Alexis Riffle M.S., DTE
Clinical Director/Founder, Developmental Evaluator

Alexis has been working with children and their families for over 15 years. She began her journey as a child development intern in her undergraduate program and then moved to Chicago. Once in Chicago, she worked at Rush University Medical Center as a Case Coordinator for the Early Intervention Program. It was there that she found her calling to become a Developmental Therapist.

After a few years of working as a Case Coordinator, Alexis began her journey to becoming a Developmental Therapist in 2011. To achieve this goal, she worked nights after her hospital shift, and weekends to finish her training hours. Once completed, she proudly founded Northstar Pediatrics in February of 2013. She wanted to create a company where children and families enjoyed working with their therapists and create a family environment for employees.
Our mission is to provide the highest quality of services, by therapists who are dedicated and passionate about what they do.

Alexis earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Child Development from Arizona State University in 2006. From there she studied at the Erikson Institute here in Chicago, where she obtained her Master’s degree in Child Development with a Specialization in Infancy. During her master’s program, Alexis interned at a therapy clinic in Skokie, where she learned to implement therapy tactics for children with a range of developmental delays and disabilities. She has been trained and worked in playgroups, as well as one on one with Physical, Occupational and Speech therapists.

Alexis specializes in global development, behavioral challenges, autism spectrum disorder, and socialization patterns. She loves to perform evaluations, supervise other Developmental Therapists, and teach families how to support their child as they grow.

She is grateful for her supportive family and friends who have helped her create her dream.

Charlie Greengoss is a Chicagoland native with his bachelors degree from The University of Wisconsin – Madison in Communication Arts and Media. He received his Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education from National Louis University, and quickly found his way to early intervention. He feels that foundational early learning is where confidence and self esteem truly begin to take shape. Charlie enjoys collaborating with families and multidisciplinary teams as they develop strategies that best help their child learn. Some of his areas of expertise are in helping children develop language proficiency, gain independence and self awareness through implementation of daily routines, as well adapt to their environments. Relationships and ample communication are at the core of his work in early intervention, and he is always looking to help build connections between families and caregivers to best support the child’s overall growth. Outside of teaching, he is an avid fan of jazz and blues, and enjoys seeing live music around the city. Charlie resides in Evanston on the lake with his wife, son, and their dog Perdita!

Lauren Szwajkowski M.S. Early Childhood Education, DTE
Supervisor/Developmental Therapist/Evaluator

Lauren Szwajkowski was born and raised on the Northwest side of Chicago. She has been an Early Childhood Educator since 2012. While receiving her master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, she worked as an infant, toddler, and preschool teacher.

After graduating, Lauren started her teaching career in a 1st/2nd grade split classroom. Working in a split classroom taught her how to provide support and instruction to a variety of learners. Eventually, she moved to kindergarten. During this time, Lauren had the opportunity to become an instructional leader. She was responsible for facilitating her team and analyzed student data.

As time passed, Lauren was offered a 1st grade position. She was also given the opportunity to coach new teachers. She enjoyed making connections with her students and families. Eventually, teaching led her to a new opportunity: early intervention. Lauren felt like it was time to take her skills as an educator and apply them to her new role as a developmental therapist. She is ecstatic about this new journey, and is looking forward to working with Northstar Pediatrics.

Islam Affaneh, M.S. CHILD PSYCH, DT
Developmental Therapist 

My name is Islam Affaneh. I was born and raised in the South Suburbs of Illinois.  I earned my BSN at Chamberlain University in 2019 and a second bachelor’s degree in child development at Concordia University. I also have a Masters in Psychology with a specialization in child and adolescence that I earned at
Capella University.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I served as a Registered Nurse for two years.  After the birth of my son in 2021, I took a break from nursing and discovered a passion for understanding each milestone and development of my own child.  During this period, I conducted research on careers in development and discovered that I was drawn to the role of a developmental therapist. This professional specializes in working with children experiencing developmental delays or disabilities.

Raising my son allowed me to observe firsthand how I was enhancing his cognitive, social, motor, and functional skills. I realized that I could work with other children to help them achieve these skills, conduct comprehensive assessments of their strengths and specific needs, and provide educational support and guidance to families. This realization confirmed that this was my true calling.

In 2022, I obtained my credentials through Provider Connections and became a Developmental Therapist. I am deeply passionate about helping children with developmental delays and disabilities improve their cognitive, social, motor, and functional skills.  Currently, I am pursuing my doctoral studies in Clinical Child Psychology in my second year at Capella University. My goal is to obtain a Psy. D. to further enhance my knowledge and skills as a therapist. I am eager to work with children and adolescents to assess, diagnose, and treat a diverse range of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.

Jenny York, M.S., DT
Developmental Therapist 

Jenny York is an early childhood educator who has worked in a variety of settings to support young children’s early learning and development. Jenny received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Michigan. Following graduation, Jenny moved to Chicago and taught Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd and 5th grades for Chicago Public Schools. In 2012, Jenny earned a Master of Science in Child Development and Administration from the Erikson Institute. From 2018 to 2023, Jenny served as the Inclusion Director at a not-for-profit play-based preschool in Evanston, IL where she worked closely with staff and families to support children in the school’s Inclusion Program. Since 2015 Jenny has volunteered for Evanston Cradle to Career, working on early childhood policy and advocacy that supports systems change in her community.

