Our therapists value teamwork and professional development opportunities to make treatment successful and cost-effective for families.
All of the Occupational Therapists + Speech-Language Pathologists at Little Buddies hold a Master’s or Bachelor’s Degrees in their respective fields. Our therapists are approved or supervised by the Registry of Autism and Service Providers (RASP) and are fully licensed and registered with the College of Health and Care Professionals of British Columbia (CHCPBC).
Keith Landherr, M.A., O.T.
Director of Little Buddies Pediatric Therapy Inc.
Occupational Therapist
Certified DIR Floortime® Trainer
You can find me at both the Burnaby and Richmond clinics!
Keith is a graduate of New York University’s (NYU) Occupational Therapy Program and has over 25 years of experience as an Occupational Therapist. Keith has advanced training in Sensory Integration, Multiple Therapeutic Learning Systems, and Neuro-Development Treatment and is a certified DIR Floortime Trainer. He initially trained at Babies and Children’s Hospital of New York City. He has presented to child development centres in British Columbia and New York City and has provided lectures for ICDL’s DIR Floortime Training Program, New York City Department of Education, Babies and Children’s Hospital of New York, and as an adjunct professor of Occupational Therapy at NYU. Keith has training and experience in treating sensory processing differences in individuals from birth through adulthood in early intervention programs, school-based services and private Occupational Therapy clinics. Keith is the Director and founder of Little Buddies Pediatric Therapy Incorporated, where he strives to prove family-centred treatment to children and families while honouring their unique histories and individual differences. Keith is currently a Ph.D. student in the Fielding Graduate School’s Infant and Child Development program.
Alysha Paiaro, M.O.T.
Assistant Director of Little Buddies Pediatric Therapy Inc.
Occupational Therapist
Certified Proficient DIR Floortime® Practitioner & Registered PLAY Project™ Consultant
You can find me at the Burnaby clinic!
Following graduation from the University of British Columbia in 2016 with a Master’s in Occupational Therapy, Alysha joined Little Buddies Pediatric Therapy, where she is now Assistant Director. Her lifelong love of learning has driven her to complete post-graduate education in sensory integration, trauma & attachment, pediatric feeding & swallowing, therapeutic listening, and neuro-developmental treatment. It was at Little Buddies that she developed a passion for integrating the holistic DIR Floortime approach into her practice. She has become a proficient DIR Floortime® Provider and Registered PLAY Project Consultant. She is proud to be the Assistant Director of Little Buddies Pediatric Therapy, where neurodiversity is celebrated and holistic, relationship-based, person-affirming treatment is provided to children and their families.
Devin Bennett, M.Sc., O.T.
Occupational Therapist
Certified Basic DIR Floortime® Practitioner & Registered PLAY Project™ Consultant
You can find me at the Burnaby clinic!
Devin is a graduate of Dalhousie University’s Master of Occupational Therapy Program. Devin is a certified Basic DIR Floortime® Practitioner, registered PLAY Project™ Consultant, and SOS Feeding Therapist, and has also completed postgraduate courses and programs, including Integrated Listening Systems (iLs) and Embracing and Understanding Individual Differences Workshop with Rosemary White. Since beginning with Little Buddies, Devin has worked with a variety of different diagnoses, including autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and children with complex behavioural challenges. He is committed to learning each child’s overall profile and providing the necessary care for them to reach their maximal potential.
Megan MacKay, M.Sc., RSLP, BCBA
Speech-Language Pathologist and Behaviour Analyst
Certified in It Takes Two to Talk® and ABC and Beyond®
You can find me at the Richmond clinic!
Megan graduated from the University of British Columbia (UBC) with a Master in the Speech Sciences program from the Faculty of Medicine and a specialization in the Special Education program from the Faculty of Education. She has 20 years of experience working as a Speech-Language Pathologist and Behaviour Analyst. Megan has advanced training in the Early Start Denver Model, SOS feeding program, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Advanced Literacy program, SCERTS®, Hanen: It takes two to talk and ABC and Beyond. She has extensive experience working with children with autism and other developmental delays. Megan’s approach to therapy is family-centred care with a mix of child-led play-based therapy and adult-directed ABA. Megan is very active in the SLP community and holds a position on the Board for Speech and Hearing BC. When she is not working, Megan enjoys spending time with her family, including her three young boys.
Sarah Semeniuk M.O.T., B.Kin
Occupational Therapist
Certified Basic DIR Floortime® Practitioner
You can find me at the Richmond clinic!
