Our Story
From our founder Karen George driving around Chicago providing in-home speech therapy services to a flourishing multidisciplinary practice of 200+ employees, CST Academy has come a long way. This is our story.
New Horizons Ahead
2026
New Horizons Ahead
Looking to the future, CST Academy is set to open new locations in Park Ridge and Gurnee. These centers will continue the legacy that began in 2009—offering compassionate, evidence-based therapy that empowers every child to grow, learn, and shine.
Opening in Buffalo Grove
2025
Opening in Buffalo Grove
CST’s next chapter brought another exciting addition with the opening of its Buffalo Grove location. The expansion reflects the team’s ongoing dedication to reaching more communities and providing the same high standard of therapy that families trust.
Welcoming Northbrook
2024
Welcoming Northbrook
Building on the success of Wilmette, CST Academy launched a new location in Northbrook in early 2024. The Northbrook center continues the mission of creating joyful learning environments where children can thrive through multidisciplinary care and family support.
Growing Beyond the City
2022
Growing Beyond the City
As CST Academy’s reputation continued to grow, the team proudly opened its first suburban location in Wilmette, Illinois. This milestone represented more than expansion—it symbolized CST’s commitment to making exceptional therapy services accessible to families throughout Chicagoland.
Expanding to Lincoln Park
2020
Expanding to Lincoln Park
To continue serving more families, CST opened its third location at 2121 N Clybourn Avenue in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Despite the challenges of the year, the team remained steadfast in their mission to provide consistent, high-quality therapy in a supportive and safe environment.
Adding Physical Therapy
2019
Adding Physical Therapy
CST welcomed its first physical therapist in 2019, completing the circle of care for children’s developmental needs. With speech, occupational, physical, and behavioral therapy under one roof, families could now access a truly comprehensive care experience.
Growing Together
2017
Growing Together
As word spread and demand increased, CST Academy expanded once again—opening a second clinic at 1765 N Elston Avenue, just blocks from the original Bucktown location. The addition of this space allowed more children to benefit from the team’s collaborative, play-based approach to therapy.
Expanding to Multidisciplinary Care
2016
Expanding to Multidisciplinary Care
To meet the growing needs of families, CST welcomed its first occupational therapist and board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) in 2016. This marked the start of Chicago Occupational Therapy and Chicago ABA Therapy, creating a truly multidisciplinary practice where collaboration between specialists became the cornerstone of every child’s success.
The Birth of CST Academy
2015
The Birth of CST Academy
Recognizing the need for a comprehensive program that nurtured multiple areas of child development, Karen and her team launched CST Academy—a therapeutic preschool-style program. Designed to support growth in speech, language, behavior, motor skills, and social interaction, CST Academy quickly became a model for integrated pediatric care.
A New Home in Bucktown
2012
A New Home in Bucktown
With a growing team and more families seeking care, Chicago Speech Therapy moved into its first dedicated office space at 1422 W Willow Street in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood. The new space allowed the team to better serve families and provide individualized, high-quality therapy in a welcoming environment.
Building the Foundation
2011
Building the Foundation
As referrals grew, so did the need for support. In 2011, Karen hired her first full-time speech-language pathologist and welcomed her husband, Quinn, an entrepreneur, to help manage the practice. Their shared vision laid the foundation for what would become a thriving, multidisciplinary network of pediatric therapy services.
A Dream Begins
2009
A Dream Begins
Karen George, a passionate speech-language pathologist and Marquette University graduate, had long dreamed of creating a practice dedicated to helping children communicate with confidence. In 2009, she took that leap of faith and founded Chicago Speech Therapy. What began as a small private practice quickly became a trusted resource for families across Chicago seeking compassionate, effective speech services.
CST Academy is a growing family dedicated to innovation, quality care, and helping every child thrive on their unique path to success.
What Parents Are Saying About
CST Academy
Our experience at CST Academy has been nothing short of life-changing. When our son started ABA, speech therapy, and occupational therapy, he was mostly nonverbal and easily frustrated. Within months, we saw new words every week, growing confidence, and independence with everyday tasks. His therapists truly cared about him — they celebrated every milestone right alongside us. CST Academy gave us hope and real progress.
We came to CST Academy for an autism evaluation, and the process was so compassionate and thorough. The team walked us through every step and helped us understand our child’s strengths and needs in a way that felt empowering, not overwhelming. We continued with ABA therapy afterward, and the progress has been incredible. We finally feel like we have a team that truly ‘gets’ our child.
Our daughter struggled to express herself, and we were worried about her falling behind. After starting speech therapy at CST Academy, she quickly found her voice both literally and emotionally. Her therapist made every session fun and engaging, and now she talks nonstop. We are so grateful for the CST team and the confidence they have helped her build.
Multidisciplinary Therapy Services We Offer
Embark on a journey of holistic care with our diverse range of specialized services at CST Academy. Our seamless multidisciplinary approach integrates speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, ABA therapy, feeding therapy, and more to offer tailored support for each child's unique needs.
Ages 2–6
ABA Therapy
Play-based, individualized therapy that uses positive reinforcement to help children build communication, social, and daily living skills.
Ages 2–6
Autism Evaluations
Trusted diagnostic assessments and guidance from licensed professionals to help families get clear answers and access the right support.
Ages 2–6
Therapeutic Preschool
An engaging preschool program that combines learning and play with therapy supports to prepare children for school and beyond.
Ages 2–Teen
Speech Therapy
Targeted support to build language, communication, and social interaction skills, helping children express themselves with confidence.
Ages 2–Teen
Feeding Therapy
Specialized therapy to support healthy eating habits, address picky eating, and build positive mealtime experiences.
Ages 2–Teen
Occupational Therapy
Therapies designed to improve fine motor skills, self-care, and independence in everyday routines.
Ages 2–Teen
Physical Therapy
Support to strengthen gross motor skills, coordination, balance, and mobility so children can stay active and confident.
CST Academy isn’t just therapy or preschool. It’s everything your child deserves.