Our Team

The Aspire Early Intervention team includes caring, talented, and committed people who are dedicated to assisting your child reach their potential. We currently have approximately 25 therapists working at Aspire of which you can see our senior staff listed below. We always aim to provide you with well skilled therapists and have a comprehensive and intensive in-house training program for both our junior therapists and senior staff.

Clinical Director

Dianne Verstappen

B.A. Education, B. App. Sci. (Physiotherapy), MA. (Communication Disorders).

Dianne Verstappen is a registered physiotherapist in NSW and completed an undergraduate degree in physiotherapy and teaching, specialising in teaching children with special needs and curriculum development. She has completed a Masters degree in Linguistics and specialised in Communication Disorders at Macquarie University.

From 1994–1999 she has provided programs for children with a variety of special needs, such as children with Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome in a variety of settings, including pre-school, primary school and swimming classes. She worked at the Centre for Autism and Related Disorders from 2000–2006 where she trained under Dr. Granpeesheh (BCBA), Marla Saltzman (BCBA) and Dr. Sebastien Bosch. Dianne has provided ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) services to children with autism, PDD-NOS and Asperger’s Syndrome since 1999 in Australia, the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

She has a strong background in providing parent, teacher and therapist training in both theoretical and practical workshops covering a variety of ABA related topics. These include Applied Verbal Behaviour (AVB), Behaviour Management, Discrete Trial Training (DTT) and Theory of Mind. Over the last few years Dianne has specialised in teaching children play and social skills through Natural Environment Training (NET) and PRT (Pivotal Response Training).

Her current research interests are in Relational Frame Theory and its practical applications.

Office Manager

Jacqii Pilarski

 

Jacqii has worked in customer service orientated roles for over 15 years – having worked in retail, accounts and recruitment, she is well versed in liaising with clientele to ensure needs and expectations are achieved. At Aspire Jacqii is responsible for liaising between clients and staff, scheduling, recruiting staff and overall management of all office duties. Jacqii is currently completing a bachelor’s degree in early childhood teaching at Macquarie University.

A mother of 3, Jacqii has been highly involved in school and extracurricular activities, supporting reading and maths programs, regularly tutoring children with special needs at her local school and coaching a young netball team.

Jacqii is highly organised, motivated and thoroughly enjoys interacting with the children and families involved with Aspire.

Research and Development

Priscilla Almada

Priscilla is a clinical behavioural scientist-practitioner currently working on her Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of Wollongong.  Her dissertation research involves applying a Relational Frame Theory (RFT) approach to verbal behaviour, to increase current understanding of the dynamic mechanisms of perspective taking, in order to better influence complex social skills (i.e. empathy, development of self, prosocial behaviour). Priscilla is doing research under the supervision of Dr. Louise McHugh, the expert in the field of RFT research, in understanding, teaching and influencing perspective taking skills across all ages and developmental trajectories.

Priscilla completed her bachelors in Psychology (honours) with an emphasis in clinical practice, and a bachelors in Anthropology (honours) with an emphasis in culture and medicine. Since 2006, Priscilla has been actively involved in the Association of Contextual Behavioural Science community and clinical and basic research. She is a published scientist and has presented her research at several professional conferences (please contact for a complete curriculum vitae).

Priscilla has completed over 200 hours of counseling education participatory and/or experiential workshops spanning various therapeutic modalities (i.e. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Functional Analytic Psychotherapy, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), specialised populations (i.e. Autism Spectrum Disorder, children/adolescents, anxiety, depression, etc.), and contexts (i.e. schools, work, etc.).

Priscilla’s role at Aspire is to integrate the most cutting edge RFT research and help build additional resources to ensure that every child receiving care from us, is receiving the best care there is to date. Priscilla’s interests include multisensory learning, psychological flexibility, complex/advanced social skills (i.e. empathy, development of self, prosocial behaviour), and holistic and sustainable well being and communities.

Program Managers

Program Managers design, implement and evaluate programs and behaviour intervention plans. They also train therapists and are available to answer questions about your child’s program. Depending on their availability they also conduct one on one therapy with your child prior to team meetings or in between team meetings.

