Meet Our Team

Jennifer Tai
M.Cl.Sc. SLP, Reg. CASLPO

Founder, Speech Language Pathologist

Jennifer is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist who has years of experience providing speech therapy to pre-school and school-aged children in the areas of articulation, phonology, language, early intervention, caregiver coaching, and literacy (reading and writing).

After working as a Communicative Disorders Assistant for a few years in private practice and in a school/therapy centre dedicated to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, she decided to pursue a Masters of Clinical Sciences in Speech-Language Pathology at Western University.

Jennifer speaks English and Cantonese (conversational). She currently has training in Hanen: It Takes Two to Talk, More Than Words, Target Word, PROMPT, and LIDCOMBE. Workshops in Natural Language Acquisition have also been a major focus to ensure language modelling matches the learning style of the child. Neurodiversity-affirming practices are also implemented in her everyday practice to allow children to freely be themselves and for their personalities to shine through. Her ongoing professional development in evidence-based practices will ensure that she provides the best and highest quality service.

Communicative Disorders Assistant

Leesel S

Leesel holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from York University, where her academic focus encompassed Sociology and Health and Society. Additionally, Leesel has successfully completed a post-graduate certificate program as a Communicative Disorders Assistant at St. Lawrence College.

As a Communicative Disorders Assistant (CDA), she has worked with diverse demographics including preschool and school-age children and adults. She has vast experience working with adults coping with neurogenic disorders, children requiring supports due to developmental challenges, and those diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Beyond her professional pursuits, she is married and blessed to be the mother of two children and cherish quality time with her family and friends.

Communicative Disorders Assistant

Ashkan J

Ash holds a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology as well as a Graduate Certificate in Communication Disorders Assistant and is fluent in two languages.

Prior to entering the field of Communication Sciences and Disorders, he was a language teacher for about a decade, teaching students of all age groups.

As a Communicative Disorders Assistant, he has worked with clients of various age groups who had difficulties in articulation, fluency, language, literacy and auditory processing. Among his clients, there were ones on the Autism spectrum, those who were diagnosed with ADHD, learning and physical disabilities, and Aphasia from whom he has learned a lot and eagerly continues to learn.

Speech Language Pathologist

Bonnie M

Bonnie is a Speech-Language Pathologist licensed with the College of Audiologists & Speech Language Pathologists of Ontario and a Life Member with a Certificate of Clinical Competence in the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She has had the pleasure and privilege of working and playing with infants, preschoolers, kindergarteners and caregivers in homes, child care centres and schools since 1984. Always a team player, her passion is promoting speech & language development through the natural activities of childhood, using the power of play and the family & community’s everyday social routines.

The unique learning style and personality of each child guide Bonnie to collaborate with caregivers in developing a program of functional goals and strategies. Her practices are evidence-based, using scientific evidence, clinical expertise and the perspectives of families to support communication development in ways that are inclusive, individualized and joyful.

Communicative Disorders Assistant

Niña L

Niña Laygo is a graduate with honours from Durham College Communicative Disorders Assistant (CDA) post graduate certificate program. Prior to this, she completed an Honours B.Sc. degree in Psychology and Molecular Biology at the University of Toronto.

Niña has experience providing direct therapy with school-aged children targeting various communication needs such as articulation, phonology, receptive and expressive language, AAC, and literacy. She has implemented evidence-based therapeutic techniques in her therapy sessions while collaborating closely with speech-language pathologists. She has also worked with caregivers and educators to develop engaging speech therapy strategies targeting each client’s unique speech goals.

She is dedicated to facilitating progress, celebrating milestones, and empowering individuals to communicate effectively by gearing speech therapy towards the client’s interests while ensuring client success. She fluently speaks English and Tagalog

Roles and Qualifications of a Communicative Disorders Assistant
(the following is taken directly from the Communicative Disorders Assistance Association of Canada)

CDAAC Position Statement

Supportive personnel are defined as “individuals who are directly assigned clinical tasks and related work and are supervised by the [CASLPO] member to assist in the provision of speech language pathology intervention” (The Use of Support Personnel by Speech Language Pathologists, March 2017).

CDAs have all of the following:

a diploma and/or an undergraduate degree, typically in human services or social sciences,
a post-graduate CDA diploma or certificate,
and, in most cases, prior work or volunteer experience in the field of communication disorders.

CDAs’ coursework and training covers all of the following areas:

speech (including anatomy and physiology, sound acquisition and developmental errors, phonological processes, apraxia, dysarthria, transcribing using the international phonetic alphabet, fluency and voice),
language (including typical development, special populations, language sampling and calculating mean length of utterance),
pragmatics,
adult neurogenic disorders,
audiology (including anatomy of the ear, basic audiometric screenings and hearing aid technology),
augmentative and alternative communication (including Voice Output Communication Aids, the Picture Exchange Communication System and use of communication software such as Boardmaker),
how to work as supportive personnel,
and two 6-8 week placements in the field of communication disorders

Supervision

As CASLPO states in its 2017 position statement, “Support personnel must demonstrate the knowledge, skill and judgement associated with assigned tasks.”. Additionally, they state “The amount and method of ongoing supervision the support personnel requires will depend on the following: Complexity of the patient and presenting disorders, issues and concerns, risk of harm associated with the assigned task, the specific competence of the support personnel, experience and level of comfort of the support personnel, experience and level of comfort of the SLP”.

Meet Our Team

Jennifer Tai M.Cl.Sc. SLP, Reg. CASLPO

Roles and Qualifications of a Communicative Disorders Assistant (the following is taken directly from the Communicative Disorders Assistance Association of Canada)

Jennifer Tai
M.Cl.Sc. SLP, Reg. CASLPO

Roles and Qualifications of a Communicative Disorders Assistant
(the following is taken directly from the Communicative Disorders Assistance Association of Canada)