The LFCA Team

• Patti Boheme, M.S., L.C.P.C.
  Executive Vice President, Little Friends Center for Autism

Patti Boheme is the Executive Vice President of the Little Friends Center for Autism. She has been providing services for people with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities since the mid 1970s. Patti has led the development of several service models at Little Friends for individuals with Autism/Asperger's syndrome, and is knowledgeable in techniques such as PEC's, ABA, Discrete Trial and TEACCH. Patti believes in empowering parents and the importance of a positive home/school relationship. She speaks regularly at conferences and serves on several professional advisory boards.

• Dr. Cynthia Brouillard

Dr. Brouillard holds Masters and Doctoral degrees in clinical psychology. She has received specialized training in administering diagnostic instruments specific to Autism Spectrum Disorder at the Developmental Disorders Clinic at the University of Chicago. Dr. Brouillard has worked with children with developmental disabilities and provided evaluations for children with autism since 1990. She has presented at numerous workshops on Pervasive Developmental Disorders and behavior management, and also serves as an autism consultant to several schools throughout Illinois.

• Jenny Potanos, M.A., CCC-SLP/L

Jenny Potanos is a speech pathologist who specializes in autism, and is part of the Evaluation Team at the Little Friends Center for Autism. She has been working with Little Friends, Inc. since the mid-1980s, and has her own private practice in Wheaton, Illinois. Jenny has provided workshops throughout the Midwest and is one of the most respected speech pathologists in Illinois. She has been a member of several professional training teams and was on the faculty of Elmhurst College for several years. Jenny has extensive experience in assessment, teaching social skills, facilitating integrated play groups, ABA, PEC's, and visual systems. She believes in empowering families and making communication and social interaction fun for individuals with autism.

• Carol Paske

Carol Paske is the Consultation Team Coordinator and Parent Coach for the Little Friends Center for Autism. Carol has designed visual systems for the Illinois Autism/PDD Training and Technical Assistance Project Reference Library, and is also a trainer for the project. She is co-author of the Visual Training Series Program at Little Friends, Inc., and has designed visual systems for museums, school districts, home-based programs and the Brookfield Zoo. Carol has been a speaker/presenter at both the local and national level. As a parent of a child with autism, Carol understands the unique challenges of families who have children with special needs.

• Carrie Rardin, MOT, OTR/L

Carrie Rardin has been an occupational therapist at the Little Friends Parent-Infant Program since 2000. She holds a masters degree from the Midwestern University of Occupational Therapy and a bachelors degree in psychology from Benedictine University. Carrie has been trained in sensory integration and therapeutic listening, and educates parents on how to address their children's sensory processing challenges. She is certified as an evaluator as well as a provider in early intervention.

• Lisa Cisek (ABA)

Lisa Cisek is an autism consultant and an ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) clinician. She has developed and coordinated individualized programs for children from 18 months to high school, addressing issues such as toileting, eating, sleeping, and daily living skills. Lisa has implemented programs for verbal and non-verbal children alike, across the autism spectrum. She works in a variety of environments including homes, classrooms, and clinics.