Caelah Gamache
Owner, Clinical Supervisor
Caelah, a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA), has over a decade of experience in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and parent & family coaching. She's a registered provider on the Ontario Autism Provider list, with expertise spanning Autism Spectrum Disorder, developmental disabilities, ADHD, anxiety disorders, acquired brain injury, and dual diagnosis.
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Starting as a Child and Youth Worker and parent coach in Ottawa, Caelah's passion for home-based family work flourished. She furthered her career as a Behaviour Consultant at CHEO, fostering her commitment to empowering families. This drive led her to establish Gamache Behaviour Consulting, dedicated to supporting parents in implementing ABA strategies and restoring joy to parenting.
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Currently serving as a behavior analyst for a local School Board, Caelah continues to share her expertise with school-based teams to address classroom behaviour concerns.
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In her off time, Caelah enjoys her adventures as a mom, the on-going pursuit of achieving a pull-up and she is an avid movie watcher, in particular Harry Potter (a category unto itself), Sci-fi, and comedy genres.
Meet The Team
Behaviour Consultant
Rachel Griffioen
Rachel has been working in the field of developmental and physical disabilities for 20 years and applying her knowledge in behaviour analysis to this field for over 10 years. During her time in the field, she has had the opportunity to work with individuals with varying physical and developmental disabilities.
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Rachel is experienced in Autism and Dual Diagnosis services and has provided services in-home and in clinical settings. She has worked directly with clients implementing behaviour analysis and in a mediator model, training caregivers to implement the strategies.
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She is trained in multiple, evidence-based, approaches such as Triple P Positive Parenting- Stepping Stones and the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). She has rounded out her practice with some training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and is currently completing her bachelor’s in Psychology at Carleton University.
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In her spare time, Rachel enjoys running, gardening and working with her animals.
Behaviour Analyst & Senior Therapist
Dannielle Ryksen
Dannielle, BCBA, has been working in the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) for close to 4 years. She entered the world of ABA through her co-op program during her undergraduate degree in psychology while at Carleton University. During this time, she had the opportunity to learn to how to implement Intensive Trial Teaching (ITT) and Naturalistic Teaching Environment strategies with individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She developed such a love for ABA that she enrolled herself in the Masters of Special Education program, with a focus in ABA, at the Arizona State University.
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Throughout her career, she has implemented ABA strategies within client’s homes and within a centre-based environment. She has rounded out her scope of competence by developing her skill set in implementing various forms of functional communication to help learners build their communication skills. She is adept at teaching applications such as Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and Proloquo2Go.
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Dannielle is very passionate about child-led programs and is currently expanding her practice in this area. In a child-led approach, skill targets are taught based on the learner's interests and preferences and teaching is done in a more natural setting.
In her spare time, Dannielle enjoys hiking and playing sports such as basketball & hockey. She also fancies herself an artist and dabbles in painting.
Behaviour Consultant
Hunter Bourgon
Hunter has been working in the field of ABA for over five years. She obtained her Board Certified Assistant Behaviour Analyst (BCaBA) in March, 2022 after completing her coursework through the Florida Institute of Technology.
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Hunter has worked with children and youth in home, daycare, school and center-based settings. She has facilitated 1:1, dyadic and triadic sessions. Hunter has experience providing comprehensive therapy to build skills and delivering focused ABA therapy services to target specific areas of development such as communication, toileting, social skills and challenging behaviours.
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Hunter is passionate about helping children and youth develop socially significant skills and build independence. She is also a practitioner of a collaborative approach to therapy and greatly enjoys working closely with families and other professionals to design treatment that is a best fit.
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In her free time, Hunter enjoys playing volleyball, going to dog parks, weekends at the cottage, spending time with family and friends and trying new things. She also is always on the lookout for a new TV show to binge or board game to play.
Behaviour Analyst
Julie Lathrop
Like many professionals in this field, Julie’s introduction to the world of Applied Behaviour Analysis started with one child and his family. She was hired to provide extra support for this child at his daycare and this quickly grew into a career in the field for over 10 years. She has undergraduate degrees in Fine Arts and Psychology (Honours), and a Master’s degree in Art Therapy. She did her coursework with the Florida Institute of Technology and completed her supervision hours to be certified as a BCBA in 2015.
Julie gained further experience working in the Autism program at CHEO. At CHEO she ran clinic and in-home sessions for children with varying needs ranging in ages from 3 to 18. She has facilitated many different parent and children’s groups in both French and English. She is trained in a variety of evidence-based approaches such as PEERS, AIM and Triple P Positive Parenting Solutions-Stepping Stones and she is currently fulfilling the role of an ABA specialist facilitating various skill-building groups at a local schoolboard.
She loves working with children and teens and is passionate about teaching skills effectively and gently. She loves spending as much time as possible with her daughters, partner, and extended family. She still loves painting and promises to show those paintings to people.... someday. ;)
Behaviour Consultant
Amy Theriault
Amy is one of our bilingual consultants. She obtained her undergrad degree in Psychology in 2014 and started her journey in the field by working front line in adult group homes, while completing a post graduate certificate in Autism and Behavioural Sciences.
She has been implementing her knowledge of ABA principles for over nine years, in both clinical and in-home settings. Her implementation experience stretches across a range of ages (from children to adults) and diagnoses including individuals with intellectual disabilities and global developmental delays. She has experience providing behaviour analysis directly to clients, individually or in groups, as well as with caregivers in a mediator training model.
She makes it a priority, when working with families, to make them a pivotal piece in the development of the behavioural plan strategies and goals. She strongly advocates that parents are the experts of their child.
In her spare time she enjoys reading thrillers, spending time with her loved ones and discovering new places.
Behaviour Consultant
Marie-Eve Blanchard
Marie-ève Allard Blanchard is a bi-lingual experienced behavior consultant with 10+ years of experience in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). She has had success in teaching new behaviors and skills to children through various programs while also providing parents with effective techniques to support their child at home.
Marie-ève strongly believes that parents are the experts on their children and makes it a top priority to involve them in the development of the behavioral plan strategies and goals. Her dedication to working collaboratively with parents and families has been instrumental in helping children achieve their goals.
In addition to her professional expertise, Marie-ève enjoys spending time with her family, playing board games, and going camping in her spare time.
Instructor Therapist
Shanez Lawrence
Shanez has nearly three years of experience in behavioral therapy and a boundless passion for making a difference! Currently juggling her studies for a joint honors degree in Psychology and Linguistics at the University of Ottawa, Shanez is on a mission to unravel the mysteries of human behavior and communication.
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With a zest for life, Shanez dives into her work with enthusiasm, bringing a fresh perspective to every challenge. Whether she's working with children or adults, Shanez is all about infusing fun into effective behavioral strategies. Her commitment to the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is as infectious as her smile, as she eagerly expands her expertise in the field.
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In her downtime, you can find Shanez hitting the gym, sharing laughs with her loved ones, or jet-setting off to explore exciting new destinations.
Instructor Therapist
Aisha Stenger-Elmas
Aisha has been working in the ABA field for 2 years. She obtained her undergraduate Developmental Psychology Degree in 2022 and is currently working on obtaining her Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology.
Aisha has worked with children and adults with varying physical and developmental disabilities, including Autism, in centre-based settings. She has worked in 1:1 client settings and group settings. Through her ABA therapy training she has worked on daily living skills, academic skills, language skills, social skills, and challenging behaviours.
Aisha is very passionate about working with children and plans to make the PTSD and trauma field the focus of her career. She also believes in play therapy, child led therapy approaches, and working in natural settings.
During her free time, Aisha loves to read, be outdoors, crochet, spend time with friends and family, and play with her dog.