Miruna Thaventhiran

Program Manager

Miruna graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honours in Psychology). Miruna has over five years experience delivering intensive support services to children with autism and their families. Miruna is responsible for all senior staff training at Aspire. Professional development workshops undertaken include applied behaviour analysis, challenging behaviour training and school strategies for children with autism. Her interest are in Executive Functioning and Verbal Behaviour.

Kylie Bailey

Program Manager

Kylie completed a Bachelor of Psychology at the University of Western Sydney in 2011. Kylie commenced working with children with ASD in 2008, and in this short space of time has worked with a number of children aged between 13 months and 13 years, of varying developmental levels. Kylie has worked with these children both in their home and as a shadow in preschools and primary schools. Kylie has undertaken courses in Applied Behavioural Analysis, Human learning and cognition, Motivation and emotion, Working with children with special needs and their families, Behaviour and environment, Toilet training, Social skills, Child development and Developmental psychology, among others. Kylie has particular interest in working on flexibility, social skills, success in society, transitioning children to new environments and introducing children to new foods. Kylie attended the ARMS Global for Autism Conference in Brisbane 2011, attending seminars by Temple Grandin, Mary Lynch-Barbera and Tony Atwood. In late 2011 Kylie spent some time at one of the most successful ABA schools in Utah, United States and worked with a child in Salt Lake City.

 

Karen Lyth

Consultant Psychologist

 

Karen Lyth is a registered Psychologist.  Karen has always had an affinity with younger children even when she was a child herself.  At the age of 14, Karen was engrossed by the story about a child who had been misdiagnosed with autism – “Dibs in Search of Self” by the Psychologist Virginia Axline.  Karen had purchased it using the book prize money she received from school.

Since then, Karen has completed a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in psychology and pharmacology.  Karen gained a Post Graduate Diploma in Child and Adolescent Psychology in 1989 and a Masters degree in Counselling in 1999. Karen’s ABA experience started in 1992 when four families first brought ABA from the USA to Sydney.  Karen has had the opportunity in working with 3 out of the 4 “pioneer families”.

Karen has a strong background in discrete trial training.  Her passion is in teaching functional skills.  She finds tackling daily self help challenges such as eating, showering, nail and hair cutting extremely rewarding. Karen’s commitment to each child’s growth and learning is evident in the fact that she has stayed working with most families for 5 years or longer. Since the birth of her child in 2006, Karen has now a deeper understanding of developmental issues and parenthood.

Katherine Santiago

Program Manager

Katherine has completed a Bachelor of Applied Science (Psychology), Masters of Teaching (Primary) and a Masters of Special Education (Specialising in Emotional Disturbance and Behavioural Disorders). She is a qualified Special Needs and Primary Teacher and has had experience working with children of all abilities. Katherine has also had 7 years experience working with Autism and ABA and has implemented behavioural intervention, designed, worked and maintained individual education and positive behavioural support plans within pre-school, primary school and home settings.

Katherine is  constantly looking for opportunities to professionally develop and be involved in extra curricular activities in order to be an effective, helpful and competent educator. Having completed courses in PECS, Makaton signing, Sensory input and First Aid, as well as attending DET courses on the use of the Interactive Whiteboard, ESL students and Quality teaching. Her interests include the use of natural environment training, positive behavioural support in a whole school environment as well as a multisensory approach to learning.

Sanjna Shettar

Program Manager

Sanjna graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts and Science degree (Psychology). She has worked in the Autism and ABA field for more than four years. Sanjna has predominantly worked with non-verbal children across a broad spectrum of ages including infancy through to adolescence. Her experience has also involved providing respite services to families with developmental disorder(s). Professional development workshops undertaken include applied behaviour analysis, key word signing and Relational Frame Theory. Her interests are in Executive Functioning, Language and Communication and Social skills.

Michelle Backley

Program Manager

Michelle commenced as an ABA therapist in 2005, in this time she has worked with a wide range of children on the spectrum. Michelle has worked in mainstream primary, special needs primary and preschool settings across Sydney, designing and implementing transition and positive behavioural support plans. Michelle is experienced in a wide range of programs including social skills groups, joint sessions, sibling play skills and home based applied behaviour analysis.  Michelle is currently in charge of all our social skills groups at Aspire. Since starting ABA, Michelle has completed a Bachelor of Science (psychology) at the University of New South Wales and is expected to complete her BCaBA through the Florida Institute of Technology early 2012. Michelle’s professional development workshops include Relationship Development Intervention and Relational Frame Theory. Her interests include helping ASD children to be as successful as possible in a classroom setting and developing social and play skills.

