About Us
At Behaviour Avenues, we teach skills to foster independence and inclusion. Our services are tailored to meet each individual’s learning style and needs. All of our autism services are developed and supervised by Board Certified Behaviour Analysts (BCBA’s).
How exactly does ABA therapy work?
Learn about ABA
Meet the Owner
Lina Hawi
Owner & Clinical Director
Lina Hawi, is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) and a Registered Behaviour Analyst R.B.A (ONT.) with more than 20 years of experience in special education, inclusion, developmental
services, and ABA therapy.
Background
Lina graduated with a Master’s degree in Applied Behaviour Analysis in 2015 as well as a Master of Arts in child psychology from the University of Western Ontario in 2024. Lina held several leadership positions throughout her career life overseas as well as in Canada. Lina became a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst in February 2018 and started delivering private ABA therapy for children in London and the surrounding areas. Prior to that Lina was the ABA lead in one of the school boards in Canada, then moved to the developmental sector and worked as a behaviour analyst providing behaviour services and consultations for adults with autism and intellectual disabilities. Lina is currently pursuing her PhD in School and Applied Child Psychology at the Faculty of Education at Western University. Lina became a Registered Behaviour Analyst with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario on July 1st, 2024
Specialization
Lina specializes in the assessment and treatment of challenging behaviours, teaching functional communication skills, and developing treatment programs addressing higher cognitive abilities and social skills.
Behaviour Avenues
Lina established Behaviour Avenues in 2021 where she invested all her skills and expertise to serve the children and families in her community. Behaviour Avenues Inc contracts with BCBAs, ABA instructor therapists who hold BA in psychology, Master of Professional Education in Applied Behaviour Analysis, college diploma in Autism and Behavioural Sciences, and Registered Behaviour Technicians.
Behaviour Avenues is based in London, Ontario. We serve clients in London, Aylmer, Lucan, Kilworth, St. Thomas, Alisa Craig, Ingersoll, Ilderton, Komoka, Exeter, Strathroy, Thorndale, Tillsonburg, St Mary's, and surrounding areas.
Lina speaks Arabic, English and French and can deliver services in any of these languages.
Our Staff
Brynn Jichici
BA Psychology & Disability Studies, MA.ADS, BCBA, RBA (Ont.)
Clinical Supervisor
Brynn is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst who completed her Master’s of Arts in Applied Disability Studies with a specialization in Applied Behaviour Analysis at Brock University and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Disability Studies at the University of Windsor.
Brynn is extremely passionate about supporting and empowering individuals with developmental disabilities. She has been working in the field for over 10 years in various recreational and clinical positions.
Brynn specializes in functional behaviour assessments, behaviour reduction, skill development, and parent coaching. Brynn’s strengths are empathy and critical thinking.
Brynn enjoys singing, playing piano, growing and killing her house plants and going on hikes.
Danika Saunders
BA Psychology,
Lead Behaviour Therapist
Danika is currently completing her Master’s of Applied Behaviour Analysis through Griffith University and accruing her BCBA fieldwork hours. Danika graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Western University. Danika has over 6 years of experience working with children with varying disabilities in educational, recreational, clinical and private home settings.
Danika is passionate about the field of ABA and supporting her clients to learn new skills, gain independence, and achieve socially significant goals. Danika appreciates that every learner is different and she strives to create a welcoming environment that supports each client’s individualized needs while fostering their growth and development. Danika loves to learn and is eager to develop her clinical skills and become a Behaviour Analyst.
Sara Bouzied
RECE
Instructor Therapist
Sara holds a diploma in Early Childhood Education from Fanshawe College and is working towards an RBT designation.
With over 10 years of experience supporting students with exceptionalities in the classroom setting and 8 years in daycare settings, Sara can adapt quickly and problem-solve if something isn't working or needs to be adjusted to suit each individual needs. She supported hundreds of students with transition and functional communication and social skills and believes in applied behaviour analysis as an evidence-based approach to teach those skills. She is very creative in embedding the target skills through natural environment training and incidental teaching.
Sara believes that every child deserves a nurturing environment to learn and grow. During her free time, Sara is a hockey coach.
Roksana Mirzae
MA, MPEd
Instructor Therapist
Roksana holds a Master's degree in the Psychology of Children with Special Needs and a Master of Education from Western University. Additionally, she is set to pursue her Master's degree in ABA in the summer of 2024.
With extensive experience as an ABA therapist in clinical and home settings, she brings valuable insight into supporting individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Her passion for ABA therapy and dedication to the ASD community drive her ongoing pursuit of educational advancement in this field.
Recognizing the individuality of each learner, Roksana prioritizes the creation of dynamic and tailored learning environments that cater to specific needs. Her goal is to foster a fun and engaging atmosphere where every child can thrive.
In her leisure time, Roksana finds joy in painting and cooking.
Amarilda Shuti
BA, ABS
Instructor Therapist
Amarilda is a dedicated professional with a strong educational background in Psychology and Mental Health. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Mental Health, which she completed with a passion for understanding human behavior and promoting mental well-being.