Sarah graduated with a Master’s in Occupational Therapy from the University of British Columbia in 2020 after completing her Bachelor’s of Kinesiology at the University of Victoria in 2014. Sarah has previous experience working as a Behavioural Interventionist and Team Leader at a group home where she provided 1:1 care to children and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She is passionate about providing family-centred, holistic care that focuses on the individual and unique attributes of the child. Sarah is committed to creating a fun and safe space for children to play and develop social, emotional, and functional skills so that they can participate in activities that are meaningful to them. Sarah values ongoing learning and has attended workshops focusing on Trauma-Informed Practice and Core Emotion-Focused Family Therapy. She has also completed her certification as a Basic DIR Floortime Practitioner and is a certified SOS Feeding Therapist.
Sasha Wertheim M.A., RSLP, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
You can find me at the Richmond clinic!
Sasha received her M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from San José State University in San José, California in 2007. Sasha’s primary goal is to improve the lives of individuals with complex communication needs and their families. She has worked in both clinical and school settings to support children and young adults with complex communication needs through direct service and consultation models. Sasha specializes in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and has experience supporting children with a wide variety of needs, including Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, and Oral Apraxia. She is a strong proponent of strengths-based, child-led therapy for Autistic individuals and continues to pursue learning in the areas of Gestalt Language Acquisition and Autistic social communication that supports authenticity and acceptance of the needs of Autistic individuals. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the Lower Mainland with her husband and dog and finding ways to approach life with curiosity and creativity.
Alexandra Boran, M.Sc., O.T.
Occupational Therapist
You can find me at the Richmond clinic!
Alex graduated with a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Alberta in 2019. Prior to this, she completed her Bachelor of Kinesiology at the University of Toronto in 2017. Alex spent the first two and a half years of her occupational therapy career working in private practice with adults who were experiencing various physical and mental health challenges. Alex’s longtime passion for working with children led her to excitedly transition to working at Little Buddies in January of 2023. To further her practice knowledge in pediatrics, Alex completed the Embracing and Understanding Individual Differences workshop presented by Rosemary White, as well as the SOS Approach to Feeding course. Alex intends to utilize this practice knowledge in combination with her passion for child-led, family-centred care to facilitate the achievement of clients’ occupational therapy goals. Alex highly values each child’s individual needs and strives to highlight each child’s unique strengths in the development of a safe and engaging environment wherein her clients develop skills, learn, and play! Alex is a certified SOS Trained Therapist, and she intends to become a certified Basic DIR Floortime provider to further her skills in relationship-focused, play-based occupational therapy.
Damilola Alashe, M.O.T.
Occupational Therapist
You can find me at the Burnaby clinic!
Damilola graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2023 with a Master’s in Occupational Therapy. Prior to this, she completed her bachelor’s in human Physiology at Babcock University, Nigeria, in 2017. Before obtaining her masters, Damilola worked for 2 years as an occupational therapist intern with school-based Occupational Therapists, working with children and youths with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Downs Syndrome as well as Cerebral Palsy to develop foundational skills to engage in day-to-day activities. Damilola sees each child and family as unique and works towards highlighting each child’s strengths in a therapeutic environment where they can develop confidence in themselves and eventually in their abilities.
Garima Manek, M.O.T
Provisional Occupational Therapist
You can find me at the Burnaby clinic!
Garima graduated from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 2024 with a Master’s in Occupational Therapy, having previously earned her Bachelor’s in Psychology from the same institution. Originally from India, she moved to Canada for her education and is trilingual in English, Hindi, and Gujarati. During her fieldwork placements, Garima worked as a Student Occupational Therapist at a private pediatric clinic in Montreal, where she gained experience with the DIR Floortime model, fostering relationships with children and implementing play-based interventions. Before her master’s degree, she worked as a Behavioral Interventionist with a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder. As a BI, she tailored interventions to target the child’s gross and fine motor development, communication skills, self-regulation, and social behaviours. Garima is passionate about providing culturally safe, strengths-based, and individualized care. She believes in recognizing and building on each child’s unique abilities and interests, tailoring her approaches to engage them fully. By collaborating closely with parents and caregivers, she aims to create meaningful experiences that help achieve each child’s goals. Garima is excited to continue learning about the DIR Floortime approach and is completing the professional development needed to become a certified Basic DIR Floortime Provider.
Giovanni Godoy, B.Sc.
Occupational Therapy Assistant
Certified Proficient DIR Floortime® Practitioner
You can find me at the Burnaby clinic!
Gio is a graduate of the University of Central Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Biology and is a certified Registered Behaviour Technician. Gio was born in Honduras and moved to the United States at eleven years old, he is bilingual in both Spanish and English. Growing up, he was always passionate about science and always found the human body pretty interesting, especially the brain. Gio has been working with autistic children since 2019. He is very passionate about this field and hopes to grow and make an impact in Occupational Therapy. He is a certified Floortime practitioner and has completed his DIR 202: Promoting Higher Functional Emotional Developmental Capacities.
