Robyn Reise MS, OTR/L

Clinical Director, Occupational Therapist

Robyn is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis and has over 17 years of experience as a pediatric Occupational Therapist. She has practiced in a variety of settings including hospital-based inpatient/outpatient, NICU, schools, Early Intervention and private clinic. Robyn has extensive training in sensory processing, torticollis, Therapeutic Listening, ribcage mobility, Neurodevelopmental Treatment (NDT) and therapeutic handling, praxis, infant massage, DIR (floortime), TAMO, feeding, and visual processing. She also has advanced training in CranioSacral Therapy and provides CranioSacral Therapy for both pediatrics and adults. Robyn has been providing supervision and mentoring to Occupational Therapists and OT assistants for 9 years.

Areas of special interest include CranioSacral Therapy, sensory processing, neurodevelopmental disorders, neuromuscular disorders, torticollis, praxis, early intervention and infant mental health, regulatory disorders, emotional development and visual processing disorders.

Robyn utilizes a family-centered, holistic approach to treatment and believes that addressing the body, mind, and emotional wellbeing is essential for function and quality of life across the lifespan.  She is particularly interested in how nutrition can be used to impact health, wellness, and functional performance, and how emotional development impacts our relationships, our ability to function, and our physical health.  Robyn believes that parents, caregivers, and family members are vital to the therapeutic process and therefore, caregiver/family education and training play a fundamental role during therapy.

In her free time, Robyn enjoys spending time with her husband, son, and dog.  She enjoys being outdoors, going to the dog beach, traveling, and cooking/baking.

Carson Mumma OTD, OTR/L

Lead Occupational Therapist, Doctor of Occupational Therapy

Carson Mumma grew up in Pennsylvania, receiving her Bachelors of Science in Psychology with Biology minor and Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy while attending school in Philadelphia. She moved to Chicago for a new adventure that was to be short lived, but fell in love with the city and never left!

Over the years, she has worked in inpatient hospital and outpatient settings with both adults and pediatrics with a variety of disabilities and challenges. After working for several years, she decided to continue her education and obtain her Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) from University of Illinois at Chicago while continuing to work. While completing her doctorate, she spent time in both inpatient and outpatient mental health settings working with adolescents and adults with mental illness. She was also given the opportunity to travel to Peru to work at a school for children with disabilities and teach several continuing education classes to both OT students and professionals.

She loves to learn! She has taken numerous continuing education courses and trainings focused on a variety of sensory systems and primary motor patterns (reflexes). She has an interest in continuing to learn and explore how our neurology influences our sensory processing and motor pattern development, and its link and impact on behavior and activity performance and participation.

When not at work or pursuing new learning opportunities she enjoys indoor rock climbing, playing games, yoga, playing outside, attempting various crafts/projects, spending time with friends and family, and traveling.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” – Maya Angelou

Carson chose this quote because, after all of the hard work and pushing for that “just right challenge”, in the end she aims to make every child leave therapy feeling happy, capable and proud.

Katelyn Derrig, MS OTR/L

Occupational Therapist

Katelyn graduated from Saint Louis University with her Bachelors in Occupational Science and her Masters in Occupational Therapy.

She has clinical experience with children of all ages and abilities including, but not limited to, developmental delays, Autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing dysfunctions, neurological impairments, orthopedic rehabilitation, and genetic disorders.  

She has clinical and volunteer experience in pediatric outpatient settings, aquatic therapy, inpatient settings, and school settings. She has attended continuing education courses focusing on visual-vestibular treatment, sensory processing, and reflex integration.

Katelyn enjoys working with families to encourage and support the family in understanding the intervention process. Outside of the clinic Katelyn enjoys reading, traveling, staying active, being outdoors, and spending time with her family and friends.

Megan Duffy MS OTR/L

Occupational Therapist

Meghan Duffy attended University of Illinois at Chicago, received her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy in 2006. At UIC, she completed an Early Intervention training grant. She has been working as an OT for 12 years, concentrating in pediatrics.

Meghan worked for 9 years in the Chicago Public Schools, primarily at a therapeutic day school for students with autism and emotional behavioral disorders. She also worked in neighborhood schools with elementary school students with a variety of diagnosis and needs. Meghan also worked registry/per-diem for many year at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago with adults and pediatrics in the outpatient clinic and on the stroke and brain injury inpatient units. Meghan has been working for SensAble Kids for 3 years.

She has found providing occupational therapy in the child’s home to be rewarding; she enjoys integrating play-based therapeutic activities and developing a home program that fits into the family’s daily routine. Meghan loves to collaborate with other team members and frequently consults and co-treats with other therapists and professionals to support the child’s functional and therapeutic goals.

She has attended continuing education courses focused on picky eating, kinesiotaping, sensory processing and autism. Meghan has 2 young daughters, loves to read, ride her bike, swim, go to concerts and spend time with her family and friends. Meghan’s favorite holiday is Halloween and she aspires for the best family costume each year!

