Tieghan completed her masters in speech-language pathology at the University of Alberta. She began her career working with a multidisciplinary intervention team in Edmonton. She provided home-based speech and language services for children and their families, with a focus on parent education and involvement. She has experience working with a variety of clients with speech and language delays but has primarily worked with children diagnosed with Autism. Tieghan has enjoyed learning how to incorporate a neurodiversity affirming approach into her therapy and honoring all different kinds of communication and participation styles. Finding new ways to help neurodivergent children and teens connect with their authentic autistic identity has been very rewarding. Tieghan has received specialized training in motor speech (PROMPT trained), fluency, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC), autism and social communication. Tieghan is a big proponent of family-centered, play-based therapy – where building relationships comes first. She believes in the importance of setting functional goals in collaboration with families and that children learn best when they are having fun! Tieghan is a clinician who truly loves what she does and it shows in every session and interaction with her clients.

Tieghan has enjoyed exploring the island and has loved taking advantage of all the outdoor activities! When she isn’t at work, Tieghan enjoys playing various sports, baking and spending time with her friends, partner and cat.

Tieghan completed her masters in speech-language pathology at the University of Alberta. She bega... Read More

Jillian completed her Masters degree in Speech Language Pathology at the University of Northern Texas. Jillian previously worked in a private practice in Nanaimo. She has a special interest in assessment and treatment of phonological, voice, and language disorders. She also spent time with EBS Healthcare in Texas, where she was a pediatric school-based SLP working in early intervention Elementary. She has additional training in gestalt language processing and Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC). Jillian has taken FLOORTIME course and uses her training to weave in the neurodiversity-affirming elements of the program into her practice. She believes in modeling and teaching self-advocacy skills to encourage her neurodivergent clients to inform others of their strengths and interests.

While at Victoria Speech and Language Centre, she has created multiple trauma-informed self-advocating communication stories that address the double-empathy problem between autistic and non-autistic individuals. Her therapy goals and objectives for her autistic clients focus on perspective taking, explaining motives for communication and inclusion of AAC options in communication.

Jillian completed her Masters degree in Speech Language Pathology at the University of Northern T... Read More

Georgia is an occupational therapist who was born and raised on beautiful Vancouver Island in the city of Nanaimo. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. She has previous experience as a community support worker with neurodivergent individuals. A few of her clinical interests include self-regulation and sensory processing, which were extensively addressed through clinical and community development placements throughout her education. She addresses these areas in working with clients to promote self-awareness, self-advocacy skills, and positive self-identity. Georgia believes these areas are foundational to fostering good mental health, which is crucial for meaningful occupational engagement. She takes an interest-based approach in working with all her clients to support intrinsic motivation in pursuing occupational goals. Georgia is known for her dedication to pushing her clinical skills, constantly researching and learning, and finding creative and neurodiversity affirming solutions for her clients. Her leisure pursuits include mountain biking, hiking, snowboarding, and baking nutritious and delicious treats to fuel her active lifestyle.

Georgia has completed the following professional development courses:

• Therapeutic Listening ®
• Alert Program ®
• Practical Cutting Edge Interventions for Improving Executive Function Skills in Students, Foundations class – Sarah Ward
• Effective Interventions for Improving Executive Functioning Skills in Children/Students, Master Class-Sarah Ward
• Embedding Instruction into Daily Routine and Activities- Autism Community Training
• Strategies for Executive Function: Teaching Organizational Concepts and Skills: Modules 1 through 4- Michelle Garcia Winner
• Sensory Processing and Sensory-based Interventions for children- Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy
• A Multisensory Approach to Pre-K-Learning Without Tears ®
• K-2 Print Workshop-Handwriting Without Tears ®
• Teaching Students How to Schedule their Time-Sarah Ward and Kristen Jacobsen
• Goal Setting that Works (founded in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)-Randy Paterson
• Making Sense of Anxiety-Dr. Gordon Neufeld
• The Interoception Curriculum-Kelly Mahler
• Toileting, Interoception, and Nutrition: an Evidence-based Approach for promoting toileting success and independence-Kelly Mahler
• Unsafe, Unheard, and Misunderstood: Trauma from Being Atypical Living in a Typical Word -Kelly Mahler Neurodiversity Affirming OT practice -An Autism CE Summit Margaret Proctor, Founder of Learn Play Thrive
• The Get Permission Approach to Anxious Eaters, Anxious Mealtimes -Marsha Dunn Klein, Get Permission Institute

Georgia is an occupational therapist who was born and raised on beautiful Vancouver Island in the... Read More

Shannon is an occupational therapist who graduated with her MSc. OT from Queen’s University in 2018. Prior to discovering occupational therapy, she completed an undergraduate degree in clinical psychology on the east coast of Canada in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. She has extensive experience working with infants, toddlers, children, and adults with varied abilities in a variety of roles and settings. Shannon began her OT career at Make Way For Me! Occupational Therapy For Children, in Kingston, Ontario. Since moving to Victoria in 2019, Shannon has learned extensively about implementing a neurodiversity-affirming approach to treatment. In her practice, Shannon values building a strong therapeutic relationship, creating a safe space in therapy, and meeting clients exactly where they are at. Shannon believes strongly in helping individuals develop a healthy, positive self-image and the skills to advocate for their support needs. Shannon is a keen young therapist with a tangible passion for working with her clients and families to help them reach their goals in creative ways. Shannon has an intense interest in autism acceptance and works hard to help increase the community’s understanding of the beauty of neurodiversity. Shannon also learns passionately from her SLP colleagues and in the clinic we joke that she was an SLP in her previous life! In her spare time, Shannon can usually be found walking her little orange dog, Finn.

Shannon’s Additional Training Includes:

• VitalLinks Quickshifts Course
• Learning Without Tears K-5 Handwriting Course
• Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT): Introductory Course
• Cutting Edge Strategies to Improve Executive Functioning Skills
• VitalLinks Therapeutic Listening Program
• Social Thinking Strategies for Teens
• The Learn, Play, Thrive Approach to Autism: Introductory Seminar
• Interoception and Early Learners: Establishing Body Listening from a Early Age
• Augmentative/Alternative Communication Workshop: Programming with Touch Chat
• 2022 Decoding Behaviour Summit for Neurodiverse Families
• Interoception and The Non-Speaking Client
• Modern Emotion Regulation Supports for Neurodivergent Learners
• Toileting, Interoception, and Nutrition: An Evidence-Based Approach for Promoting Toileting Success and Independence
• Unsafe, Unheard, and Misunderstood: Trauma from Being Atypical in a Typical World
• HB Autism Summit: Empowering and Enabling a Neurodiversity Affirming and Strengths-Based Practice
• AHA Hippotherapy Treatment Principles Part 1: Foundations
• AHA Hippotherapy Treatment Principles Part 2 The Get Permission Approach to Anxious Eaters, Anxious Mealtimes – by Marsha Dunn Klein, OT
• Collaborative For Leadership in Ayres Sensory Integration (CLASI) Part 1
• Collarborative Proactive Solutions (CPS) by Dr. Ross Greene

Shannon is an occupational therapist who graduated with her MSc. OT from Queen’s University in 20... Read More