Rebecca Jaggard

Program Manager, Registered Psychologist.

Rebecca completed a Bachelor of Arts, with majors in History and Government & International Relations in 2005. She then completed a Graduate Diploma in Psychology, followed by a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Psychology in 2008. She has over three years experience delivering intensive behaviour therapy to children with autism and ADHD in home and school settings.

Rebecca has been teaching swimming since 2003, to typically developing and special needs children. This inspired her interest in working as a behaviour therapist and pursuing a career in developmental psychology. Rebecca’s main interests are in teaching social and play skills in the school environment, managing anxiety in children with autism and family support programs.

 

Melissa Keir

Senior Therapist, Intern Psychologist

Melissa is an intern educational and developmental psychologist. She completed her Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) in 2009, following which she was employed at the University of Western Sydney as a research assistant. She is currently completing a Master of Educational and Developmental Psychology through Monash University. Melissa began working as an educator in 2004, children with aptitudes ranging from special needs through to gifted and talented. She has worked as an ABA therapist for the last two years. Melissa also has experience in psychological assessment and diagnosis, and designing and implementing cognitive-behavioural interventions. Professional development courses and workshops completed include; Advanced Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Developmental Psychology and Counseling, Exceptionality: Assessment, Intervention and Research, Cognitive, Personality and Educational Assessment, and Clinical Interventions in Educational and Developmental Psychology. Her interests include executive functioning and emotional regulation.

 

Ada Amitrano

Senior Therapist

Ada completed her education in 1987, where she trained as a primary school teacher at “Istituto Magistrale Manzoni”, Naples, Italy. She gained several years experience as a full time primary school teacher working in particular with special needs children whilst also providing respite for families.

In the early nineties, Ada migrated to Australia with her family. She became involved with ABA when a close family member was diagnosed with ASD at a young age. During this time, Ada became an active part of a team of therapists and she was directly involved in managing this program. She became inspired by the incredible progress that was achieved and started her career as a full time ABA therapist not long after.

Since then Ada has worked with several families as a one on one therapist and also shadowing children in preschool and primary school settings. She has also taught Italian for the past four years at the Clever Kids Tutoring Centres. Her interests include augmentative alternative communication with the use of sight words and behaviour management.

 

Carley Thomas

Senior Therapist

Carley graduated from the University of Western Sydney with a Bachelor of Psychology, PGrad Dip Psych. Carley has a strong passion for working with children on the autism spectrum, which was derived after a close family member was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome. Since she she has been working with Aspire, she has implemented intensive behaviour therapy into programs in both home and school settings for children ranging from 3 – 9 years old. Carley has particular interest in teaching social skills, verbal behaviour, as well as the use and implementation of visual schedules.

Alycia Cantrill

Senior Therapist

Alycia is currently in the process of completing her Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy) at the University of Sydney. Alycia has been working with children with special needs since early 2010, and subsequently has developed a passion for assisting children to reach their full potential. Alycia has worked with a number of children of varying ages and developmental levels, both in their home and as a school shadow in a primary school setting. Alycia has undertaken professional development workshops in Applied Behaviour Analysis, Verbal Behaviour, School Shadowing, and PECS and has a particular interest in social play and communication, and verbal behaviour.

Christie Metcalf

Senior Therapist

Christie has worked as an ABA therapist since 2008, and has had experience in both home and school settings. She has worked in both a preschool and primary setting with a range of children on the spectrum. Christie completed her Bachelor of Psychology at the University of Western Sydney in 2010. Her final year research project looked at Resilience and Humour styles in Adults, and found a correlation between positive styles of humour and various factors that lead to resiliency. Christie’s interests include anxiety in children, psychological assessment and social skills training.

Melinda Kelsey

Consultant Occupational Therapist

Melinda graduated from the University of Western Sydney with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy. She has worked in both the private and public sectors for several years. Her experience has been in paediatrics where she worked her way to senior therapist prior to commencing her own private practice. She is an active member of the Australian Association of Occupational Therapists. She has presented a research paper at the National Paediatric Occupational Therapy Conference in Brisbane in 2003. She has also had an abstract accepted into the 2007 National Allied Health Conference in Tasmania.

