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

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.”

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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

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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

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

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

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

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

Rezwana is a dedicated pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist who has experience working with children and adolescents in a variety of different settings. She is passionate about providing children with the necessary tools to be successful communicators. Rezwana has extensive experience working with children with autism, expressive/receptive language difficulties and speech sound disorders. Rezwana believes that collaborating with families and other health professionals is a crucial component of providing holistic care. She loves to make sessions fun and motivating for her clients as they progress towards achieving their goals.

Rezwana currently holds a Master of Health Science in Speech-Language Pathology as well as the following certifications: Hanen It Takes Two to Talk (ITTT), PROMPT Level One, Sequential Oral-Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding Program, Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol, and the Fluency Plus Program. In her spare time, Rezwana enjoys spending time with her family, trying new restaurants and travelling.

“I am excited to be part of a team that focuses on helping children and adolescents communicate in meaningful ways!”

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?
Koala Bear

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

This post is also available in: French

Hannah Beddow is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist in the province of Ontario, graduating from McGill University with a Master of Science (Applied) in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Hannah also holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from Queen’s University specializing in Life Sciences. She has experience working with a wide range of populations, including preschool and school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder, as well as school-aged literacy. Before entering the field, Hannah worked as a medical assistant and as a crisis counsellor.

Hannah has a passion for ensuring a holistic approach to child-centered therapy by collaborating with their families and the child’s environment. Hannah is certified by the Hanen Center for their It Takes Two to Talk program. In her spare time, Hannah enjoys reading a good book and connecting with friends.

“I chose to work at ACT because I loved the emphasis they place on play-based learning and following the child’s lead! Their expertise and knowledge on neurodiversity affirming principles also stood out to me, as well as the opportunities to collaborate across multiple disciplines.”

This post is also available in: French

Victoria has been working as a pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist since 2014. She has experience and additional training in the areas of autism, augmentative communication (AAC), gestalt language processing and motor speech disorders. Victoria has a particular passion for early intervention and supporting young autistic children and their families to thrive through strengths-based care. Victoria loves working as a member of a team and believes in the importance of a collaborative, interdisciplinary and evidence-based approach to services taking the whole child into consideration in order to develop functional and meaningful goals with the family. Victoria is also passionate about and committed to continuous improvement and is honoured to support the ongoing development of the Entry to School program as the Quality Manager.

“I love working at ACT because the organization invests in the learning and development of its staff and values and fosters neurodiversity-affirming practice and collaboration across disciplines. These values translate into excellent quality services for our clients and families, which I am proud to be a part of.”

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

Nicolas holds a Master of Science in Communication Disorders from McGill University (2018) and a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics from Carleton University (2016). He is bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish.

His professional experience includes working with school boards, where he conducted assessments and provided consultations for both specialized classrooms and the general student population. He has also delivered virtual therapy focused on articulation and fluency, as well as remote rehabilitation services for adults recovering from strokes or motor vehicle accidents.

“I choose to work at ACT Learning Centre for the opportunity to collaborate with other professionals as we help each child holistically.”

Nicolas’s top three hobbies all start with the letter “B”—baseball, biking and baking.

This post is also available in: French