Complementing her degree, Amarilda earned a college certificate in Autism and Behaviour Science from Fanshawe College. This specialized education equipped her with valuable skills and knowledge in supporting individuals on the autism spectrum, emphasizing applied behaviour analysis and behaviour intervention strategies.
She is committed to making a positive impact in the field of mental health and autism support, leveraging her academic expertise and compassionate approach to empower individuals.
In her leisure time, Amarilda enjoys reading books and exploring nature through long walks, activities that enrich her understanding and perspective.
Nicole Walsh
BSW
Instructor Therapist
Nicole Walsh is a dedicated instructor therapist based in London, Ontario. Originally from the Windsor-Essex County area, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and Disability Studies from the University of Windsor. Nicole's interest in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy began during her time in direct support work.
With over five years of experience in the field, Nicole has provided support to individuals with disabilities across various settings, including group homes, and has managed a range of behaviors from low to high risk. Her extensive experience includes handling high-risk behaviours, behaviour support plans (BSP), Non-Violent Crisis Intervention (NVCI), and behaviour data collection.
Nicole is passionate about enhancing the lives of those she supports, focusing on skill development and celebrating individual successes. She values building strong, supportive relationships with the people she works with, ensuring their achievements are the top priority.
Outside of work, Nicole enjoys spending time with her dogs, crocheting, and bowling.
Our Approach
Individualized
Our services are unique because we use different types of
assessments and approaches depending on the person’s needs and strengths. Our teaching
protocols are tailored to meet each person’s learning style and needs. Although all our services are based on ABA principles, we do not use the same approach with
the children we serve.
What does a session look
like?
Evidence-based
ABA or applied behaviour analysis is an evidence-based approach that is based on the science
of behaviour and motivation. We also strongly adhere the ethical and professional guidelines to guarantee the use of the most
effective and least intrusive interventions, taking into considerations the client’s needs first.
What are the benefits of
ABA?
Collaborative
Our approach is person-centered and trauma-informed. We accommodate the needs of the child and the family,
taking into consideration the history of the child, medical profile, trauma history, and
environmental factors. We also consider caregiver capacity and resources.
Learn about a typical
session
What is ABA?
ABA or Applied Behaviour Analysis is a systematic approach to teach new skills and to treat challenging behaviours; it is based on the science of motivation and learning. Every skill is broken down into smaller steps, and treatment goals are determined based on clinical assessments.
ABA is evidence-based, meaning that it is supported by research that is an effective treatment for people with autism. ABA relies on data collection to track the client’s progress in every skill.
ABA therapy results in improved:
Quality of life
Communication skills
Social skills
Daily living skills
Cognitive abilities
Skills for academic success
Our Approach
Individualized
We utilise different types of clinical assessments depending on the clients’ goals and age. We focus on our clients’ strengths rather than their disabilities. Because every person is unique, we follow different avenues to meet them where they are and to help them strive.
Evidence-based
ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) is an evidence-based approach that is based on the science of behaviour and learning. We apply ABA principles throughout our services to teach behaviours that matter to the client and their care-givers. We strongly adhere to ethical guidelines ensuring the use of the least intrusive and most effective interventions.
Collaborative
Our approach is person-centered and trauma-informed. We accommodate the needs of the child and the family, taking into consideration the history of the child, medical profile, trauma history, and environmental factors. We also consider caregiver capacity and resources.
What is Trauma Informed ABA?
Providing trauma informed care means that the practitioner takes any traumatic events or
negative experiences that the client has gone through into consideration. A thorough
comprehensive assessment is conducted during the intake process to learn more about the
client’s history, fears, crisis situations they have witnessed, illness, hospitalisation, and other
negative experiences. The BCBA carefully designs treatment protocols taking trauma history
into account and ensuring the client is not being exposed to anything that may trigger
memories of a traumatic experience. We also adhere to the Ethical guidelines for BCBAs in
terms of using “the least intrusive, most effective treatment for the client”.
Learn more about the Code of Ethics for Behaviour Analysts
We also offer autism services for teens and adults.
View our list of services
What does a session look like?
Alternative Behaviours
For each behaviour to decrease, we teach an alternative behaviour that replaces that behaviour. For instance, if your child cannot sit or attend to a task, we teach focusing and attending (decreasing hyperactive behaviour, increasing on task and focused behaviours).
Common Challenges
Fun Therapy Sessions
We teach new behaviours making therapy time fun time. During therapy you will see the instructors using a variety of toys or fun games or specific things that the child likes. And if the child doesn’t want to sit, we teach them to ask for a break appropriately instead of engaging in problem behaviour to escape.
Services for Children
Tracking Progress
We track the program effectiveness on each skill by collecting data and monitoring the progress with graphs. For instance, at the beginning of therapy, we record the duration of time the child can sit and attend to the instructor, and after a few sessions we look at the duration charts. Our kiddos usually start with as low as 5 seconds of ability to focus and they reach up to 45 minutes of continuous attending and focusing on instruction without problem behaviour. We celebrate each millstone with the child and the parents. All teaching protocols and data sheets are kept in a binder in a secure place in the clients’ home.
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