Behavioural Team
Ida Chung, M.ADS., BCBA
Founder and Clinical Director
Highlight of Qualification:
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Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®)
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Master’s degree in Applied Disabilities Studies (M.ADS) with specialization of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)
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Met Requirements of Supervision for those who are pursuing BCBA, BCaBA or RBT.
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Listed as Clinical Supervisor for Ontario Autism Program (OAP)
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Professor at Humber College in the Bachelor of Behavioural Science Program
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Currently pursuing Ph.D in Psychology, with specialization in ABA
Additional Certifications:
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Promoting Emergence of Advanced Knowledge (PEAK) Level 1 and 2
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Early Start Denver Model Introductory Course (ESDM)
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Facing Your Fear (FYF)
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Certified Safety Care Trainer
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Certified Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) Level 1
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Certified Pivotal Response Training (PRT) Level 1
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Canadian Red Cross FirstAid CPR/AED Standard C Certification
Ida is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®) and the founder of Glowing Growth Autism Services Inc. She specializes in children's education and development, staff training and parent coaching, and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Ida holds a Master's degree in Applied Disabilities Studies (M.ADS) with a specialization in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) from Brock University; and a Hon. B.A in Contemporary Studies with Children's Education and Development, minor in Health Studies and Psychology, from Wilfrid Laurier University. In addition, Ida is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Psychology, with a specialization in ABA.
Ida is a member of the Ontario Association of Behavior Analysis, Inc (ONTABA) and the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI). She is dedicated to supporting families in need through Applied Behaviour Analysis. Eager to learn more, Ida also attends international and local workshops and training sessions held by recognized organizations. Ida has completed different certified training, including Pivotal Response Training (PRT), Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), Promoting the Emergence of Advanced Knowledge (PEAK), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT), and Relational Frame Theory (RFT). Other than clinical practices, Ida's passion is to promote and support the field of ABA. She is committed to developing and implementing professional training workshops, parents training, and inter-professional training. She is also a part-time professor in the Bachelor of Behavioural Science at Humber College.
Ida's academic and work experiences have provided her the unique opportunity to observe and experience the immense impact that high-quality services can have on the lives of individuals with ASD and other disabilities. Her philosophy is to provide comprehensive interventions that are highly individualized for each individual.
Vivian Tam, M.S., BCBA
Program Director/Clinical Supervisor
Highlight of Qualification:
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Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®)
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Master's degree in Science, with specialization in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) at St. Cloud State University
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Member of the Ontario Association of Behavior Analysis, Inc (ONTABA)
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Member of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI)
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Met Requirements of Clinical Supervisor for Ontario Autism Program/Childhood Budget
Vivian is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®) and the Program Supervisor at Glowing Growth Autism Services Inc. Vivian completed her Master's degree in Science, with specialization in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) at St. Cloud State University. She also holds a B.S in Psychology specializing in Behaviour Disorders at the University of Toronto.
Vivian is a member of the Ontario Association of Behavior Analysis, Inc (ONTABA), the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI). She is well-versed in providing high-quality, individualized treatment and has been involved in the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis for the past 10 years. She has worked as an ABA school teacher and behaviour therapist delivering Intensive Behaviour Therapy (IBI), with individuals on the Autism Spectrum and other developmental disorders ranging from 1.5 years old to 25 years of all abilities. Her expertise includes IBI program planning, oversee home-based programs, and, behaviour plans. Her wide-ranging skills further continue with developmental assessments (eg. ABLLS-R, AFLS-R PEAK, VB-MAPP), Direct Instruction, Precision teaching curriculums and designing training protocols for staffs and parents.
Vivian's passion for ABA comes not only from her strong clinical background but also the pleasure of witnessing how interventions can make a difference in one's life. With her dedication and love for the children, she works diligently with other interdisciplinary professionals to provide the most comprehensive and client- centred treatments. It is her hope to combine her passion for teaching ABA and prepare families with effective tools for lasting behaviour change.
Jennifer Castillo, M.ADS, Hon B.Sc., RBT.
Program Supervisor
Jennifer completed her Undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto in 2017 where she obtained an Hon. B.Sc in Mental Health Studies and Linguistic. Jennifer is also a Registered Behavior Technician (approved by the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board - BACB) and is supervised under a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst.
During her time at the University she was exposed to different techniques, and the basis of applied behaviour therapy and behaviour modification. It was due to her education in Linguistics in which she dealt with topics related to speech and language disorders that sparked her interest and passion to work with children with Autism.