As a practitioner, Jenny works from a strength-based, neurodiversity affirming mindset that embraces the whole child and supports their unique interests and needs. Understanding that no two children follow the same developmental pathway, Jenny embraces the opportunity to tailor her treatment approach for each child to best meet their developmental goals. Jenny believes strongly in partnering with families and other therapists to ensure the best outcomes for each of her clients. She enjoys helping parents and caregivers develop strategies to support and advocate for their children.

My name is Brittney Nowicki. I live in Schiller Park with my husband and dog. I have played many roles in the education and development of children and families lives over the last 12 years. I have worked as an Autism Therapist for 5.5 years, a lead toddler teacher for a private daycare, the director of a daycare as well as a Pre-K Teacher. Working with children has been nothing but my drive and passion in life.

I attended the University of Wisconsin Whitewater and earned my bachelor’s degree in Social Work emphasizing in Family and Health Support Studies. Wanting to further my education in a child center focus, I attended Elmhurst College where I received my Masters in Early Childhood Special Education-Developmental Therapy. During this time I was able to expand my knowledge through group and individual therapy sessions to enhance my understanding and skill set when working with children in early intervention. Learning that my skills in the early intervention system is recognizing typical and atypical behaviors in children.

While attending my masters program, I was working as a private autism therapist. Not only was I servicing children through ABA services, but providing a supportive and guiding learning system for parents to use with their children outside of session. I have such a drive for educating the minds of children in the early intervention system.  During my transitional period, I worked as a Child Welfare Specialist through DCFS. Providing care for families, monitoring parent child visits, transporting children to and from foster homes as well as helping family members work towards getting their children returned home to them based on the required goals. I also worked as a Director and Pre-K teacher for a daycare that provided childcare to children from ages birth to five years of age.

Aside from working with children I love spending time outdoors, going hiking, and anything that involves interior designing.

Shauntell Dudley, M.S., DT
Developmental Therapist 

Shauntell Dudley has worked in early childhood for over 20 years. Her professional experience includes employment in a community-based daycare environment as a Teacher, Lead Teacher, and Assistant Director. This continuum of non-profit and corporate structured early care and educational environments provided a foundation for her transition to the school district. She began her career as a preschool assistant teacher and prekindergarten teacher. During this time, Shauntell earned her Master’s in Education, an Educational Specialist degree, and a Behavioral Specialist endorsement (LBS1). Her interest in becoming a developmental therapist started when she witnessed the care and dedication shown to her daughter, who received early intervention services. Through this, Shauntell wanted to become a developmental therapist to incorporate tools learned in the childcare and school setting to continue to connect with families. Shauntell enjoys learning new things, traveling, and making memories with family and friends.

Serena Kakovan, MS ECE, DT
Developmental Therapist 

Serena Kakovan was born and raised in the northern suburbs of Chicago. She has a rich background working with typically developing, neurodivergent, and gifted children and their families home, school, and clinical settings. She began her ECE career in 2012 as a teaching assistant at the Northwestern SEP program, quickly pivoting to a Lead 2’s room teacher position for Knowledge Beginnings in Glenview as she completed her education in 2019 at DePaul University with LSB1 endorsements and licensure through Provider Connections.

When Serena is not working with families, she enjoys swimming, watching movies, and has recently moved to the Algonquin area with her blended family.

Lindsey Nguyen – M.S. Child Development
Developmental Therapist 

Lindsey has been working with infants and young children for a total of almost 10 years. She has an affinity for the youngest, and firmly believes that parents are the child’s first teacher and that each child is a unique, capable little human. She received her bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education from Ohio State and her masters degree in Child Development with a concentration on birth-3 years of age from Erikson Institute.

Lindsey has two children of her own and is often spending lots of time with them, her husband, and her dog. She loves going for walks, biking and cycling, reading, and will always say yes to a piece of chocolate.

Shauna Schmeski, M.S. Early Childhood Special Education, DT
Developmental Therapist 

Shauna Schmeski was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. She received her undergrad from Illinois State University in Human Development. After having kids of her own she decided to go back to school to get her Masters in Early Childhood Special Education from Lewis University.

After graduating, she worked as an Early Childhood self contained classroom teacher. This is where she learned many new skills working with diverse learners. She then made the transition to Developmental Therapy to be able to work with children in a new role. She has been working with children in all different environments for the last 10 years. She enjoys watching children grow and develop while collaborating with families and other therapists to provide the highest
level of support.

With over 25 years of experience in the early childhood education field, I have committed my career to supporting the learning and developmental needs of young children and their families. As a certified Developmental Therapist, I specialize in early intervention, helping children reach critical developmental milestones through individualized support and family-centered practices.

Throughout my career, I have worked in a variety of early learning settings, including home visiting programs, where I’ve guided parents in fostering their child’s cognitive, social-emotional, and physical growth. I am passionate about creating equitable and nurturing environments that empower families, strengthen early learning outcomes, and promote school readiness. My work continues to reflect a deep commitment to child development, early intervention, and community engagement.