Abbey is a registered Speech-language Pathologist with a wide range of professional experience in early intervention, special learning support and education. She is an outgoing, creative and adaptable clinician skilled in the development of individualized and goal-focused treatment plans.

Abbey values developing and fostering meaningful rapport with clients, families and co-workers. She enjoys working collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team, with the client and family at the centre, to reach holistic outcomes that have a real-world impact.

Abbey loves to travel and has a sausage dog named Oni (the pepperoni).

“I have a passion and determination to help people of all ages develop, regain and refine their ability to communicate.”

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

The Philippines

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

Giraffe

What’s your favourite holiday?

Halloween

This post is also available in: French

Ashley holds an Honours Bachelor with Distinctions in Linguistics with a Minor in American Sign Language and Psychology from Carleton University. She also holds a Communicative Disorders Assistant Graduate Certificate from St. Lawrence College and has completed PECS Level 1 Training.

Ashley completed a 14-week placement in the Western Quebec School Board working with children with diverse needs (e.g., high-tech communication boards (Proloquo2Go), DLD, autism, apraxia, Noonan Syndrome and others). In this placement, Ashley independently ran sessions, chose session activities, and created therapy materials and lesson plans.

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

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

What’s your favourite holiday?
Halloween

This post is also available in: French

Danika holds a Bachelor of Health Sciences in Speech-Language Pathology at Laurentian University (B.H.Sc.) as well as a Master of Health Sciences in Speech-Language Pathology at University of Ottawa (M.H.Sc.).

She speaks both English and French and has experience working with children of various ages (preschool, school-aged, teenagers) and gained experience working with autistic children during her clinical placement at ACT.

Danika is passionate about working with children and values developing a strong therapeutic relationship with clients and their families to support them in reaching their goals.

“I completed the last clinical placement of my master’s program at ACT which was a wonderful and enriching experience. The placement provided me with the opportunity to start my career as an SLP among a team that prioritizes a neurodiversity-affirming and child-led approach.

ACT’s multidisciplinary approach encourages us to work closely with other professionals which allows us to become well-rounded clinicians and facilitates using a holistic approach to best support our clients and their families.”

This post is also available in: French

Jane is a Registered Speech-Language Pathologist in Ontario and a member of SAC. She has experience providing a wide variety of services to individuals across their lifespan. In her first year of practice, she provided speech, language, feeding, swallowing, social and play therapy services in English and French to individuals and their families from 1 to 100. Jane has experience with multilingual families and finding the optimal approach to treatment to meet her clients’ specific needs.

Jane holds a Bachelor of Arts from the Université de Moncton and a Master of Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Maine. She is also nearing completion of PLAY Project certification. Jane is passionate about international travel, solidarity and friendship. She has previously traveled, studied and worked abroad, and looks forward to the opportunity to do so again.

“ACT Learning Centre provides extensive opportunities for training, professional growth and diversified practice, within the realm of autism services. It is ACT’s commitment to providing quality services for its clients and diverse opportunities for its staff which make me a proud employee.”

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

Portugal and China are next on my list!

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

A fox

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

Ice cream

This post is also available in: French

Jessica is a Speech-Language Pathologist with over ten years of experience providing services in the areas of early language, articulation/phonology, motor speech, fluency, alternative and augmentative communication, ASD, and social language skills. She has previously worked in an ASD therapy centre, as a consultant to rural area schools, and within private practice. Working with children is her passion. Jessica finds great joy supporting children (and their families) in developing their play and communication skills within meaningful play-based activities as well as daily routines.

She holds a Bachelor of Health Sciences with a Minor in Linguistics from the University of Ottawa and a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from McGill University. She is certified in PECS Level 1 and 2, Hanen More Than Words, PEERS (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills), and has additional training in AAC, motor speech (DTTC), as well as coursework on Natural Language Acquisition. She has also completed the certification course in PLAY Project.

“I love working in the Entry to School Program supporting children to learn the communication skills they need for school and to be able to communicate with anyone anywhere”.

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I really love exploring and visiting Canada! I’d love to visit New Zealand and Ireland someday.

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

What’s your favourite holiday?
Christmas (everyone is filled with kindness and good cheer).

This post is also available in: French

Karen has experience working with children and individuals with various speech and language disorders. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Cognitive Science of Language, and Sociology from McMaster University, as well as a Communicative Disorders Assistant (CDA) Graduate Certificate from St. Lawrence College.

Karen has had the opportunity to work with The University Health Network in their Adult Alternative and Augmentative Communication clinic. She worked as an Educator-therapist implementing ESDM therapy for young children for three years, before transitioning to ACT. As a PLAY Consultant, she supports parents and caregivers to develop joyous, meaningful engagement with their child. She continues to expand her skill set by supporting children as an Occupational Therapist Assistant. Karen speaks English and Spanish and loves dogs. She owns a two-year-old trouble-making German Shepherd.

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

Ice cream

What’s your favourite holiday?

Christmas

Are you a morning person or a night-owl?

Morning person

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Lauren holds a Master of Health Science in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Toronto. She also has a certificate in American Sign Language (ASL), has completed continuing education on using Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) with children who use echolalia and those who are non-speaking and is also an Individual Authorizer for Communication Aids with the Assistive Devices Program (ADP).

Since starting her SLP career, Lauren has worked with both children and adults with a range of developmental disability and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). She has a particular interest in Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) and worked at an interdisciplinary General Level clinic implementing all forms of AAC. She has also had the opportunity to develop and deliver trainings to parents and clinicians. Previously, Lauren worked as an educator-therapist using the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) and has over 8 years of experience working with autistic children and adults. At ACT, she splits her time between private practice and the Entry to School Program.