She has been recognised as a highly successful graduate by the University of Western Sydney who have recently completed an article on her for the UWS graduate profiles.

Tamara Boyle

Consultant Speech Pathologist

Tamara graduated from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Class IIa Honours) and is a current member of the Speech Pathology Association of Australia. Tamara has over 4 years experience working within a multidisciplinary team with children aged 0-school entry diagnosed with an ASD, physical disability and/or developmental delay. Her experience includes delivering early intervention services to children with an ASD, in addition to involvement in a local multidisciplinary assessment team that diagnoses autism and developmental delay.

Employment

At Aspire, one of our goals is to provide the highest quality treatment to our clients. To achieve this we are looking for dedicated people who want to join our team and are looking for ongoing staff training and development, excellent potential for advancement and competitive salaries. We are also open to staff suggestions and ideas.

We are currently looking for one more program manager to join our team and are also looking for dedicated therapists with more than one year experience to be trained as senior therapists.

If you are interested please contact us by sending your CV and your resume to: info@aspireearlyintervention.com

Program Managers

Program Managers work under the direction of the Clinical Director to provide top-quality client service. The Program Manager will be responsible for report writing and programming responsibilities for each client he or she is assigned. Currently we have an opening for a program manager in full time employment, although we would happily accommodate part time employment.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct initial and on-going assessments such as FBA’s, and based on these assessments, evaluate, design and maintain top quality treatment programs
• Conduct program changes during regularly scheduled team meetings
• Learn and implement Aspire’s treatment programs including Verbal Behaviour, Precision Teaching and PRT
• Lead and train treatment teams
• Set and achieve performance goals with client, parents , and treatment teams
• Prepare for and attend client educational meetings (Individual Education Plan meetings, IFSP) and develop treatment recommendations
• Conduct school observations and write recommendation reports
• Assist with training of staff
• Train family members on treatment techniques; maintain positive working relationship with clientsí family; respond to questions in a timely and professional manner

Qualifications:

• Minimum of three years experience providing Applied Behaviour Analysis treatment to children with autism, need to have worked with and implemented treatment programs for at least 10-15 children
• A minimum Bachelor’s Degree from a university in Psychology, Speech Pathology, Early Childhood Education with a teaching credential, Behaviour Analysis, or related field
• Preferred Masters Degree in Special Education, Behaviour Analysis, Speech pathology or Communication Disorders.
• Must be prepared to sit for BCaBA or BCBA examination within 12-18 months of completing program managers training
• Must have completed Aspire Senior Therapist Training Program and pass theoretical and practical components
• Demonstrate knowledge of ABA treatment techniques and treatment program designs for children of varying skill levels
• Proven people-management skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent administrative skills
• Key Characteristics: Professional, dedicated to assisting children and their families, organised, creative, motivating, goal-driven

Benefits:

• Competitive remuneration based on experience and educational qualifications
• Paid training time and office time
• Opportunities to work on research and development projects
• Opportunities for advancement
• Middle East & International travel opportunities
• Earned vacation pay for full-time employees
• Ongoing training & professional development
• Flexible working hours

Therapists

Job Description

• Work one on one with children in the home, school, and community
• Follow a structured program designed to teach language, play, social, motor, and self-help skills to children with autism or related disorders
• Participate in a thorough initial training program with instruction in autism, Applied Behaviour Analysis, verbal behaviour, teaching strategies, behaviour management, data collection, and ethics
• Participate in ongoing trainings and attend regularly scheduled team meetings for each client
• Work collaboratively and effectively communicate with colleagues, parents, and school personnel

Job Requirements

• At least 2 years of undergraduate education in Psychology, Speech pathology, Education, or a related field
• Some experience working with typically developing children or children with special needs desirable

Benefits

• Ongoing training & professional development
• Flexible working hours
• Frequent opportunities for wage increase
• Excellent opportunities for advancement

Additional Information

• To ensure that all therapists meet our high performance standards, trainees need to pass a written examination with open ended questions and a practical evaluation prior to working with clients on their own.
• We provide regularly scheduled trainings and workshops throughout employment at Aspire.
• Typically, each full-time therapist works with 3-4 different children. Schedules change regularly to meet the needs of our clients; however, we also offer flexible hours to meet the needs of our employees.