Occupational Therapist & Owner

---

Munira graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Biology (suma cum laude) from Saint John's University  (NYC) in 2005 and a Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy in 2007 from Midwestern University (IL) . She has since worked in a variety of settings including outpatient pediatrics, schools, acute care, orthopedics, and neurology.  

Munira's passion lies in working with children and she strives to make therapy sessions client-centered, educational, and most importantly — interesting and FUN! Recognizing the essential role that "play" has in development helps her facilitate growth through this occupation, which fuels her in the world of pediatric therapy. She continues to learn how outstanding a child's brain can be!  She always endeavors to make the child feel supported and collaborate with families to better understand their concerns and ways she can support them outside of therapy sessions. 

Munira  has experience treating a range of diagnoses including Autism Spectrum Disorder, sensory processing disorder, neurological disorders, ADHD, developmental delays, low muscle tone, coordination difficulties, and fine-motor delays. Munira is trained in the Handwriting Without Tears program, Therapeutic Listening, DIR/Floortime, and is currently taking Continuing Education Classes to obtain her Certificate of Clinical Competence in ADHD (CCC-ADHD). She additionally has a strong passion for vision and helping to address visual-motor & visual-perceptual issues (ex. convergence insufficiency, tracking, saccades) in children of all ages alongside collaborations with developmental optometrists and is becoming certified as a functional vision rehab specialist (CFVRS).

Munira lives in the western suburbs of Chicago. She enjoys spending time with her 3 children and fueling their creative side by working on crafts, Lego building, and jigsaw puzzles. She also volunteers every Saturday at Her community’s religious education school to teach children with special needs. In her free time, you will find Munira enjoying her personal hobby of indoor rock climbing! 

 Kaylee graduated from Calvin University with her Bachelors degree in Social Work, and Lewis University with her Masters degree in Occupational Therapy. Kaylee has experience working with children and young adults in their home and clinic settings. She has treated clients with a variety of diagnoses including Autism Spectrum Disorder, developmental delays, Sensory Processing Disorder, ADD/ADHD, and anxiety. She has extensive experience addressing mental health, social skills, executive functioning, and independent living skills. Kaylee is passionate about taking a strengths based approach in working with clients and their families to help them achieve their own unique goals. Kaylee also has experience with Primitive Reflex Integration and The Astronaut Training Program. In her free time, Kaylee enjoys going to the aquarium with her husband and son and walking their French bulldog.

 Savannah is a graduate from Fox College OTA program and is currently continuing her studies through the University of Cincinnati in Occupational Therapy and Psychology. Savannah has clinical experience working with a wide range of pediatric conditions including ASD, ADHD, SPD, Down Syndrome, eating disorders, and orthopedic conditions. She primarily has worked with children ranging from 3-12 years old. She also has clinical experience working with adults at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in the neurology unit. Some common diagnoses she has provided treatment for are stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, craniotomy, and more! 

Savannah is passionate about creating a fun and safe environment as she feels the best therapy to provide is through a child’s heart and social-emotional well-being. Savannah is also trained in The Therapeutic Listening Program. 

She enjoys cooking new dishes, baking, and spending time with her 2 dogs Walter and River.

Desiree has completed her Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology at Saint Ambrose University. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Elmhurst College (now: Elmhurst University.)

Desiree has been specifically trained in See the Sound-Visual Phonics (incorporated into speech and reading therapy) that has been a unique feature of her education at Saint Ambrose University. During her graduate education, Desiree has worked with clients with various speech, language, and cognitive-communication disorders. She also has experience in working with clients who are on the autism spectrum, have aphasia, traumatic brain injury, dysphagia, and myofunctional disorders. Desiree is also passionate about serving the pediatric population with feeding and swallowing disorders. She has training in Oral motor Myofascial Treatments, including pre/post frenectomy stretching.

Her passion for this line of work developed when she was in 4th grade as she was diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia. She experienced difficulties in school, especially with reading and writing, and went through many years of tutoring and speech-language services. With her perseverance and success, Desiree’s goal is to empower her clients to achieve their goals and create a positive change in their lives.

Lauren graduated with both her Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology in 2006 and Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2008 from Illinois State University.

She has multiple years of practice as a school based SLP. While working in the schools Lauren served on the district assistive technology team and helped develop a disability awareness program. She enjoyed collaborating with Teachers, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers, and Music Therapists to support her student's needs.

Lauren's communication interests include Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), and executive function support, and language and literacy. Her goal is to make every patient feel valued and connected to others through their communication.

Lauren lives in the Western suburbs of Chicago with her family. Outside of work she can be found spending time with her family,  enjoying the outdoors, volunteering at her childrens' school, reading, and participating in her church's Women's Faith Group.

 Zahra is an experienced Parent/Life Coach in the Western suburbs of Chicagoland. Zahra earned her Masters Degree from Loyola University Chicago. She offers coaching in one-on-one as well as small group formats, including two-on-one for parents who want to experience coaching together. As a parent to two teenagers herself, Zahra knows firsthand the joys - and challenges! - that parenting brings.

A session with Zahra encompasses understanding your needs, goal setting, and creating strategies to transform the way you see your own thoughts, emotions, and potential. Zahra works with you to evolve the way you make decisions to elevate your levels of contentment and inner peace. 

Karen works part time to help with billing claims, managing payments, completing insurance verifications, and helping to educate our families on all things related to their insurance. Karen comes to us with experience working front desk at another healthcare practitioner's office, so when she came to Color Along, she fit right into her role- We are so lucky to have her on our team! Karen was born and raised in Guatemala and lived there until the age of 7. She currently lives in the western suburbs of Chicago with her family with aspirations of going back to school to become a surgical tech.

Gianna is a Senior at Purdue University. She is currently pursuing her bachelors degree in both Communication Sciences & Disorders and Sociology, and she plans to apply to a graduate program for Speech Pathology in the fall of 2025. Here at Color Along, Gianna is our social media content creator and runs all things digital. She is the magic behind our social media presence on several platforms, helping us to stay connected with our clients online! Gianna also helps the office run smoothly by being a liaison between the therapists and doctors offices. If you have any content you would like to see on social media, be sure to contact Gianna!