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 Social worker (RSW) 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 from the University of Western Ontario in 2015. 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 Master of Arts/PhD degree in School and Applied Child Psychology at the Faculty of Education at Western University.

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
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.  

 

 

Candace Dieker

BA Psycology., DSW, ABS
Lead Behaviour Therapist

Candace is currently enrolled in the Master of Professional Education program at Western University, with a specialization in Applied Behaviour Analysis. 

She holds an Honours degree in Psychology from Queen’s University and has completed a Developmental Services Worker Diploma and Autism and Behavioural Science Graduate Certificate from Fanshawe College. 

With over a decade of experience, Candace has dedicated her career to working with individuals of all ages who have diverse disabilities and mental health conditions. She is deeply committed to utilizing evidence-based teaching strategies to enhance the quality of life for both individuals and their families.

In her leisure time, Candace enjoys undertaking renovation projects and cherishing moments with her rescue pets.

 

Aislinn Connor

BA Psychology- ABS
Instructor Therapist

Aislinn holds an Honours in Psychology from Western University and completed a graduate certificate in Autism and Behavioural Science from Fanshawe College.

She believes that everyone can succeed with the right support. Aislinn believes in the evidence-based approach of ABA and that everyone has a right to be understood which is why she is passionate about the field. A strength of hers is using creativity to connect with individuals and help build relationships.

When she is not working, Aislinn enjoys checking out new markets and trying new recipes.

 

 

Smriti Bisht

Ms Psy-ABS
Instructor Therapist

Smriti holds a Master's degree in Psychology and a diploma in Autism and Behavioral Sciences, from Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, where she received the Dean's Honour distinction. Her journey into the autism field was driven by a deep empathy for children facing unique challenges. This led her to actively seek diverse internships and engage in extensive volunteer work in India, broadening her understanding and enhancing her ability to apply varied insights for her clients' benefit. 

 Smriti possesses a remarkable knack for quickly adapting and problem-solving, tailoring interventions to meet each individual's specific needs. Her strengths lie in building strong relationships, understanding client preferences, and making learning enjoyable.

 

 

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.

 

Jenn Purdy

BA, MS Ed
Instructor Therapist

Jenn holds a BA in French from Brescia University College as well as a Masters in Education specializing in Special Education and is working towards an RBT designation.

With over 5 years of experience working with children with learning disabilities in an educational setting and having 2 boys of her own that have special needs, Jenn believes that all students can each their potential with the right tools and direction. 

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and her 3 dogs and is also working on getting her Doula certification.

 

 

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.

 

 

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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