Jennifer’s work with children began at the age of 16 where she began volunteering with numerous organizations and summer camps as a mentor and counsellor. Her work continues through her active role as an ESL teacher. Jennifer has the capabilities of guiding and teaching our clients new activities and skills as well as helping them further develop certain abilities. Jennifer is committed to providing specialized ABA therapy for each of our clients as well as communicating with their families. She is driven by the desire to understand Autism in order to maximize her role as an Instructor Therapist.
Jennifer is currently continuing her education in the Master’s Degree Program at Brock University for Applied Disabilities Studies, with specialization in Applied Behaviour Analysis and is working towards achieving a BCBA certification. Jennifer is also certified with Canadian Red Cross FirstAid CPR/AED Standard C Training.
Marina Fahmy, Hons B.Sc., RBT., Master's Degree In Progress
Assistant Program Supervisor
Marina has completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, where she obtained her Honours Bachelor Degree in Science with a double major in Psychology and Neuroscience. During her time at the University, she focused her courses on Behaviour Modification which included Applied Behaviour Analysis and much more. Currently, she is also continuously pursuing her education by working on her Master’s Degree Program for Counselling Psychology and is completing the 40-hours Registered Behaviour Technician (RBT) training course which is approved by the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board (BCBA). Marina is also a certified Canadian Red Cross FirstAid CPR/AED Standard C First Aider.
Marina has more than 5 years experience working with children of various ages, whether during her volunteer experience through church services or at various summer camps as a counsellor. Her interests in working with children with disabilities was intrigued when she started working as a preschool teacher in a daycare, where she dealt with a couple of kids who were diagnosed with the autism. This experience sparked her interest to pursue a career dedicated to working and helping children with developmental disabilities.
Marina has experience in providing services for children with different developmental disabilities in a variety of settings. Her tactics are by applying a holistic, strength based approach in her work, while she includes creative techniques such as arts and musical activities to keep children engaged and promote social skills.
Marina is dedicated, devoted and passionate to ensure that each child gets the help and support they need through adaptive intervention techniques.
Ariana Rotondi, Hons B.A., RBT., Master's Degree In Progress
Lead Therapist
Ariana has completed her undergraduate degree with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Studies from Ryerson University. She has been working with children and adults with a variety of disabilities in many settings over that past seven years. Ariana is also a Registered Behavior Technician (approved by the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board - BACB) and is supervised under a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst. Ariana has completed her Canadian Red Cross FirstAid CPR/AED Standard C Certification.
Ariana began working in the field at the age of 14 beginning to work with adult with special needs assisting them with basic life skills and creating independence for their future. She continued this work in working for the City of Markham, inclusion team for summer camps working with children who have special needs. Ariana then worked as the Inclusion Supervisor for the city of Markham camps where she trained staff to lead a safe and inclusive environment for children who have a variety of exceptionalities. Ariana is a big advocate on inclusive practices and aims to create inclusive settings for all children to feel welcome and comfortable while providing meaningful content and opportunities for children to explore and learn.
Nicole Bondoc, Hons B.A., RBT, M.Ed in progress
Instructor Therapist
Nicole is a graduate from Ryerson University, where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Studies with a minor in Psychology. She has worked in several educational settings with children of various abilities as well as their families over the last five years. Nicole has successfully obtained her Canadian Red Cross FirstAid CPR/AED Standard C Certification. Nicole is also a Registered Behavior Technician (approved by the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board - BACB) and is supervised under a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst.
She has worked with the City of Markham for three years as an Inclusion Summer Camp Counsellor where she had the opportunity to work one-to-one with children and learn about a wide range of disabilities. Her interest in ABA was further sparked as she completed a field placement at Holland-Bloorview, where she planned and implemented activities for young children with disabilities in a specialized setting.
Nicole has a passion for working with children and helping them further develop skills in self-efficacy and increase autonomy to support their development. She is deeply motivated to continue learning in the field of ABA and is committed to providing quality service for our clients in order to meet their individual needs. She has an active interest in music, mental health, inclusion and American Sign Language which are all incorporated into her practice.
Tammy Chan, B.A.
Lead Instructor Therapist & Administrative Manager
Tammy is a Lead Instructor Therapist and has a background in Social Service Worker (Seneca) and a Bachelors Degree in Economics and East Asian Studies from the University of Toronto (St. George Campus). Tammy has completed her course sequence for BCaBA at Humber College and is working towards achieving a BCaBA certification. She has also completed an Applied Behaviour Analysis Certificate at the Geneva Center.
