28 Mar

Meet our Newest Therapists!

CSRC is so excited to welcome three new speech therapists to our team!

CSRC is so excited to welcome Dana, Megan and Victoria to our team! Our newest therapists cannot wait to meet your children!

Dana McNicholas is a licensed speech-language pathologist with a passion for working with children and helping them communicate. Dana received a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from St. Louis University. During her graduate studies, she had numerous practicum experiences with children and adults in a variety of therapy settings. From these experiences, she developed a strong interest in working with children.

Along with working for CSRC, Dana also works for Chicago Public Schools, providing services for students ranging from preschool through 8th grade. Dana participates on a special education team, develops Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), conducts evaluations and provides therapy to students with a wide range of diagnoses including autism spectrum disorders, specific learning disabilities, reading disabilities, cognitive impairments, developmental delays, articulation deficits, fluency deficits and phonological deficits. Working in the school setting has sparked Dana’s passion for literacy. She is trained in the Orton-Gillingham Approach to reading instruction.

Dana is a native of the Chicagoland area. After finishing her degree, she relocated back to the city of Chicago to begin her professional career as a Speech-Language Pathologist.

Dana McNicholas

Megan Norris is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist who is passionate about helping others improve their communication and reading skills. Megan received her Bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and her Master’s degree in Communicative Sciences and Disorders from New York University. Megan has experience diagnosing and treating a variety of disorders including (but not limited to) language delays, receptive/expressive language disorders and articulation and phonological disorders.

During her undergraduate career, Megan studied American Sign Language and worked as a camp counselor for children and teenagers with intellectual and physical disabilities, such as autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. Megan continued her passion for working with children during her graduate career when she evaluated and treated children exhibiting early language delays and articulation and phonology disorders, as well as in a school in New York City exclusively for children with autism spectrum disorders. Additionally, she is trained in the Orton-Gillingham Approach to Reading instruction. Megan believes in communication by all means.

Along with working at CSRC, Megan works at Manor Care in Oak Lawn, IL providing inpatient rehabilitation services to adults with swallowing, expressive/receptive language, and cognitive-linguistic disorders.

Megan Norris

Victoria Vaccaro is a licensed speech-language pathologist who values forming relationships with clients and families and helping clients grow as communicators. She is a lifelong learner and has pursued many continuing education opportunities to enhance her practice. Some topics have included the Orton-Gillingham Approach to Reading, PECS, Aided Language Stimulation, and Social Thinking. She is also currently pursuing her certificate in assistive technology through UIC.

Prior to becoming an SLP, Victoria was a classroom teacher. She has a Master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, focusing on bilingual education and English as a Second Language (ESL). She has spent the last four years working in the public schools serving students in preschool through 8th grade with a wide range of communication challenges. Victoria also teaches in an after school theater program for children with special needs.

Victoria received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois, her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from National Louis University and her Master’s degree in Speech, Language, and Learning from Northwestern University.

Victoria Vaccaro

Posted Tuesday, March 28th, 2017