009, Dr. Stasi started the Neuropsychology and Testing Center for North Shore Pediatric Therapy. In his tenure, he has helped thousands of kids reach their fullest potential.

Rhiannon Law, Ph.D. is a graduate of Indiana University - Bloomington. She obtained her Master of Arts degree in Clinical/Counseling Psychology from Illinois State University and her undergraduate degree from Illinois Wesleyan University.

Dr. Law works closely with patients and their families to provide comprehensive assessments to inform diagnostic impressions and to guide broader treatment planning.

Angel David, Psy.D. obtained her Masters and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from George Fox University in Newberg, OR. She completed her internship in Child and Adolescent Neuropsychology and Educational Testing at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, CA, and post-doctoral training in Pediatric Neuropsychology at Ascension Health in Hoffman Estates, IL.

Dr. David specializes in neuropsychological evaluations for ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), mood/behavioral concerns, learning disabilities, developmental delays, and complex medical conditions, with toddlers, children, and adolescents. Dr. David works with families by providing comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations to aid in diagnostic clarification and to better connect them with appropriate services for treatment.

Stephanie Sorrentino, M.S., CCC-SLP, is a board-certified pediatric speech-language pathologist and clinical leader from North Shore Pediatric Therapy. Stephanie obtained her bachelor’s and master's degrees in Speech-Language Pathology at Eastern Illinois University. Stephanie completed her clinical fellowship with EBS Healthcare and Northwestern Medicine’s Department of Rehabilitation Services.

Stephanie's expertise lies in working with children on the autism spectrum. She takes special interest in augmentative/alternative communication, pediatric feeding/swallowing disorders, childhood apraxia of speech, language processing disorders, and ADHD. She has extensive experience with clinical program development, directing multidisciplinary teams, and designing clinical training programs.

Stephanie is an early intervention specialist, SOS feeding trained, and a DIR/Floortime certified practitioner. She enjoys conducting educational webinars for parents, clinical mentoring, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

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.

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!

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 Lead at NSPT, Cara provides services to clients as well as clinical mentorship and support to the OT team company 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.

Chelsey Harmon received her Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Health Services with a minor in Holistic Health from Western Michigan University, and a Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis from Ball State University.

As a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Center Director at North Shore Pediatric Therapy, Chelsey oversees the clinical and operational practices at the Naperville, IL location, and provides supervision to Registered Behavior Technicans and field work students.

For Chelsey, hearing about the successes and wins of clients from her team members is the most rewarding part of the job, and she loves being able to help her team grow and achieve their goals.  

Chelsey's passion for working with the pediatric/autistic community, can be traced back to her childhood years where she became very close with a family friend through church who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Throughout Chelsey’s undergraduate years, she worked with children in daycare centers and before and after school programs. After her undergrad, Chelsey worked as a Behavior Therapist working with adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. After a year there, she knew she wanted to become a BCBA!

When Chelsey is not keeping busy with her work at NSPT, you can find her binging the newest Netflix shows, hopping on her Peloton, and spending time with her fiance and family.  

Kailee Chonko received her Bachelor’s degree in Human Development from Illinois State University in 2011 and Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis from Ball State University University in 2017. As a BCBA and Center Director at North Shore Pediatric Therapy, Kailee oversees and provides services to children with autism, as well as provides supervision and mentorship to BCBAs and BCBA students, RBTs, and speech, occupational, and mental health therapists.  

Kailee's passion for helping children can be traced back to high school, when she began babysitting for a neighbor with special needs. For Kailee, seeing progress with her clients and watching them grow is the most rewarding part of the job, and she loves working with little ones who are just beginning their ABA journey.

When Kailee is not keeping busy with her clients, you can find her at the beach or exploring the city!

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!

Stefanie Platt received her Bachelors of Science from Indiana University, and her Masters of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. As a Center Director at North Shore Pediatric Therapy, Stefanie oversees the operations at the Arlington Heights center while also supervising a great team of staff. Stefanie also provides behavior analytic services directly to clients.  

For Stefanie, watching the children make progress and helping the families learn is the most rewarding part of the job, and she loves supervising fieldwork students whose goal are to become Board Certified Behavior Analysts.  

When Stefanie is not keeping busy with the center, you can find her spending time with her husband, daughter, and dog!