Breanna Ryan, MS OTR/L

Occupational Therapist

Breanna has been working with children with special needs since her first year of college. She first worked for a special recreation association and later became a paraeducator in a multiple needs classroom setting.

During her time in the school setting, she developed great interest in Occupational Therapy and decided to pursue her Master’s degree. She received her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Midwestern University in Downers Grove, IL in 2014.

Breanna has experience in both the school setting as well as early intervention. She is passionate about the integral part a parent/guardian plays in the setting of early intervention and has enjoyed helping families through their EI journey.

Breanna has a special interest in Autism Spectrum Disorder and sensory processing/regulation.

Mary Kathleen Kuchta MS, OTR/L

Occupational Therapist

Mary Kathleen received her Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Illinois at Chicago in July 2013.

Mary Kathleen believes in collaborating with her families to create client-centered goals and individualized treatment plans. She believes in providing an optimistic, sensory rich environment that empowers her clients to feel safe as they explore and grow. Her favorite part about work is that she gets to “play” and be silly with her clients while providing the just right challenge to facilitate development.

Mary Kathleen has completed numerous continuing education courses including Therapeutic Listening, Astronaut Training, Sensory Integration Intensive, and Sequential Oral Sensory certifications.

She is also a certified Training Leader and Expert DIR/Floortime Provider and teaches DIR/Floortime courses. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, exercising, and spending time with her family and friends.

Julie Griffin, MS, OTR/L, CIMI

Occupational Therapist

Julie grew up in the southwest suburbs of Chicago and is a proud White Sox fan. Julie attended the University of Iowa for undergraduate studies and received her Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy from The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in July 2015.

Julie has been working in outpatient pediatrics and Early Intervention ever since – and wouldn’t have it any other way! Julie has a passion for collaborating with families and supporting a child’s ability to participate most fully in daily activities and routines by addressing underlying motor, attention, and self-regulation challenges.

Julie is a Certified Infant Massage Instructor and has additional training in the areas of social-emotional regulation, handwriting, as well as training outside of the OT world in crisis intervention and suicide prevention.

In her free time, Julie enjoys going to concerts, comedy shows, and spending time with family & friends! Julie is elated to be a part of the SensAble Kids!

Sarah Mycek, OTR/L

Occupational Therapist

Sarah has been a pediatric OT since 1995. She has always had a love for children, working in all areas including the schools, hospitals, home care, and outpatient clinics. Her love for babies and toddlers led her to Early Intervention where she has focused her work for over 20 years.  

Sarah has an extensive background in sensory integration, motor coordination disorders, executive functioning disorders, nutrition, and feeding. She uses a holistic approach when working with families. She enjoys educating parents and providing trainings to other clinicians about the benefits of OT, sensory integration, and integrative health.

Sarah grew up in Michigan, graduating from Western Michigan University. She lives in Lagrange Park with her husband and 2 children.

Xochilt Alvarenga COTA/L

Occupational Therapy Assistant

Xochilt obtained her Associates degree as a certified Occupational Therapy Assistant from Rockland Community College in Suffern NY in 2005. She has experience in both pediatrics and geriatrics and has over 5 years experience working with children ages 0 to 18 in various settings.

Xochilt has experience leading early intervention and school age sensory motor play groups. Xochilt has professional development in the areas of sensory processing, early intervention and has mentored Occupational Therapy Assistant students.

Xochilt is a bilingual therapist who enjoys working closely with her clients and their families.

Kelly Roberts COTA/L

Occupational Therapy Assistant

Kelly has over 10 years experiences working with children in both school and home settings. She received her degree as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant from South Suburban College in 2006.

She learned early on that she had a passion for working with children. She believes in play being essential to a child’s learning and development. She strives to establish meaningful relationships with families and navigate their early intervention experience at their pace. She has continued education in sensory processing, therapeutic play, and minimizing challenging behaviors.

Kelly has three children of her own. She is also the president of her family’s non-profit organization, which is dedicated to raising funds for families who have children with medical needs.

Faith Basolo COTA/L

Occupational Therapy Assistant

Faith brings to the table over 9 years of pediatric experience. She has worked closely with families in both the school and home based setting; specifically early intervention.

She enjoys collaborating with families to help their child reach their full potential and connect with their environment. She feels that working closely with families is the key to their success. She believes in the importance in play and works hard to connect with each child and family.

She received her occupational therapy assistant degree from Rend Lake College in 2009. She has a passion for the birth-3 population, as she has personal experience of watching her own child grow and flourish within the early intervention program.

She has 2 children and spends her free time cheering them on in their sporting events. She has a passion for advocating and educating for the use of service dogs with those with both visible and invisible disabilities.

Jennifer Rodriguez COTA/L

Occupational Therapy Assistant

Jennifer has both personal and professional experience with children with learning disabilities, sensory processing dysfunction,  auditory processing, dyslexia and Autism.

