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.
Since becoming a BCBA in 2020, Simone has worked in a variety of settings, including pre-schools, schools, homes, clinics, and throughout the community. Simone approaches ABA through a neuro-affirming, child-led, trauma-informed, and strength-based lens.
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.
Ellie Gatz is in her Clinical Fellowship Year and has her temporary license in the state of Illinois. Ellie attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for her undergraduate degree, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences. She earned her Master of Arts degree in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.
Ellie has worked at North Shore Pediatric Therapy (NSPT) since June 2022. Before starting at NSPT, Ellie participated in two full-time internships in her last semester of graduate school. These internships were in a school setting in Rochelle, IL and a skilled nursing facility setting in Manitowoc, Wi. Her greatest area of interest includes implementing high- and low-tech augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and expressive and receptive language disorders. Ellie has a history of working as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and has a large passion to work with this population.
Emily Quirarte-Landa received her Masters in Occupational Therapy from Chicago State University. As an Occupational Therapist at North Shore Pediatric Therapy, Emily provides Occupational Therapy services focusing on helping children build essential skills for daily life, including motor development, sensory processing, self-care, social participation, and emotional regulation.
For Emily, seeing kiddos progress is the most rewarding part of the job, and she loves to create a client centered plan to meet goals. Emily's passion for pediatrics can be traced back to when she was in kindergarten. Ask her about anything. She has had a lot of experiences and can probably relate! When Emily is not keeping busy with work, you can find her cooking, baking, working out, painting, or watching a show/movie.
Ashley Schroeder is an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist licensed in Illinois. Ashley attended the University of Iowa and earned her bachelor's degree in communication sciences and Disorders. She earned her Master of Science degree in Communication Disorders at Arizona State University. Ashley has experience working with children from 3 years of age through transition age within home and school settings. Ashley completed her clinical fellowship in Mesa, AZ at a preparatory academy working with students from kindergarten through 12th grade. During her time in Arizona, she also worked for home health, providing treatment and evaluations for children between the ages of 3-15.
Since returning to Illinois, Ashley has worked for a special education cooperative, where she serves students from kindergarten through transition age within the school setting. Ashley has worked with clients to address expressive and receptive language disorders, articulation and phonological disorders, fluency disorders, pragmatic language deficits, and implementing high- and low-tech augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Ashley has a passion for working with all clients including children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
It’s important that your child feels respected, safe, and understood during therapy. At North Shore Pediatric Therapy, we believe in providing care that’s not only effective but also neuroaffirming, respectful, and focused on what each child and family needs to lead independent and happy lives. Our approach values each child’s unique way of participating and empowers parents as essential partners in their child’s journey.
Explore all of our therapy locations! We are dedicated to making high-quality pediatric care accessible to families across various regions. Below, you'll find a complete list of our centers, each offering a range of services, including speech and language services, occupational therapy, physical therapy, mental health services, autism testing, and diagnostic testing. Click on any location to learn more about how our services can support your child’s growth and development!