In her spare time, Lauren enjoys discovering new places and new food. She always has a new creative project on the go and has most recently been learning to sew.

“Besides the great team of clinicians I get to work with, I love that ACT prioritizes family and child-centred care using an interdisciplinary approach. I believe developing a good working relationship with both the client and family is crucial to delivering holistic care that is specific to each individual.”

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

I would love to go to Iceland!

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

Probably a sloth – we can just hang out and be lazy together

What’s your favourite holiday?

Such a tough choice! It’s a toss-up between Thanksgiving and Christmas

This post is also available in: French

Mallory Skinner is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist with the province of Ontario. Since graduating with a Masters of Communication Sciences and Disorders from McGill University in 2020, Mallory has worked with toddlers, preschool, and school-aged children, and has particular experience working in the areas of autism and augmentative/alternative communication (AAC), as well as in parent coaching and education. She has completed the Meaningful Speech courses on gestalt language processing and gestalt and AAC, and enjoys working with children who use echolalia.

She loves finding creative ways for kids to express themselves and connect with others, and believes in the capacity of all children to learn, grow and develop in their own unique way. She is an advocate for neurodiversity and child-led therapy, and knows that therapy is most successful when the whole team around the child works together. A fun fact about Mallory is she loves to play several instruments, and has been known to bring her ukulele to sessions for kids to enjoy!

“I choose to work at ACT because their values (such as upholding principles of neurodiversity and respecting the whole child) align so well with mine, and because I love getting to collaborate so closely with other disciplines.”

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

Rebecca Nishimura is the Director of Speech-Language Pathology and the PLAY Project. She is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist with the province of Ontario. Since graduating with a Master of Communication Sciences and Disorders from McGill University in 2019, Rebecca has worked primarily with preschoolers and school-aged children with autism spectrum disorders and receptive/expressive language difficulties. She emphasizes finding meaningful ways to target communication with her clients by including their interests and using therapy activities that mirror real-life needs as much as possible. Rebecca provides direct therapy and consultation to support children’s communication skills across settings and modalities.

“I work at ACT because I love collaborating with and learning from other disciplines. I feel like I learn something new every day!”

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

Raspberries

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

Japan

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

Red Panda

This post is also available in: French

Shaylyn is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist in the province of Ontario. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psycholinguistics, specializing in Communication Disorders, with a minor in American Sign Language from Carleton University. Additionally, she holds a Master of Clinical Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Western University. Throughout her education, Shaylyn gained valuable experience working with diverse populations, including both children and adults, addressing issues such as voice disorders, aphasia, swallowing, fluency, literacy, articulation and language acquisition. Before obtaining her Speech-Language Pathologist license, Shaylyn served as a Red Cross swimming instructor and worked as a respite worker.

Shaylyn enjoys outdoor activities with her family and friends; however, she equally appreciates quiet nights in with her dogs and a good book. She is also passionate about giving back to her rural community through organizing community events. She describes herself as both compassionate and creative.

“I chose to work at ACT Learning Centre because their values align with my own. I believe that individualized therapy is immensely beneficial to clients and their families because we all have diverse learning styles and unique interests! I also appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with different professions, allowing for the highest quality of care for our clients.”

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

An otter!

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

Surf and turf

What’s your favourite holiday?

Thanksgiving

This post is also available in: French

Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Arts – Joint Honours in Psychology and Linguistics as well as a Master of Health Sciences – Speech-Language Pathology. She speaks both English and French and has experience working with children and youth of various populations (autism, Down Syndrome, hearing impairment and/or low vision, speech and language difficulties, specific language impairment, literacy difficulties, etc.). Prior to obtaining her SLP license, she worked in language stimulation at a private speech therapy clinic. Additionally, she has experience working with autistic children through a day program that offered stimulation of social and language skills.

Stephanie adores spending time with my friends, cooking and baking for her family and relaxing at home with her cat! She describes herself as very curious and enjoys reading in her spare time. She also always looks forward to social activities planned on the weekends.

“I have a particular passion for working with autistic children. In fact, it played an important role in my decision to pursue a career in Speech-Language Pathology. The multidisciplinary environment at ACT Learning Centre is also a plus!”

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

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

What’s your favourite holiday?
Christmas, I have so many happy childhood memories surrounding that holiday

This post is also available in: French

Victoria is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist who graduated with a Master of Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2014. Victoria has pursued additional training in the areas of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), motor speech disorders (including PROMPT and DTTC, Dynamic Tactile and Temporal Cuing) as well as autism spectrum disorder  (including the advanced workshop for Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) and The Hanen Program’s More Than Words and TalkAbility). Victoria has completed courses on the Natural Language Acquisition approach to supporting children who communicate using echolalia (Gestalt Language Processors). Victoria is also an Individual Authorizer for Communication Aids through ADP.

Victoria has worked as a pediatric SLP since 2014 in various roles including preschool speech and language services, school-based rehab services and an expanded level AAC clinic. She has worked in the Entry to School Program at ACT since January 2022. Victoria has a particular interest in and passion for early intervention, supporting young children with ASD and their families to thrive through strengths-based intervention.

“ACT fosters collaboration across disciplines and provides opportunities for learning and growth for its staff. Victoria believes strongly in the importance of a collaborative, interdisciplinary and evidence-based approach to intervention taking the whole child into consideration in order to develop functional and meaningful goals with the family. This holistic, interdisciplinary approach is accessible to families who seek services through ACT.”

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

Antarctica

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

A jaguar

What’s your favourite holiday?

Christmas

This post is also available in: French