Tammy began her journey with children with autism while completing her placement at Aurora High School (York Region District School Board). Tammy’s interest and passion grew after continuing her career through Aspiration and Discoveries Inc. solely working with elementary and high school children with autism. Tammy also spent two years overseas in Hong Kong where she had the opportunity to assist children in the elementary setting with Special Needs at International Christian School.
As early intervention is critical, Tammy hopes to continuously educate and enhance her skills in ABA to support each family and child’s individual needs.
Elena Okbay, Hons B.A., RBT
LEAD Therapist
Elena is a graduate from York University where she completed her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology. She went on and obtained a Post Graduate Certificate in Autism and Behavioural Sciences from George Brown College (that met the requirement of BCaBA course sequence approved by the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board - BACB), which focused on autism spectrum disorder and ABA (Applied Behavioural Analysis) with a primary application for children and adolescents. Elena is s a Registered Behaviour Technician (approved by the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board - BACB) and is supervised under a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst.
Elena has a passion for working with children and supporting them to be as functional and independent as possible recognizing and serving their individual needs. She has worked as an instructor therapist with children and youth of different disabilities in various settings for more than three years. She takes pleasure in watching her clients grow, reduce challenging behaviours and learn new meaningful skills. She has years of experience in implementing programs including direct instruction, classroom readiness, social skills, life skills, and PECS. She plans to pursue her BCaBA certification in the future.
Iris Wong, RBT
Instructor Therapist/Administrative Assistant
Iris was a registered Early Childhood Educator. Iris has over four years of experience working as a lead RECE in early learning centers. She worked with children with disabilities in an inclusive setting by planning and implementing programs to support their development. Iris is also a Registered Behavior Technician (approved by the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board - BACB) and is supervised under a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst. Iris has obtained her Canadian Red Cross FirstAid CPR/AED Standard C Certification.
Iris started volunteering at a hospital and nursing home at the age of 16, engaging children with special needs and elderlies in social and recreational activities. She also worked as a Youth Ambassador in The Salvation Army assisting social workers with event planning. Iris found a passion for using ABA which helps children to reach their potential and work toward their goals for behavior, cognition, and social success. She is planning on continuing her education in the fields of ABA and Autism studies.
Priscilla Chou, Hons B.A., RBT
Instructor Therapist
Priscilla completed her Honours in Bachelors of Applied Sciences in Psychology at the University of Guelph- Humber.
She aspires to become a clinical psychologist to apply research-based methods to improve the lives of both children and their families who are dealing with emotional and mental health issues. Her research interests include how we can promote resilience in individuals who have experienced trauma, PTSD and adverse childhood experiences. She greatly believes in the importance of early childhood, early intervention and helping adolescents flourish and promoting patterns of healthy development.
She has worked in this field with children with developmental disabilities for the past two years and is working towards becoming a Registered Behaviour Technician. Priscilla strongly believes in building rapport and providing a comfortable environment for children to grow which she feels will be a necessary skillset as a clinician.
Adrienne Mak, Hons B.A., RBT
Instructor Therapist
Adrienne is a graduate of the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics.
She has a passion for caring for children and recognizes the impact that childhood has on a person's future. She has created close relationships with children and young families at her church and hopes to continue building relationships and mentoring these children as they enter new chapters of life. During high school and university, she spent time volunteering at various children's summer camps and student events. She is driven by her passion to care for others and to create a welcoming and caring environment wherever she is.
Adrienne is working towards her Registered Behaviour Technician certification and hopes to further her education in Speech Language Pathology.
Monica Santos, Hons. B.Sc., RBT
Instructor Therapist
Monica completed her undergraduate degree with a Double Major in Psychology and Human Biology at the University of Toronto. She has volunteered as a Literacy Mentor with Frontier College for three years to provide assistance to elementary school children in the Scarborough community. Monica has also obtained her graduate certificate in Autism and Behavioural Science from George Brown College. She has worked as an Instructor Therapist for almost two years and she is passionate about promoting children's independence with their daily lives.
Monica enjoys interacting and working with children. She is very committed to learning more about the ever-evolving field of Applied Behaviour Analysis. She is also interested in working with individuals of different disabilities and backgrounds. Monica plans to further her career in ABA or continue her education in Occupational Therapy.