Clare Urquhart
Occupational Therapy & Speech-Language Pathology Assistant
You can find me at the Richmond clinic!
Clare is an OT and SLP assistant at our Richmond clinic. She has been working with us since 2019, previously working as our office manager. Clare is currently completing her Bachelor of Kinesiology at Capilano University, with plans to complete her Master of Occupational Therapy in the future. In her free time, she enjoys playing video games, creating embroidery artwork, and always finding new things to learn. Clare is a certified SOS Feeding therapist and strives to create meaningful relationships with our clients through laughter and play.
Yara Berron Garcia
Occupational Therapy Assistant
You can find me at both the Burnaby and Richmond clinics!
Yara is a dedicated person who pursued a career in medicine because of her passion for helping others. She studied back in Mexico and worked as a doctor for three years. However, Yara wanted to explore new interests and broaden her horizons, so she moved to Vancouver and enrolled in the Kinesiology program at Langara College to deepen her understanding of the human body. Yara is also a creative person who enjoys craft activities like building Lego and miniature projects. She finds this artistic outlet helps her relax and be creative. Yara is also passionate about nature and animals and actively engages in environmental activities. She believes in the power of empathy and compassion and strives to make a positive impact on the lives of others. With her diverse range of interests and genuine love for helping others, Yara embraces every opportunity to contribute to the well-being of everyone she encounters.
Kwiryung Kim
Occupational Therapy Assistant
You can find me at the Burnaby clinic!
Kwi graduated with a Bachelor of Health Science, Department of Occupational Therapy from Nagasaki University, Japan, in 2020. Before moving to Canada, Kwi worked as an Occupational Therapist at the Child Developmental Support Facility, which mainly used Sensory Integration Therapy with children and families who had diverse needs for two years. Prior to this work experience, Kwi had been joining the Pediatric Occupational Therapy Sessions as a student volunteer for four years at the same office. Through these 6 years, Kwi gained precious experience with a wide range of clients, from toddlers to youth, and developed her interest in children’s supportive environments in other countries and decided to come to Canada. After moving to Canada, Kwi started studying Early Childhood Education as a first step in her new journey and received an ECE license. Kwi finished the Infant & Toddler Education and Special Needs diploma as well as the Basic ECE courses and developed her knowledge of the fundamentals of the growth of children. She also worked with youth who have a variety of needs as an Integration Support Worker, using community resources in Vancouver. Kwi, fortunately, met this opportunity to work as an OTA at Little Buddies and restarted to develop her career in this field. In her free time, Kwi loves to watch movies, dance, and listen to music.
Agnes Tam
Speech-Language Pathology Assistant
You can find me at the Burnaby and Richmond clinics!
Agnes graduated with a Master of Speech-Language Pathology from the Education University of Hong Kong in 2020. Before moving to Canada, she worked as a Speech Therapist for over three years in private clinics, community centres, schools, and aged-care homes. Her experience expanded significantly as she worked with clients spanning various age groups, including toddlers and older adults, resulting in valuable insights gained. Since moving to Canada, Agnes has been striving to become a certified SLP in Canada, as she is passionate about joining the community of speech and hearing health professionals and positively impacting the field. Agnes loves nature and art. She enjoys visiting museums and hiking. She is also curious about new things. and recently got her scuba diving license.
Leah Roberts, B.Sc.
Occupational Therapy Assistant
You can find me at the Burnaby clinic!
Leah joined the Little Buddies team as an OTA after volunteering for a year. She has completed her Bachelor of Health Sciences with Honours from Simon Fraser University and is currently attending the University of British Columbia’s Masters of Occupational Therapy program. Leah has always been passionate about health and enjoys learning about certain aspects, including health promotion, sports injuries, maternal and child health, and mental health. In her free time, Leah likes being active by playing sports such as soccer and tennis, spending time with her dog, family, and friends, gardening, cooking, and baking. She is also a huge soccer fan and watches games regularly. Leah is looking forward to making meaningful connections with the children at Little Buddies and helping support their needs and overall well-being.
Yebin Moon, B.A.
Occupational Therapy Assistant
You can find me at the Burnaby clinic!
Yebin is an OTA in the Burnaby Clinic. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Family Studies from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and hopes to complete her Masters in Occupational Therapy in the near future. She is passionate about holistic health and finding fun and interactive ways to support children and adolescents in their daily lives and overall well-being. In her free time, Yebin enjoys watching movies, hiking and spending time with family and friends. Yebin is excited to be the newest addition to Little Buddies and hopes to make meaningful connections with clients and their families.