Our Staff

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!
Our therapists value teamwork and professional development opportunities to make treatment successful and cost-effective for families.

All of the Occupational Therapists at Little Buddies hold a Masters or Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Therapy. 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 Occupational Therapists of British Columbia (COTBC).
Keith is a graduate of New York University's (NYU) Occupational Therapy Program and has over 25 years experience as an Occupational Therapist. Keith has advanced training in Sensory Integration, Multiple Therapeutic Learning Systems, 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 present 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 life-long 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 where she developed a passion for integrating the holistic DIR Floortime approach into her practice and 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.

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 British Columbia (UBC) with a Masters 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 Early Start
Denver Model, SOS feeding program, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Advanced Literacy program, SCERTS®, Hanen: It take 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 lead 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.

Sam Wade, M.Sc., O.T. Occupational Therapist
Certified Basic DIR Floortime® Practitioner

You can find me at the Burnaby clinic! Sam graduated from Queen's University with his Master's of Science in Occupational Therapy in 2015 and also received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Victoria in 2011. His experience ranges providing services in hospitals, homes, schools, and private clinic settings. Sam stays very active in the OT community advocating for inclusion and accessibility and was the chosen recipient in his class for the award of Outstanding Communication in Practice. Sam is devoted to client and family-centred care. He is passionate about using play to help give children and families tools and strategies for success in everyday life. He has experience using a variety of assessments and intervention tools and is diligent is pursuing professional development. Sam is a certified Basic DIR Floortime ® provider, and holds designations in Level 1 Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and Mandt system training.

Devin Bennett, M.Sc., O.T. Occupational Therapist.
Registered PLAY Project™ Consultant

You can find me at the Burnaby clinic! Devin is a graduate of the Dalhousie University, Master of Occupational Therapy Program. Devin is a certified Basic DIR Floortime Practitioner and has also completed postgraduate courses and programs including Integrated Listening Systems (iLs) and Embracing and Understanding Individual Differences Workshop with Rosemary White. He is in the process of completing the Play Project Certification Course which is a course designed to support families to help their children reach their full potential through play. 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.

Hayley Lutes M.Sc., O.T. Occupational Therapist
Registered PLAY Project™ Consultant

You can find me at the Burnaby clinic! Hayley graduated with a masters degree in occupational therapy from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2018. Prior to that, she completed a rehabilitation assistant diploma (OT, PT and SLP disciplines) from Capilano University in 2012 and a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Acadia University in 2010. Hayley has experience supporting children at home and school through her work as an OT and rehabilitation assistant and believes strongly in relationship building and empowering families through education and advocacy. In order to best support clients and families, Hayley is passionate about ongoing learning and has attended courses and workshops covering topics such as autism, sensory processing, feeding, printing/handwriting, and attachment. In therapy, Hayley is dedicated to creating a safe space for children and youth to explore connection, engagement, and functional skill building through play.

Breanna Thom M.O.T., B.A Occupational Therapist
Certified Basic DIR Floortime® Practitioner

You can find me at the Burnaby clinic! Breanna is a fun-loving and passionate occupational therapist who believes that progress in therapy begins with a joyful, safe and trusting relationship between client and therapist. Breanna graduated with a Master in Occupational Therapy from UBC in 2020 after completing her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2015. She collaborates with her clients to help increase their participation and independence in the daily activities that are meaningful to them and their families. Breanna promotes sensory processing, regulation, fine/gross/visual motor, executive functioning and social-emotional skill development through use of sensory integration, DIR Floortime, trauma-informed and relationship and play-based techniques. After all, PLAY is a child’s MOST important job! Breanna has completed a variety of postgraduate courses on the topics of: Holistic Clinical Reasoning, Sensory Processing, Anxiety, ADHD, Developmental Coordination Disorder, Autism, Pathological Demand Avoidance, parent coaching and trauma-sensitive care. Breanna has experience providing treatment and coaching in clinic, in-home, in-community and collaborating with school and home teams. When not in the sensory gym, Breanna enjoys exploring her Whiterock neighbourhood, playing with her adorable (but barky) dog Poppy or losing her voice while singing Karaoke.

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 Masters 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 and has completed her certification as a Basic DIR Floortime Practitioner.