Grace Lam, B.A., RBT
Instructor Therapist
Grace Lam obtained her undergraduate degree from Tyndale University with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services and a Diploma in Early Childhood Education from Seneca College. She has 8+ years of experience working with children in various settings, including childcare and church. She is passionate about working with children and families and believes that all children are born unique and full of potential.
Grace is currently pursuing a graduate certificate in Autism and Behavioural Science and becoming a Registered Behaviour Technician to work with children through ABA therapy.
Kelly Lam, B.A., RBT
Instructor Therapist
Kelly completed her undergraduate degree in Liberal Studies Education. She has 4 years of experience working with children. Kelly is also a Registered Behavior Technician (approved by the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board - BACB) and is supervised under a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst. She has obtained her FirstAid CPR/AED Standard C Certification.
Kelly is interested in special education, she has volunteered with children with special needs and interned in schools in the past. She is passionate about working with children and believes that every child is unique.
Yannes Chung, Hons B.Sc.
Instructor Therapist
Yannes completed her Honours in Bachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of Hong Kong. She is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist in Hong Kong with 4+ years of experience. She has worked with children aged from 2 to 16 with a variety of special needs, including intellectual disabilities, communication disorders, physical disabilities and autism spectrum disorders. She has worked in different settings including a special childcare centre, learning centres and schools. She has passion for training with children with autism spectrum disorders.
Yannes is working towards her Registered Behaviour Technician certification and hopes to finish her transfer of license as a Speech-Language Pathologist in Canada.
Mithussha Inpakeetham, Hons B.A.
Instructor Therapist
Mithussha is a graduate of York University with a Honours degree of Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She always had the passion to work with children. During high school and university, she had the opportunity to build relationships with children, by spending her time at her church as a Sunday school teacher. She got to plan lessons and work on activities with them. She also volunteered as a mentor in after school programs to help children and youth in underfunded communities. It was a fulfilling opportunity to create new relationships that she developed working one on one. For the past two years she’s been working in the ABA field as an instructor therapist and is working towards her Registered Behaviour Technician certification. Mithussha strongly believes this position is rewarding and seeing each child progress gives her the aspiration to continue what she’s doing to the best of her ability!
Vivek George, B.A.
Instructor Therapist
Vivek graduated from the University of Windsor with a double major in Criminology and Psychology. He always had a passion for working within his community which has allowed him to work and volunteer with children in a range of different positions including as a mentor at Big Brother/Big Sister of York to Director of sports camp for his church.
Furthermore, these unique roles allowed him to hone in on his strengths to focus on building relationships which also enabled him to become Vice-President of his Criminology Association. These connections allowed him to volunteer and work as a personal support worker while in school. From there on, his passion grew in learning and understanding the impact that developmental disabilities may have on both children and adults and has worked 3+ years in various roles such as personal support worker and as a Supervisor for adults living with developmental disabilities. Vivek is currently working towards his Registered Behaviour Technician certification.
Melissa Wu, Hons B.A.
Instructor Therapist
Melissa completed her undergrad in Early Childhood Education and Child Youth Care. She has a lot of experience working and studying the developmental process of children in all stages. Particularly, she has worked with infants, preschool children, kindergarten children, and school aged children. She developed a passion for working closely with different communities and families such as children with special needs, and also the Indigenous community. She has experience working with a specialization in family trauma, and aims to provide safe learning spaces for all. Melissa is working towards her Registered Behaviour Technician certification.
Arogena Kavithakaran, Hons. B.Sc
Instructor Therapist
Arogena is a graduate of the University of Toronto with a Honours Bachelor of Science; majoring in psychology. She is also a dean’s list graduate from George Brown College where she completed her post-graduate certificate in Autism Behavioural Sciences.
In the South Asian community, mental health and developmental disabilities are seen as taboo, so acknowledging these issues and receiving support is often discouraged.
Arogena hopes to tackle the lack of awareness surrounding autism, mental health, and other disabilities, due to the cultural barriers and beliefs present in these communities.
She has worked with other Autism/special needs centres, and tutored children with learning disabilities throughout high school and university. Arogena is passionate about promoting an inclusive community where everyone is accepted for who they are. A community where a disability is not the first thing one sees in a person, but their skills, talents, and achievements; big or small.
Arogena is currently working towards becoming a Board Certified Assistant Behaviour Analyst(BCaBa), and plans to further her career in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA).