Mackenzie graduated from the University of Ottawa in 2015 with a Bachelor of Psychology. She continued her educated at the University of Western and achieved a Master of Professional Education with a Specialization in Applied Behaviour Analysis. Mackenzie became a BCBA in 2020 and holds certifications in AIM and VB-MAPP, as well as level 4 PFB/SBT.

Mackenzie has been working with children with ASD for over 10 years. She has experience as an Instructor Therapist, Senior Therapist and Supervising Senior Therapist. In her spare time, Mackenzie runs a study prep program for individuals getting ready to write their BCBA exams. The program is called Study CABA (Study “Canadian Applied Behaviour Analysis”).

Mackenzie is extremely passionate about trauma-informed approaches to treating dangerous behaviour, developing individualized program goals, collaborating with other professionals and the training and supervision of staff.

“The multidisciplinary approach really stood out to me when I was considering employment at ACT. There are very few (if any) other providers in the Ottawa area that provide access to ABA, Speech and Occupational Therapy all under the same roof and within the same funding model. It is something that really sets ACT apart from other organizations and makes me very proud to be a part of it!”

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be? 

Greece!

If you could have any exotic animal as a pet, what would it be?

Penguin! I don’t really know why, but they have always been my favourite animal!

If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Anything Italian

This post is also available in: French

Marie Cybelle speaks Kirundi, English and French and has experience working with children and young adults with ASD in many different environments. Marie also holds a Diplôma en Intervention Au près des personnes ayant un handicape.

“I work at ACT because the vision and values of the company, agree with the ideal environment in which I wanted to share my experience.”

If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Fruit

What’s your favourite holiday?

Christmas

Are you a morning person or a night-owl? 

Morning person

This post is also available in: French

Meghan is a bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist and has been working in the field for over a decade. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Western and a Master of Science Speech-Language Pathology from McGill University. Meghan has completed Hanen Centre’s Learning Language and Loving it’ certification, as well as an ABA Certificate Course for Educators through the Geneva Centre for Autism.

Meghan’s passion is working with children and youth who have complex communication challenges (e.g., neurodiverse individuals, motor speech disorders, augmentative and alternative communication). She works to help children to improve their communication abilities, effectively express themselves and form connections with others. Meghan’s second passion is the great outdoors and traveling. She has camped in Northern Ontario for 15 days straight, traveled alone for two months in Southeast Asia, and lived and volunteered in Ghana for two months.

“I love working with neurodiverse children and youth who possess a range of abilities including unique talents and challenges, and ACT Learning Centre specializes in working with this wonderful population.”

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Galapagos Islands

If you could have any exotic animal as a pet, what would it be?
Hippopotamus

If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Mangoes

This post is also available in: French

Melissa began her career in the field of ABA in 2016. She holds a Master of Special Education with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis and completed her certification as a BCBA upon joining the ACT team. Melissa enjoys collaborating with other professionals and using evidence-based interventions to assist young clients as they transition into the school system. When Melissa isn’t working, she enjoys spending time with her husband, two teenage children and her wild Bernedoodle!

If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Sushi

What’s your favourite holiday?

Christmas

Are you a morning person or a night-owl?

Night-owl

This post is also available in: French

Mikaela started in the field in 2020 and joined the ACT team in February 2021. Mikaela holds an Honours Bachelor of Child Studies and a minor in Psychology. In October 2021, she completed her Registered Behavioural Technician (RBT) certification. She offers ABA and ESDM therapy to help children and youth achieve meaningful changes in their lives. She enjoys running, teaching her dog (Loki) new tricks and planning her next trip to Disney World

“ACT gave me the opportunity to continue to work and learn alongside a multi-disciplinary team, offering novel strategies and recommendations to better the lives of the clients I care for.”

If you could have any exotic animal as a pet, what would it be?

Giraffe

If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Bacon

What’s your favorite holiday?

Christmas

This post is also available in: French