Chicago ABA Therapy: A CST Academy Company

Chicago ABA Therapy was officially founded in 2016, but our roots trace back to 2009 when Karen George, an experienced speech therapist, launched Chicago Speech Therapy, LLC. This marked the beginning of a new era in pediatric therapy services in Chicago.

2009 - The Beginning

With a long-held dream of starting her own practice, Karen George established Chicago Speech Therapy, focusing on delivering exceptional in-home speech therapy services to children.

2011 - Expansion and Growth

As the reputation of the practice for effective and compassionate care grew, Karen expanded her team by hiring the first full-time speech-language pathologist. This year also welcomed Quinn, Karen’s husband and an experienced entrepreneur, to manage the growing practice.

2012 - Establishing Our First Office

To support a growing team, operations moved to a dedicated office space at 1422 W Willow St in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood.

2015 - Launch of CST Academy

Recognizing the need for comprehensive developmental support, Karen and her team founded CST Academy, introducing a therapeutic preschool program designed to enhance speech, language, social skills, behavior, and motor skills.

2016 - Chicago ABA Therapy & Chicago Occupational Therapy

This pivotal year marked the expansion into a multidisciplinary practice with the addition of our first occupational therapist and board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA). It was the official start of Chicago Occupational Therapy and Chicago ABA Therapy, enriching our service offerings.

2017 - Expansion in Bucktown

Responding to increasing demand, a second clinic was inaugurated at 1765 N Elston Ave, expanding our capacity to serve more families in the Bucktown neighborhood.

2019 - Addition of Physical Therapy

To ensure holistic care, our first physical therapist joined the team, allowing us to meet the comprehensive needs of our young clients.

2020 - Lincoln Park Clinic

Our services extended further with the opening of a third clinic at 2121 N Clybourn in Lincoln Park, as demand for our specialized, multidisciplinary services continued to grow.

2022 - Wilmette Clinic

Our first suburban clinic opened in Wilmette, IL, making our services more accessible to families outside of Chicago.

2024 - Northbrook Clinic

Building on our success in Wilmette, we opened our Northbrook, IL clinic in early 2024, further extending our reach and impact.

A Continuing Commitment

Throughout our growth, Chicago ABA Therapy has remained dedicated to innovation, quality care, and community engagement. We are more than just a therapy center; we are a growing family committed to supporting each child’s unique journey toward success.

130+ 5-Star Google Reviews | Chicago ABA Therapy

"We were so happy with our experience with Chicago ABA. We began working with them when our son was almost 4, a few months after his autism diagnosis. It was such an amazing team to work with - everyone was professional, responsive, flexible, and worked so hard for our son to meet his goals, which he did beautifully. We worked together for almost 2 years before he left for kindergarten, and in that time period he met almost all of his goals. We went through several bumps in the road with behavioral difficulties, and the Chicago ABA team did an amazing job helping us problem solve, try new strategies and think of ways to translate those strategies at home. We couldn't recommend them more highly - anyone who works with Chicago ABA will be lucky to have the experience!"

"Chicago ABA Therapy is a boon for special needs kids and parents. They take a play-based, personalized approach and meet the kids where they are. They also go above and beyond - our ABA therapist took time to make sure we as parents understood every aspect of our child's experience, understood how to read his progress reports and generally made us feel a part of his therapy. My child loved all his therapists. Highly recommend the team!"

5-Star Google Reviews