Immediate ABA availability — no waitlist!

ABA Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Occupational Therapy in Des Plaines

North Shore Pediatric Therapy's Des Plaines center opened in 2013 and features our ABA and multidisciplinary services alongside our Neuropsychology Diagnostic and Testing Center.

In Des Plaines, we offer ABA Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Mental Health services. Our space even offers a cozy family lounge where families can get work done with complimentary wifi!
Therapy room with educational toys and games at North Shore Pediatric Therapy, Naperville, IL

Insurance accepted

We accept many major insurance providers and private pay. We'll perform a complimentary benefits check on your behalf.
Amita health insurance logo
North Shore University Healthcare health insurance logo
Optum health insurance logo
Meet our Clinical Leaders

Lainie Cohen

MS, BCBA, Area Director

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!

Liza Bodner

BCBA, Regional Director

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.

Inside our Des Plaines Center

Our Therapy Rooms
16 rooms for individualized 1:1 therapy, including ABA, Occupational Therapy, and Mental Health Services
Our Gym Spaces
A large gym with a rock climbing wall, swing, small trampoline, crash pad, small basketball hoop, and ball pit
Even More Special Spaces
A Friends Club room for school-aged clients
On-Site Neuropsychology Assessments & Diagnostics
Des Plaines hosts our Neuropsychology Center for on-site assessments and access to our world-class team of Neuropsychologists
Early Autism Testing in Des Plaines
Through our Early Autism Testing Clinic, children 4-and-under will receive an assessment and diagnosis within just a few weeks.

Our centers have all the resources your child needs to have a blast while enhancing their skills.

INDIVIDUAL, 1:1 THERAPY ROOMS

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.

Autism therapy provider with a small child in Lincolnwood, IL.

GYMS & PLAY SPACES

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.

Pediatric therapists in Lincolnwood, IL helping a child on a rock wall in our NSPT center.

SENSORY ROOMS

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.

Cozy sensory corner designed to support children's development at North Shore Pediatric Therapy.

BLOSSOM PREP SCHOOL & CLASSROOM STYLE LEARNING

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.

ACTIVITY STATIONS

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.

"Interactive therapy room featuring sensory play equipment North Shore Pediatric Therapy.

TEEN & YOUNG ADULT PROGRAM ROOMS

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.

Adaptive therapy area designed to support children with diverse needs at North Shore Pediatric Therapy, Naperville, IL.
Multi-Disciplinary Pediatric Therapists in Des Plaines, IL

Our Des Plaines Pediatric Therapy Team

Download our Guide for Families

We know that choosing a local ABA facility can be a hard decision. We’ve created an informational guide to help you understand more about the questions you should be asking while meeting with different providers.

Although we talk about our services here, our highest goal is for you to feel comfortable and knowledgeable about picking a provider that is the best fit for your needs. You are making a decision that will impact the entire trajectory of your child’s life!
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The cover of the NSPT Guide for Families, which helps families to figure out the questions to ask when picking an ABA provider.

Getting to our Des Plaines, IL Center

950 Lee Street
Des Plaines, IL 60016

We are located on Lee St. between Oakwood Ave. and Thacker St., right across from where Ashland Ave. connects with Lee St. Our office is four blocks South of Downtown Des Plaines and the Metra station.

Coming from O’Hare, Manneheim turns into Lee St. and becomes a one-way street going north.

There is free parking in the covered lot (very convenient on rainy, hot, and snowy days)!

Hours of operation: 
Monday to Friday: 8 am to 8 pm
Saturday: 8 am to 3 pm
Sunday: closed

Testimonials

Why we do what we do.
Success looks different for every child... But we bet we have a story that matches your child's needs. Like James, who started with us as non-verbal and lacking the ability to initiate and maintain social interactions. Today, he can speak complete sentences, clearly state his needs, and navigate social interactions with his friends!

Contact us to get started

  • 1
    Submit an inquiry form
    Completing this secure form helps us understand how we can serve you.
  • 2
    We'll reach out to you!
    One of our dedicated team members will connect with you to discuss services, your insurance benefits, and your family’s needs.
  • 3
    Paperwork & insurance
    We'll review and confirm your insurance benefits, and we'll work with you to gather additional paperwork required and discuss financial expectations based on insurance.
  • 4
    Treatment personalization
    We'll schedule an assessment date for your child with one of our clinicians. This assessment will serve as the basis for your child’s personalized treatment plan. After, we'll meet to discuss recommendations and your child’s treatment plan and start date.
  • 5
    Start making progress!
    We will greet and welcome your child to our warm and supportive environment where our staff will provide 1-on-1 care to meet our treatment goals.