Chrisna Perry, PhD - Owner and Director
Dr. Chrisna M. Perry is a Learning Specialist and Educational Psychologist with over 20 years of experience working with children who require academic, social, and emotional support. In June 2011, Dr. Perry returned to her private practice, Comprehensive Learning Services, after serving as Director of Student Affairs at The Ancona School, a small independent school in Chicago. Comprehensive Learning Services started out of the perceived need to bring individual remediation and group services to the Hyde Park neighborhood, where they were not conveniently being offered at the time. After working for several years with schools around the city, Dr. Perry saw the benefit for parents and families to not have to travel out of their community to the north side of Chicago for educational services.
In her private practice, Dr. Perry works to understand children’s various developmental needs and learning styles, as well as to support each child in building strengths, addressing difficulties, and pursuing interests. The support programs offered at Comprehensive Learning Services provide individual and group remediation to students with various learning disabilities, including: dyslexia, dyscalculia, language processing disorders, written expression disorder, and executive functioning disorder. Additionally, in the last 10 years, Dr. Perry expanded her professional affinity of supporting children with underlying social skills deficits as a result of ADHD, Anxiety, and Autism Spectrum Disorder in her Social Skills Superstars program to foster social success. Likewise, she believes in the importance of supporting parents and educators, and is passionate, as she supports parents in monthly ADHD parent support group meetings and various parent/educator workshops.
As an advocate of early intervention, Dr. Perry also uses language enrichment as a means of promoting social development, thinking, communication, literacy, numeracy, and imagination with children 1-3 years old in her Baby Brain Boost Program. Most recently, she has expanded CLS’s early childhood program into supporting preschool aged children in a weekly, multiday preschool program known as Boost 2 Preschool.
Dr. Perry received her Master’s Degree in Learning Disabilities from Northwestern University in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and her Doctorate in Educational Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Kaya Holland Beck, BA, Director of Student Support Services
Kaya loves working with children with diverse learning needs! As a Social Skills instructor, she provides mentorship and small group lessons to help students improve the way they process social challenges and foster relationships. Additionally, Kaya supports students' time management, organizational and study skills as an Executive Functioning coach. Lastly, as a math tutor at CLS, Kaya utilizes dyscalculia training to support students with diagnosed math disorders. Kaya received her B.A. from Lake Forest College. and currently she is working on her Masters in Behavioral Psychology as she continues to further her career to support children.
Elyse Sherlock, M.S. CCC-SLP, Speech and Language Therapist
Elyse is a passionate about supporting children and families. She has been practicing since 2016 and her areas of expertise include: early language development, expressive and receptive language, articulation and phonology, elementary aged language disorders, gestalt language processing, phonological awareness. Elyse also has significant experience with supporting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and hearing loss.
Elyse received her B.A in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Augustana College and M.A in Communication Disorders from Truman State University.
Elyse time as a pediatric speech and language therapist has enabled her to develop strong collaboration with families and other providers (therapists and teachers), provide education to caregivers, and help families meet their goals for their child.
Mary Varnhagen, M.S. ccc-slp, Speech and Language Therapist, Manager of Clinical Services
Mary is a dedicated pediatric speech language pathologist who has been practicing since 2017, specializing in helping children overcome a wide range of communication disorders. With expertise in areas such as autism, feeding difficulties, expressive and receptive language challenges, auditory processing issues, traumatic brain injuries, executive functioning, fluency disorders, aphasia, apraxia, and articulation disorders, Mary has provided comprehensive therapy to individuals of all ages.
In addition to her therapy work, Mary has actively engaged in conducting screenings, assessments, and evaluations for children in the community. She believes in the importance of early identification and intervention to promote optimal communication skills and overall development.
Mary holds a B.A. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Saint Xavier University, where she laid the foundation for her career in helping others communicate effectively. She furthered her education by obtaining an M.S. in Speech, Language, and Learning from Northwestern University, enhancing her knowledge and honing her skills in evidence-based practices.
Mary's dedication extends beyond therapy sessions, as she is passionate about empowering families through education and coaching. She specializes in social language, play therapy and parent coaching, guiding parents in implementing research-based strategies that extend beyond the therapy room and positively impact their daily lives. By equipping families with practical tools and techniques, Mary aims to create an environment that nurtures communication growth and enriches the overall well-being of her clients.
Ciara Miller, MA - Learning Specialist
Ciara Darnise Miller, supports students of CLS in the areas of math, writing and standardized test prep. Most of her time is spent in the office supporting students as they prepare for the ACT, SAT, HSPT, ISEE, and SEHS. Ciara combines instruction of test content and test taking strategies, as well as emotional support to help her students do exceptionally well, and gain acceptances into some the most prestigious high schools, colleges and universities. Her love of learning and commitment to excellence is contagious! Ciara, a native of Chicago, holds both an MFA and MA from Indiana University. She also received her BA in Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College.
Mike Hirsch, - M.S Learning Specialist
Mike is an expert in reading skills development, multi-sensory learning, and social-emotional learning. The intersection of these disciplines has led to student growth in his classroom outside of the typical classroom environment. As a result, most students’ development in his classrooms surpasses the average learning bell curve in the positive.
Experienced in all areas of academic and social emotional needs of diverse learners, including: creation and implementation of behavior intervention plans, positive behavioral interventions and supports, and student motivation strategies. As a certified Learning Behavior Specialist with over twenty-eight years of teaching experience, Mike is committed to student development and a focus on teaching growth mindset.
Mary “Betsey” Pohl, MEd, OT/L, Pediatric Occupational Therapist
Betsey is a dynamic occupational therapist and educational leader with extensive experience supporting school-aged, neuro-diverse learners with complex needs as both a clinician and administrator. She is well-versed in evidence-based practices for students with autism and related disorders and has provided training, coaching, and consultation in public and non-public schools.
After several years serving in administrative roles, Betsey recently returned to her roots as an occupational therapist where she utilizes her unique skill set to support school-aged individuals with a variety of needs. Her areas of expertise include executive functioning, self-regulation, visual-motor and handwriting development, and sensory processing.
Betsey earned her B.S. in Occupational Therapist from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in 1999. After a decade of practice in a non-public school setting, with an eagerness to build her knowledge of educational practices and improve the collaborative efforts of educational and clinical team members, she pursued her M.Ed. in Special Education at UIC, graduating in 2012.
Betsey strongly believes that all individuals have the ability to learn and grow and deserve the opportunity to maximize their potential. She believes in building on individuals strengths and interests to develop new skills.