Natalia Manrique, M.Sc.
Occupational Therapist

You can find me at the Richmond and Burnaby clinic! Natalia Manrique graduated from Dalhousie University with a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy in June of 2019. Prior to this, she completed a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Human Kinetics from the University of Ottawa. As a student, Natalia completed placements in Scotland, Halifax, and Ottawa, and participated in multiple health-outreach programs in Ghana. It was through the combination of these experiences that she developed her passion for pediatric therapy and family-centred care. Natalia has experience working as an Occupational Therapist in school-based, clinical, and home settings, and has worked with children and families with various backgrounds, diagnoses, and needs. Through ongoing education, Natalia has explored many topics and intervention methods, including Therapeutic Listening, Astronaut Training, Building Blocks for Sensory Integration, and Supporting Individuals through Valued Attachment (SIVA). Natalia is dedicated to creating a safe space for children and their families to explore play as a means of fostering connection, engagement, and participation in all areas of life.

Kristen Joy-Correll, M.O.T., B.Kin. Occupational Therapist
Working towards Basic DIR Floortime Practicioner Certification

You can find me at the Richmond clinic! Kristen grew up in a small mountain town and quickly became passionate about sharing the outdoor sports she loves with children and youth with diverse abilities. Prior to becoming an occupational therapist, she gained over 5 years of experience supporting children with various developmental disabilities to engage in meaningful activities such as skiing, swimming, canoeing, group socialization, and play. She graduated with a Master in Occupational Therapy from the University of British Columbia in 2020 after completing her Bachelor of Kinesiology there in 2018. Kristen continues to pursue further learning to best support the needs and interests of her clients and their families, including courses relating to printing/handwriting, nervous system regulation, mental health, and embracing individual differences. She values building relationships with clients and families to understand each child's strengths and interests in order to provide a safe and engaging environment to develop skills, learn, and play.

Kira Mauriks, M.Sc., R. SLP Speech-Language Pathologist

You can find me at the Burnaby clinic! Kira is a speech-language pathologist dedicated to child-lead, family-centred therapy. Kira graduated with a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Alberta in 2022. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Victoria in 2019, where she majored in Linguistics and minored in Psychology. Kira has always been passionate about language and communication. Growing up, she channeled this passion into public speaking and musical theatre. Being a speech-language pathologist means that Kira gets to continue to pursue these interests while supporting the speech, language, and communication of children and youth! Kira has had clinical experience working with children with a variety of communication challenges, including early language delay, speech delay, childhood apraxia of speech, and literacy concerns. Kira has worked with children with Autism and ADHD and looks forward to learning more about using neurodiversity-affirming therapy practices. Kira plans to become certified as a Basic DIR Floortime provider to support play-based and relationship-focused therapy.

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.
He 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 for over four years. 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.

Paul Im Occupational Therapy Assistant

You can find me at the Burnaby clinic! Paul has been a dedicated Occupational Therapy assistant in both the Burnaby and Richmond clinics since 2015. Paul is originally from Japan and speaks Japanese and Korean fluently. Paul provides OT assistant sessions, co-treats, and maintains the equipment at our Burnaby clinic. He is currently attending school at Vancouver Community College and hopes to become an occupational therapist in the future. Paul loves to play video games in his spare time.

Kiana Sato-Klemm Occupational Therapy Assistant

You can find me at the Burnaby clinic! Kiana is an Occupational Therapy Assistant who is currently attending the University of British Columbia and is working towards her Bachelor's of Kinesiology. She plans on continuing her studies to become an Occupational Therapist in the future. Kiana has always been passionate about working with children and youth and has experience working with this age group for respite care, behavioural intervention work, and educational support. She loves all things related to the outdoors and is always excited for an adventure!

Leah Roberts Occupational Therapy Assistant

You can find me at the Burnaby clinic! Leah has recently joined the Little Buddies team as an OTA, after volunteering for the past year. She is currently studying at Simon Fraser University and is finishing up her bachelor’s degree with honours in Health Sciences. 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

Tyler Proctor Occupational Therapy Assistant

You can find me at the Richmond clinic! Tyler graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in kinesiology. Tyler’s goal is to become an occupational therapist in the near future. He looks forward to learning more about this profession and working alongside all the therapists at Little Buddies. Outside of work, Tyler enjoys playing sports such as curling and soccer and exploring the many restaurants Vancouver has to offer.

John Francisco Office Manager

You can find me at the Burnaby clinic! John is our Office Manager responsible for running our Burnaby and Richmond Clinics as smoothly and efficiently as possible. John is currently working on becoming a scheduling wizard to ensure we support as many children as possible here at Little Buddies. When John isn’t working hard, he enjoys our breathtaking views doing hikes around Vancouver or getting chased by his two dogs.