Jennifer is a member of the Learning Disability Association (LDA) and has 8 years of experience advocating for special education rights. She is very invested in helping families understand their rights, advocate for special education services for their children and helping families navigate through the IEP process.

Areas of interest and training include, sensory processing, handwriting, neurological imbalance, learning disabilities, and school advocacy.

Jennifer is a mother of four children and in her free time loves art, photography, concerts, hockey, music, yoga, baking, scrapbooking, fostering kittens, traveling, and all things Harry Potter.

Ofelia Olvera COTA/L

Occupational Therapy Assistant

Ofelia graduated from the University of Illinois in Chicago in 1986 with a degree in psychology. She later attended the Chicago City Wide College to obtain her Associates degree as a certified occupational therapy assistant.

She has worked in multiple settings, including geriatrics, acute trauma care, long term care, home health care and pediatrics. She has worked in early intervention for the past ten years.

As a bilingual therapist, Ofelia enjoys serving Spanish-speaking families primarily. She is one of the founders of “HOTI”, the Hispanic Occupational Therapists of Illinois.

Esmeralda Sanches MS, CCC-SLP

Speech and Language Pathologists 

Esmeralda Sanchez is a pediatric bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist who was born and raised in Chicago.

She presently works in both the school setting and Early Intervention realm treating and educating families with children birth through high school with speech, language, and oral motor/swallowing disorders.

She graduated from Saint Xavier University with a bachelor of arts in Spanish and Communication Sciences and Disorders and a masters of arts from Indiana University in Speech and Hearing Sciences.

Esmeralda received research-based academic and clinical training in Speech Therapy Education, Practicum, and Services for Latino Children and Families (Spanish-English).

Her areas of interest include: second language acquisition & bilingual children, Spanish language development, first language loss of bilingual children, development of culturally and linguistic valid procedures for bilingual children, school age language, sensory processing, and using meaningful and home based routines/experiences to teach speech and language skills.

Esmeralda believes in empowering individuals and their families to be the best communicators and listeners they can possibly be.

Liliana Diaz-Vazquez MS, CCC-SLP

Speech and Language Pathologists 

Liliana Diaz-Vazquez obtained her bachelor’s degree in communication disorders in 2012 and her master’s degree in speech language pathology at Saint Xavier University in 2014.

Liliana is a certified, licensed bilingual speech language pathologist (SLP) and has a passion with working with the bilingual population. Liliana specializes in pediatrics with children ranging in ages from 1-18 years old and has predominantly served bilingual Spanish-speaking students in general education programs, blended preschool programs and low-incidence programs.

She has worked in the public-school setting and has extensive experience treating and evaluating a variety of disorders, such as autism, Down syndrome, cognitive impairments, learning disabilities, apraxia, fluency disorders, language disorders and developmental delays. Liliana is also credentialed to work in early intervention.

Liliana has a passion with working with early intervention families and educating them on the importance of incorporating language into their everyday routines.

Areas of expertise include augmentative/alternative communication (AAC), apraxia, fluency and language delays/disorders. Furthermore, Liliana received training in Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and extensive training in AAC implementation.

Additionally, Liliana has also provided clinical supervision and CF mentorship to SLP students from a variety of speech pathology university programs. Liliana has been a certified member of the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) since 2014, a member of the Illinois Speech and Hearing Association (ISHA) since 2014 and maintains licensure in the state of Illinois.

Aside from working with families and children, Liliana is a part-time foodie! She enjoys trying out new restaurants in Chicago with her husband and sharing about her experiences on social media.

Dionne Dias MS,  CCC-SLP

Speech and Language Pathologists 

Dionne graduated from The University of Texas at Austin and has always known her career would revolve around helping others. She then went on to complete her masters degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at The University of Houston where she pursued a specialty concentration in Autism Spectrum disorders.

She adores providing treatment to the moderate to severe special needs population and the unique opportunity therapy provides to help support families in need.

Dionne is passionate in treating children with complex communication needs (those who require augmentative and alternative communication) and also enjoys pediatric feeding therapy.

Lucie Prebel

Office Manager

Lucie has worked in the non-profit sector since 1980. She has served as a member of the Operations team for over 30 years in inpatient and outpatient chemical dependence and outpatient for a mental healthcare agency which provided sliding scale services. She has lived in the Chicago area for most of her life and is an avid Chicago Blackhawks fan. She loves to swim, horseback ride and playing volleyball.

Allison Wilk

Office Staff

Allison Wilk has lived in Chicago since 2003. She attended Eastern Illinois University in Charleston with a bachelors in Health Communication. She then attended The University of Illinois in Champaign where she completed her masters in Rehabilitation Counseling and was a teaching assistant for undergrad health courses. She worked as a case manager at Thresholds with adults with developmental abilities.

Allison took some time out of the work force after she got matted and raised her four children before starting at SensAble Kids in 2015. Allison enjoys spending time with her family, watching her kids play ice hockey, playing volleyball, and walking her dog Winnie.